This is the story of two sisters.
Mary and Martha, together with their brother Lazarus, were close friends and followers of Jesus. Jesus visited their home several times. One time when Jesus visited them, the two sisters behaved in two very different ways, and the way Jesus reacted to their choices is a very valuable lesson for us today. We can read about this in Luke 10:38-42.
Martha is worried
Martha was rushing around, serving and doing her best to make everything good for their beloved guest. And where was Mary when Martha needed some help? She chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to what He said.
You can understand how that made Martha feel. Irritated, frustrated, angry. Why should she be doing all the work? Wasn’t it only righteous for Mary to also help? In fact, Martha felt so strongly that she was right that she went and talked to Jesus about it. “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me,” she said to Him.
But instead of agreeing with her, Jesus told her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
This must have felt like a slap in the face for Martha. Here she was, doing everything in her power to be hospitable and make it good. And Mary just sat there, and that was the right thing?
Getting our priorities right
It can be very easy for us to be so busy with all the things that need to be done, that we don’t see any more what the most important thing is. Isn’t it possible that we can get too busy with all the cares of life? Jesus makes this even more clear in the parable He told about the sower. “The seeds that fell among thorn bushes stand for those who hear the message; but the worries about this life and the love for riches choke the message, and they don't bear fruit.” Matthew 13:22 (GNT).
The highest priority in our lives needs to be choosing the good part, as Mary did, and that is to listen to Jesus and learn of Him so that we can become like Him. If we love Him and are loyal to Him, then everything else is not so important. Then we seek the wisdom and understanding that are in Him. If we don’t do this, how can we follow Him, how can we be His disciple? A disciple learns of the Master and wants to become like his Master.
This doesn’t mean that we are becoming lazy and do nothing and don’t take responsibility for anything. That is something totally different. We should be doers of the Word, and not hearers only! (James 1:22.) But what we do, has to be led by the Spirit; and we learn to hear the voice of the Spirit if we choose the good part, like Mary.
There is no blessing when we live our lives and do things according to our human understanding of what is important. Mary understood that she needed to learn more of her Master and seek the things that have eternal value. Only when we do that, we can be a blessing, because then everything we do is driven by the Spirit. It is our love for Jesus that causes us to listen, to learn, and to keep His commandments. (1 John 5:3.)
“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27 (GNT).
Work on yourself
We can easily fall into the same trap that Martha did. We can be so taken up by what we think the others are doing wrong, and become so self-righteous in our good works that we start judging others for not doing things the way we do them. Satan is the one behind these kinds of thoughts. He whispers lies and accusations, and tries to create as much conflict as he can. His aim is to lead people as far away as possible from “the good part”– away from Jesus. To listen to him and agree with him only leads to unrest, trouble and worry. We should refuse to listen to him and his lies.
It's written in 1 Timothy 4:16 (CEB), “Focus on working on your own development and on what you teach. If you do this, you will save yourself and those who hear you.” Only that will do us any good in life. The wrong choice that Martha made wasn’t that she was serving and doing good. It was that she criticised Mary and had demands on her!
If we are living before the face of God, we have no reason to look around at what others are doing and feel that we have a right to judge them. We live in obedience to what the Spirit tells us to do, and what others do is none of our business. We don’t know how He is leading others.
Let’s stop chasing after empty things in this world and seek the things that have eternal value. Like Mary, let’s find that fellowship with Jesus and with those who follow Him so that we can learn of Him and become like Him. Through the Word of God, and fellowship and prayer we become rich in our spirit, and God will give us everything we need.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” Philippians 4:8 (GNT).
