Luke 10:41

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.'” Luke 10:41 NIV

“The Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.'” Luke 10:41 HCSB

Jesus is speaking in this passage. When Jesus speaks my ears perk up. How about you?

So here is what Jesus says: “one thing is necessary.”

This is so important. Jesus is giving us a clue as to how we should prioritize our lives. He is helping us understand what is really vital to life. God in the flesh is revealing what can be left out and what isn’t necessary.

One thing! Mary understood what that was. Nothing else mattered. Martha missed it.

Martha is so caught up in the cares of this world and has forgotten what is the most important. She has so much she wants to do and has to accomplish. She takes her cares and responsibility and makes them the focal point of her ambitions and time.

In this passage of scripture Jesus came into town and Martha invited Jesus over to her house. Verse 40 says she was “distracted” by her serving or many tasks. But her sister Mary was busy sitting at the feet of Jesus “listening” to him.

Time with Jesus, the bread of life, is the only food that will sustain you. He alone gives life. Matthew 4:4 says, “man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”

Martha was concerned about serving Jesus the food she had. She was busy performing and providing what she thought was important. She was a doer. Doing for Jesus, and angry that her sister chose not to do something.

A couple of things bounce around in my mind.

Martha has Jesus in her home. She has an opportunity to receive from him. Pick his brain, ask him questions, learn everything she can while she has front-row seats. What a fantastic opportunity. Jesus is her guest, yet she is busy. She is performance driven. Does she think she has to impress him? Does she feel obligated to serve? Is she more concerned about Jesus noticing her instead of hearing him? Why did she even invite him over?

How do you treat your guest? If you had a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have a wise, experienced, intelligent, person in your home, how would you spend your time?

I think of time spent with elderly people and I revel in their stories and conversation about life. Loads of information and wise council. I stay near them and just listen. A wealth of knowledge comes pouring out.

Here is Jesus, the God of creation, in the flesh, and what is Martha doing?

Mary on the other hand has figured it out. She is front and center. Feeding on the words of Christ. She is satisfying her soul. I love Jesus’s words. “She has chosen the good portion.” It’s a choice. You get to make the decision. You are offered two portions of food. Everyday you wake up you get to chose. Will you nourish your flesh or will you nourish your soul.

Martha’s idea of building a relationship looks to me like one of performance and Mary’s looks a lot more like intimacy. When I think of Martha and her response to Jesus about her performance, I think of Peter who rejected what Jesus was doing when Jesus went to wash Peter’s feet. Both Martha and Peter wanted to “do” for Jesus, but Jesus was trying to do for them. The word of God says, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,” Matthew 10:45.

Jesus tells Peter, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” John 13:8. Jesus wants to wash and cleans us. Jesus is the word made flesh. John 1:14. The Word of God is powerful. The most beautiful word picture for this is taken from the book of Ephesians, chapter 6 verses 26-27: “that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”

One thing is necessary! Time with Jesus. Time in his word. Time in prayer. Don’t be so concerned about the doing. Spend time at the feet of Jesus. When you learn what is most important, the things you are anxious and troubled about will find their perspective.