*Photo Credit: Unknown
When I was 15, I found myself in church for the first time since I was a kid. I sat quietly in the back of the auditorium, drinking in every lyric sung, every chord played, and every word spoken from the stage. I always knew there was more – but what did that even mean?
The sermon that night was on the story of Martha and Mary.
As the pastor talked about Mary, her love and devotion to Jesus, my heart jumped. I wanted so much to experience what she had. To sit at the feet of the One who loved me more than life itself. Who would one day willingly give up His life so that I wouldn’t have to.
I wanted to be like Mary.
Cooking, cleaning, and chores didn’t exactly get me excited, anyway. Who would actually want to be Martha?
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” // Luke 10:38-42
Most of us would like to believe that we would be Mary in this story. We would like to think that we would put everything else on hold to go and sit at Jesus’ feet.
But if we were honest with ourselves, I have a feeling we would realize we’re more like Martha than we would like to admit.
What sets these two women – these two sisters – apart from one another?
Let’s take a look at Martha and her attitude. Can you see yourself in her?
- She was distracted by her ever-growing “to-do” list
- She was bitter and complained of her situation
- She was insecure and felt under-appreciated
- She was more worried about being “perfect” for Jesus than spending time with Jesus
Now, serving and take care of responsibility is necessary. Jesus wasn’t telling Martha to walk away from her duties; he was simply getting her to recognize that her priorities were not in order.
Jesus should come before our jobs, our families, our marriage, our ambitions, and, in Martha’s case, our house chores.
