Two Women: Mary and Martha

[SavedOnebyGrace]

 

Quote

 

Luke 10:38-42, New International Version (NIV)

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ 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!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Footnotes:

1. Luke 10:42 Some manuscripts but only one thing is needed

Cross references:

1. Luke 10:38 : Jn 11:1; 12:2
2. Luke 10:39 : Jn 11:1; 12:3
3. Luke 10:39 : Lk 8:35
4. Luke 10:40 : Mk 4:38
5. Luke 10:41 : Mt 6:25-34; Lk 12:11, 22
6. Luke 10:42 : Ps 27:4

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

Mary and Martha where trying to please Jesus:  Martha by her works in the kitchen, and Mary by her utter devotion to Jesus hanging onto every word He said.  The text tells us that Jesus was more pleased with Mary's complete adoration to the Lord, while Martha was working in the kitchen to prepare Him a fine meal.  It's a situation of complete Love (by Mary), and Love through works (by Martha).  Who pleases Jesus more?

[Jayne]

Interestingly enough, later on in John 11 - their roles are reversed.  Martha is the one fleeing TO Jesus while Mary doesn't.  Martha has to go and get her and tell her that Jesus wants to see her.  The contexts of the two stories are different - one is celebratory and the other is founded on great grief.  Maybe Christians respond to Christ in different ways under different emotional settings.

But about this particular story:

1. The details are very important. Someone had to cook the meal. Someone had to prepare the home for visitors. Someone has to open the church doors and lock them. Someone had to balance the checkbook. Someone has to scrub both household and church toilets.  In fact, wars have been lost, families destroyed, nations have collapsed, and marriage have crumbled all because some neglected the details.  But details, if not viewed in their proper place can become a distraction.
2. Sometimes even the strongest of Christians are like Martha - I can't TELL you how many times I've been distracted by the details. Distracted from sitting at the feet of Jesus in quiet moments. Distracted from telling Him that I love Him and from looking for the opportunities to hear His voice each day. Important details - which turn into distractions - have kept me from reading my Bible daily with consistency and meditating on it and memorizing it.

Consider this, too.   Martha was in a wonderful relationship with Jesus. He loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus very much - so says John 11:5. She was in such a close relationship to him that she could say anything to him that was on her heart and she did.

She told him to send Mary to help her. And when Lazarus was in the tomb, and she hears that Jesus is coming, she runs out of the village to see him. She told Jesus that if he had been there that her brother would still be living, but that she knew that God would do anything he asked. When Jesus told her that Lazarus would live again, she said she understood that there would one day be a resurrection of dead. And when Jesus told her that HE was the resurrection and the life and asked her if she believed that, she said that she did. And she went on to say that she believed that he, Jesus, was the Christ - was the Son of God and was the one that they had all been looking for.

That's definitely NOT a works-based profession.

THEN before Jesus even raises Lazarus - she runs to get Mary, her sister, and tells her that Jesus wants to see her.  Mary comes and says the same thing to Jesus - "If you had been here, Lazarus wouldn't be dead."

She has quite the wonderful relationship with Jesus - he loved her family very much.

Martha had a strong relationship with Jesus but in her desire to please him - her priorities temporarily went askew.

[Guest Teditis]

Excellent insights, Jayne... thanks for sharing those thoughts.

[missmuffet]

We see the importance of balancing service with worship.

[SavedOnebyGrace]

3 hours ago, Teditis said:

Excellent insights, Jayne... thanks for sharing those thoughts.

I agree, very good insights by all.  I mentioned this Bible passage because God placed it on my heart yesterday.  Namely, we ALL can find ourselves in Martha's position or Mary's position.  I believe we all should be aware and put Jesus and our love for Him first.  This love can be manifested in many ways.  I believe Martha's heart was in the right place, and this was her means of showing the Lord how much she loved Him.  But Jesus time on Earth was coming to an end.  He didn't want Martha to miss out on what He was telling Mary. 

This is the season we celebrate Christ's birth, even though it was probably another time.  Keep Jesus first and all have a very merry Christmas.

SObG

[Jayne]

4 hours ago, missmuffet said:

We see the importance of balancing service with worship.

That is indeed the point.

[Sing40King]

The shortest verse in the Bible comes in this story. "Jesus wept." I don't think He wept because Lazarus had died, but because of the unbelief He had to bring him back to this life. He had to perform miracles for the jews to believe in Him and most of the still didn't. Lazarus was in peace now but He had to show them God's power for them to believe. This is only my belief just based on what I feel the Lord has shown me. I don't think it's in scripture anywhere but I do trust ther Lord.

[MorningGlory]

6 hours ago, Teditis said:

Excellent insights, Jayne... thanks for sharing those thoughts.

I SO agree!  I am looking at these stories in a whole new way.  Thanks, Jayne!

[Marilyn C]

17 hours ago, Sing40King said:

The shortest verse in the Bible comes in this story. "Jesus wept." I don't think He wept because Lazarus had died, but because of the unbelief He had to bring him back to this life. He had to perform miracles for the jews to believe in Him and most of the still didn't. Lazarus was in peace now but He had to show them God's power for them to believe. This is only my belief just based on what I feel the Lord has shown me. I don't think it's in scripture anywhere but I do trust ther Lord.

Hi Sing4oKing,

Good insights by the Holy Spirit there bro.

regards, Marilyn.

[Ezra]

On 12/22/2016 at 5:26 PM, Sing40King said:

I don't think He wept because Lazarus had died, but because of the unbelief He had to bring him back to this life.

Why can we not believe that Jesus wept along with the mourners weeping for the loss of Lazarus?  After all He is described as "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief". 

Actually the ones most closely involved were not in unbelief at all. Just disappointment that Christ did not come immediately upon hearing of Lazarus' illness,  or even prevent Lazarus from dying by healing him with a word from afar. They could not possibly know that the Lord would use this incident to bring glory to God and souls to Himself.

As to Martha and Mary, it just shows that different Christians display their devotion to Christ in different ways, but that they both loved Christ and He loved that family.