"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 NIV)
Today I am going on the record as a proud member of the Martha Defense Council.
Whenever the story of Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary is told, it usually seems to be presented as a good-versus bad, right-versus-wrong, do-this-don't-do-that scenario, with Martha representing the bad/wrong/don't-do-that side of things.
But I think this is a story about good versus better. I think Martha was showing her love for Jesus in a good way (by caring for His physical needs), just not in the better way.
Jesus loved both Martha and Mary (John 11:5). In His gentle "redirecting," I believe He was letting Martha know that He wanted her to be with Him more than He wanted her to do for Him.
I love Martha not only or even mostly because I am a Martha myself but because I find in her example confirmation that most decisions we make in our daily lives as we try to walk with God do not come down to strictly right or wrong, good or bad, sinful or holy. If they did, it would be a lot easier than it actually is to walk rightly. The road to Christlikeness would be a lot wider. Black and white, after all, are easily distinguishable from each other.
But Jesus made it clear that the road that leads to true life is narrow (Matthew 7:14). There is a lot of gray involved. And so I look at Martha and ask myself: what is the better way? Am I settling for a good thing when there is a best thing in the next room? Am I getting so fixed on the tangibility of doing things for God that I do not do the deeper work of simply being with God?
In my mind, I hear my Savior say, "My dear Elizabeth, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about." And I ask Him to help me choose that one thing.
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God, show me where I am spending my time pursuing good, to the loss of what is better. Help me to see the one thing...and to choose it.
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I'd love to hear from you! Feel free to tell me what you really think. Years ago, I explained to my then-two-year-old that my appointment with a counselor was "sort of like going to a doctor who will help me be a better mommy." Without blinking, she replied, "You'd better go every day." All of which is just to say I've spent some time in the school of brutal honesty!