Wasson: Mary or Martha?

Jesus would occasionally visit the town of Bethany near the Mount of Olives, where he would see his friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha. You are probably familiar with the miracle of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. However, that took place near the end of his public ministry, and the nature of the miracle led to Jesus's betrayal, arrest, beating and crucifixion. Unlike Lazarus, Jesus was resurrected, never to die again.

We read of an earlier conversation that took place at this home, recorded in Luke:

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”  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 10:38–42.

Martha becomes frustrated as she continues to work, but Mary remains seated and does not offer to help. Instead of asking Mary to assist her, Martha appeals to Jesus to intervene. She expects Jesus to correct Mary’s behavior so that she will realize it was wrong for her to leave all the work to Martha.

Instead, Jesus corrects Martha. By saying her name twice, “Martha, Martha,” Jesus expresses a form of intimacy that would have been recognized in Jewish culture. In other words, Jesus appreciates her efforts to serve him well, but she is focusing on minor things and missing out on the main focus.

On the other hand, Mary is learning Jesus’ teachings that will never pass away. She made the best use of her time. Neither Mary nor Martha realizes how little time they have left to fellowship with Jesus. After someone is gone, we do not regret what we did for them, but what we cherish most is the time spent together.

People actively involved in ministry can keep busy doing good things while neglecting a personal relationship with Jesus. Even daily Bible reading and prayer can become tasks we check off a list. We may find ourselves going through the motions of the Christian life while drifting away from our faith.

If we are more of a Mary than a Martha, we may have the opposite problem. We may need to put our faith into action. James tells us that faith without works is dead. Ephesians tells us that although we are saved by grace through faith, God has prepared works for us to do.

We see another example of a name or title repeated twice to reflect intimacy. Matthew 7:21-23 reads:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”

Notice how Jesus rejects this notion of intimacy by stating, “I never knew you.” Many people believe they are doing the Lord’s work but do not have a genuine connection to Jesus. They have counterfeited the biblical Jesus. They prefer a more permissive version.

To do God’s will, we must know the Bible, study Jesus's life and obey his teachings. If we seek an intimate relationship with the Lord, good works will flow naturally from our lives. We will not be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Romans 1:16).

Are you more like Martha or Mary? Both women possess commendable qualities. When we get impatient, we need to ask Jesus to teach us. The Christian life is a personal relationship with Jesus that inspires us to love and serve.

Shawn Wasson, D.Min., is the pastor of Bethany Baptist Church.