Now as they went on their way,
he entered a village; and a woman named
Martha received 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 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;
one thing is needful.
Mary has chosen the good portion,
which shall not be taken away from her.”
Context: A simple, common meal in biblical times was not a matter of running to the corner grocer. The wheat or barley kernels had to be ground first, usually with a stone hand mill, wielded by experienced feminine hands. It takes an hour of grinding to make enough for two loaves of bread. The bread dough was kneaded and patted into flat loaves, and baked on a hot stone, or in a clay baker.
Ordinarily, dessert would have just been fruit, but it is likely Martha hoped for something less mundane. Perhaps she thought to stuff the dates with nuts or sweet meats, or to grind the flour extra fine and add nuts and honey to little wafers. The beverage was wine, which was mixed with water. (And who would go to the well for the water?)
Translation: This story pops up only in the gospel of Luke. Luke never overlooks the forgotten work of those the history books mention least. At the same time, Jesus teaches the disciples how to pray the “Our Father” prayer in the next section. So, consider how Luke is juxtaposing an important message for women about prayer here.
The story does not indicate that any men were lurking nearby, worried that Martha was working too hard. Within traditional Jewish gender roles, men prayed and studied the Torah to express their faith, while women expressed their faith by keeping a kosher home and serving them with love. So, in Martha’s eyes, her hospitality was her way of expressing her love for Jesus.
The phrase “one thing is needful” might also be translated, “few things are needful,” implying that Martha might have been piling on the hospitality a little too thickly. Either way, it seems clear that Jesus is proposing a sea change in the way that women expressed their faith.
Vocabulary:
distracted The King James version renders the Greek perispao as “cumbered.” This is a figurative way of expressing Martha’s work load dragging along behind her.
serving The Greek diakoneia here is explicitly used in other places to describe the good works of the ministry of the Church, and her deacons who served the poor.
portion This word is meris, a feminine version of a similar term for men’s portion. It also connotes participation.
Meditation:
For most of my life, I have “sided” with Martha over Mary. Jesus’ response to Martha seemed harsh and unfair. Once the kids came along, I decided Martha really got a bad rap. Dreams of beautiful dinner parties faded under the weight of getting each meal cleaned up before the next one. Somebody’s got to get the chow on the table, Jesus!
My empathy with poor Martha masked a deeper issue. Often, I lost my temper with my husband and my children. In the confessional, gradually, I was shocked to discover a little scoreboard in my head. All through the days, weeks, months, and years, I had been keeping score. And was I ever a martyr— just like Martha!
Martha may not have even sounded angry, and she probably said her piece in a respectful tone of voice. So did I, sometimes when highly aggrieved. However, Jesus rebukes her anyway. Why?
Too often, women will offer their busy-ness to the Lord when, in reality, His priorities may be deeper…or even different. The work of our vocation may indeed merit our love, especially meal preparation. The point is that God comes first. When we truly serve Him first, seeking the Kingdom in all we do, we will find that there is time enough to praise Him and to accomplish the “needful” things. First we receive His love, and then we sling that hash.
Mary chose the better portion, to sit at Jesus’ feet and trust that the necessary work would happen. If it had been her divine duty to help, wouldn’t Jesus have told her to help? But He did not. Did Jesus love Martha less because she shouldered a heavier household burden? No! But he invited her to place
her anxieties upon his altar, and pick up only the ones Jesus expected her to carry. No fancy table linens. Appetizers optional. Plain figs for dessert.
Discussion Questions:
1. What busy-ness on your calendar needs to be placed at Jesus’ feet? How might you begin to whittle down your “to-do” list?
2. Is there a scoreboard problem at your house? What would it take to disable it?
3. Sometimes, there is a certain satisfaction in doing housework that is a respite from the harder work of interacting with people, even our loved ones. What housework is your refuge, and why?