Siblings Martha, Mary and Lazarus had invited Jesus to dinner at their home. In preparation, Martha apparently had given a list to her sister of things that must be done. But when Jesus arrived, Mary positioned herself at Jesus’ feet. When Martha noticed what Mary had chosen, she got angry. More than angry with Mary, she was angry with Jesus because Jesus was tolerating Mary’s conduct: “Master, don’t You care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
Martha was angry with Jesus because of a presumed lack of concern: “Don’t You care?” Martha’s inference is that Jesus should care about what Martha cared about. In the Martha world, if something is important to us, then it ought to be important to Jesus. But Jesus isn’t bound by the Martha attitude. Our charge, as disciples of Christ, is not to get Jesus to line up with us, but for us to line up with Him. His priorities must be our mandate.
Martha’s imperative to Jesus revealed that she felt like she had a certain degree of authority; she thought that she was in charge. And it’s dangerous to think that we’re in charge. Yet, many of us are just like Martha—trying to tell Jesus what to do, what He ought to think is important.
Mary preferred to be at the feet of Jesus, and Jesus upheld Mary’s decision: “Mary has chosen what is essential, and it will not be taken away from her.” He didn’t say that what Martha had chosen was wrong, but that Mary has chosen better.
Jesus commends Mary for figuring out what was the most needful thing—a heart that’s committed to the Gospel. In Martha’s world, Mary wasn’t doing enough. But from Jesus’ perspective, while Martha was doing a good thing, Mary was doing the best thing—feasting on the Word of God.
When we make the better choice, Jesus won’t let anyone take it from us—salvation, forgiveness, redemption, justification, victory, joy unspeakable.
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