She was the one who welcomed Him into her house. You sense that Martha was accustomed to opening up her home to others . . . it seems that even on this occasion, He was one of a few guests that had been invited to sit around the table. So there was preparation to be made . . . things to be sliced and diced . . . a table to be set . . . glasses to be poured . . . there was a lot to be done in serving others . . . and even more so with Him present. He was far more than just an honored guest . . . she called Him “Lord” . . . she believed He was from God . . . perhaps she was even grasping that He was the Anointed of God. So this was a really big deal . . . she had to get the feast put together just right . . . she wanted to honor Him appropriately . . . as best she could with what she had to offer.

And I’m guessing that Martha’s sister Mary, I tend to think she was a younger sister, usually would help with all the preparation. How much more was her help needed on this occasion when Martha wanted to go “over the top” recognizing this esteemed guest. But rather than help prepare and bring the dishes to the table, Mary instead recognized that Jesus was serving up His own meal around the table and so she “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His teaching” (Luke 10:39).

And it says Martha was “distracted with much serving” (10:40a). The roast is getting cold . . . the gravy’s burning . . . and Martha’s getting kind of fired up herself. And there Mary sits at the Lord’s feet. So Martha talks to Jesus . . .

“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 10:40b-42 ESV)

Kind of an edgy question . . . “Lord, do you not care?” Ouch . . . maybe wishes she had those words back. They both saw the same situation . . . things to be done but only one person doing . . . two sisters present, only one at work . . . the other in wonder. Martha’s so bent out of shape she thinks it’s a problem with the Lord . . . rather than pausing but for a moment and asking herself, “What am I missing here?”

She fretted about many things . . . but the one thing she misses is that the Word of Life is dispensing words of life. The Teacher is teaching . . . the Sower is sowing . . . the King is talking about the kingdom . . . the Shepherd’s voice is being known by His sheep. But for Martha, the cacophony from the drive to be doing drowns out the still small voice of heaven inviting her to join her sister and “come unto Me.”

And so Jesus says to Martha, amidst all the good stuff that you’re doing, one thing is necessary. Sometimes it’s more important to sit than to serve . . . sometimes you need to recognize that there’s a time for working and a time for waiting . . . sometimes the food’s coming from above rather than from the kitchen . . . sometimes you need to fret less and spend time at My feet more . . .

I admire Mary . . . I ache for Martha. She wanted to do so much for the Lord . . . but failed to recognize what the Lord wanted to do for her. She want to love Him with her service . . . not pausing long enough to know that He wanted to love her with His presence.

I want to be a Martha . . . inviting my Lord in . . . honoring the Lord with my service. O, but that I might not do so to the exclusion of knowing when Jesus beckons me to be a Mary . . . to sit at His feet . . . to allow Him to do the ministering . . . to recognize that one thing that is necessary . . . and to chose “the good portion.”

Fret or feet? I’ll take the feet please . . .