Anchor My Faith

Martha Was Distracted With Too Much Serving

Scripture: Luke 10:38-40

In the previous lesson we learned about being a good neighbor. With this lesson we will start a new section and establish the context for Jesus to teach about priorities.

^{Lk 10:38} “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹ And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.”  

The location now shifts from where the conversation with the lawyer took place to a village near Jerusalem where Martha welcomes Jesus into her home. Martha has a sister Mary and looking at John 11:1 it can be concluded that the village mentioned was Bethany, located a short distance east of Jerusalem on the road to Jericho.

“They” that went on their way would have included Jesus, his twelve disciples and other who were traveling with Jesus at the time. Jesus enters the village and surely the others followed him, but when they came to the home of Martha and Mary, it is not clear who might have entered with Jesus. Sometime after entering the home, a few gather around Jesus and he and begins to teach. Among them was Mary who sat at his feet and listened; a proper place for a disciple to be located when being taught. In Acts 22:3, Paul mentions that he was educated at the feet of Gamaliel.

^{Lk 10:40} “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.”’

Since Martha welcomed Jesus into her home and was doing the preparations for serving a meal, one could possibly conclude that she was a widow and possibly her younger brother Lazarus and younger sister Mary lived with her. This would give her the responsibility of care of the household and show why she was so diligently employed with domestic affairs.

As mistress of the family, Martha was burdened with the cares of the family and now in addition the entertainment of a special guest in her home. Wanting everything to be just right she felt a growing anxiety and seeing Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, knowing that she could be helping, brought her to a point that we have all experienced.

When we feel a flash point developing, we need to stop for a moment and share with the Lord our anxiety (Philippians 4:6 – 7) and obtain peace that will guard our hearts and our minds. Martha needed to go and join Mary for a short time and be with the Lord, but instead she seems to abruptly interrupt him and probably with a tone that was probably a bit too strong says, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.”

We have used this lesson to establish the context in which Jesus answers Martha. That answer will be covered in the next lesson.

Conclusion

We have all experienced a situation like that of Martha when pressure builds, I know that I have way too many times, and we become anxious. When anxious, God commands us to “be not anxious” and in obedience, we must come to him with our anxiety. When anxiety or stress is left unattended it will produce a negative effect in our lives. In Martha’s case it resulted in an interruption of the teaching of Jesus and a sharp request for Mary to leave her place at his feet and come help her. This request on the part of Martha results in a priority issue.