Bible Study Moment

“While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal. So Martha came to him and said, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.’

The Lord answered, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.’” (Luke 10:38-42, CEB)

 

Thinking about this passage I was prepared to talk about how Jesus is encouraging Mary, and by extension all of us, to not limit ourselves by cultural standards; in Mary’s case, by the idea of “women’s work”. Reading the passage I see that Martha is the one to welcome Jesus as a guest, and perhaps Mary is a guest of Martha’s as well. Could he be telling Martha not to volunteer her sister for jobs, and not to be upset with her if she doesn’t choose to do what Martha thinks she should be doing?

 

Mark Phillips