Martha and Mary Part II

There's a book titled "Living Like Mary in a Martha World."  I don't have the book and I haven't read it, but I think its title is enough.  I've been reflecting on Luke 10:38-42 for two weeks now and I've had many thoughts.  Let me share one of them.

After the message on Luke 10:38-42, there were a few people who wanted to defend Martha.  They said "Hey, someone's got to do the detail work."  I've thought about that defense, and I still can't settle the fact that she was being reprimanded by Jesus.  She was doing too many things and she was worried and upset.  The issue still remains that Jesus' point was, Mary chose a better way.  It's a given that God gives gifts of hospitality and servanthood, but His higher good is always being at the feet of Jesus.  So my take is that declaring yourself a "Martha" still is not good.  She probably was a gifted hospitable person that went too far.

Any thoughts?

Comments

[Nicholle Riley]

I'm not saying that we should be like Martha, but a lot of times in our lives we are like Martha. We get to busy in doing things to get ready for things (things being such as homework, work, or going online) and we forget to be at the feet of Jesus. Pretty much what I'm trying to say is that your lives will have times when your really busy, but still leave some time to be at the feet of Jesus because if you don't then you will be exactly like Martha and then God won't be able to tell you anything because you will be doing something that you think is more important, but God is the most important thing ALWAYS!!!

[Dante]

I understand the "argument" that somebody has to do the work, but what I think is important is that it is not about outward appearances that God judges, but instead the heart that He judges. Martha forgot about her first love - Jesus, and then she made everything else around her an "idol" and that caused her to forget her first love (Jesus). She then became frustrated, angry and anxious about what needed to be done instead of celebrating the fact that the ultimate teacher was in her midst - just my thoughts! Nice Post!

[Annette Vroegh]

I have a book called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha world. It is about having intimacy with God. I think both Mary and Martha loved Jesus, Mary realized that intimacy was the BEST choice. I have been guilty of being in "martha mode" with people and with Jesus. Being in "mary mode" takes practice until you learn to DESIRE it, then it is sweet!!!

[Bob Wille]

Reprimanded? Maybe, though it sounds more like a gentle rebuke to me. Luke doesn't tell us what Jesus did next, but I have an idea. He wanted Martha to know the better way. So he motioned to the floor, looked at Martha, and said "Have a seat".