Mary or Martha?

A couple days ago someone was praying for me and likened me to the Biblical Martha. I was a bit surprised. I had never considered myself to be in any way like her. In my mind she was a hard worker and quite industrious. This is not exactly me. In order to understand why I was likened to her, I studied her story a bit more in depth. After taking a deeper look I understood how I was like her and what God was speaking to me. In order to share with you what I learned, I want to take a look at both Mary and Martha.

Now if you don’t know who they are, let me introduce you. Mary and Martha lived during the time of Jesus’ ministry. They had a brother named Lazarus who Jesus raised from the dead (John 11). And Jesus stayed at their house at least once. Both Mary and Martha love God and seem to be good Christians. But in Luke 10 we learn that these two sisters are different.

Here is their story as the Bible tells it.

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he (Jesus) entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.”

And Jesus answered and said unto her, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

Here are the differences that can be seen here. Jesus was staying at their house and was around both of them. But how they spent their time around Him was different.

Martha was the hostess. She was keeping everything comfortable for Jesus. I imagine she had a clean, well-kept house. I also imagine she was preparing dinner for Jesus and his follows. And most probably places for all of them to sleep. I picture her looking tired and busy and worried. “I have got to do this and this and that! And then I need to do this and that! Why is my sister not helping me? She knows that I need her help! …” And on and on go Martha’s thoughts. Every thought making her a little more frustrated with all that needs to be done and a bit madder at her sister for not helping.

Mary, on the other hand, sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to everything he says. She probably knew that housework needed to be done and was probably quite a good hostess too. But I imagine her thinking “Wow! Jesus is in our house! He is here! What will he teach us? It is not every day that Jesus stays with us. I don’t want to miss a thing.” So she sat down and spent time with Jesus. She knew when to lay the every day things aside and spend time with Jesus.

Since I was likened to Martha, I paid close attention to the words use to describe her. Cumbered was the first word that popped out to me. Cumbered? I looked it up in the Strong’s Concordance. Here is what it says:

Cumbered # 4049 Greek word: perispa - 1) to draw around, to draw away, distract 2) metaph. a) to be driven about mentally, to be distracted b) to be over-occupied, too busy, about a thingLk. x. 40 … to be distracted with cares, to be troubled, distressed.

How I read the verse with the definitions is: “Martha was cumbered (distracted with cares, troubled, distressed, mentally distracted, over-occupied, too busy, drawn away from Jesus) about much serving.” The definition that stands out to me is “to draw away.” I thought about this. To be drawn away, you need a couple things: someone or something to draw you; and someone or something to be drawn way from. The interpretation I get from this phrase is that the devil is trying to draw us (you and me) way from spending time with Jesus. He knows what will draw us. It is important not to be drawn away from our time with God.

If we are drawn away, then the following verse will describe us. “Thou art careful and troubled about many thing.” I looked up both careful and troubled. The word careful does not really fit until you read what the word’s definition is. I think the verse would read better if careful had been translated “full of cares.”

Careful # 3309 Greek word: merimna - 1) to be anxiousa) to be troubled with cares 2) to care for, look out for (a thing) a) to seek to promote one's interests b) caring or providing for

Troubled # 5182 Greek word: thorybaz - 1) disturb, trouble 2) to be troubled in mind, disquieted

If you put the definitions in the verse it explains how she felt. “Thou art careful (troubled with cares, anxious, seeking to promote your own interests) and troubled (disturbed, disquieted, troubled in your mind) about many thing.” Wow! What really stands out to me is the part about “seeking to promote one’s own interest.” I thought about this. When we are in charge of our own life and the well being of those we love, we are often “anxious” and “troubled with cares.” I hate to see the face of someone who is carrying such a heavy load. They look worn out and beaten. As I thought about this a couple verses popped into my head. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” I Pet. 5:7 Give Jesus your burdens. Lay them down at His feet. And He will give you rest. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt. 11:28-30 (note: yoke, n. [G., L., Gr.] – … A mark of servitude … Service. My yoke is easy.) The yoke we carry as a Christian is easy. All we have to do as servants of Christ is listen and obey Him, and He takes care of our every need.

So let’s read this section of scripture back with the extra definitions in it.

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he (Jesus) entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.

But Martha was cumbered (distracted with cares, troubled, distressed, mentally distracted, over-occupied, too busy, drawn away from Jesus) about much serving,

and came to him, and said, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.”

And Jesus answered and said unto her, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful (troubled with cares, anxious, seeking to promote your own interests) and troubled (disturbed, disquieted, troubled in your mind) about many things:

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42

Martha was doing what most of us do. She was doing thing in her own strength. She was carrying her own burdens. She was busy and had no time for Jesus. And when you don’t have time for Jesus, well you will be full of cares and troubled.

Mary lay aside everything and enjoyed Jesus’ presence. Mary chose that good part, which could never be taken away from her. She chose to trust in Jesus’ strength and to listen to Him. She humbled herself by sitting at Jesus’ feet.

I found that I was acting like Martha. But I don’t want to be a Martha. If you asked me who I want to be like, Mary or Martha, my answer would be Mary. She was quiet before the Lord and I imagine she hung on to every word He spoke. I need to be like that. I don’t need to carry my burdens around like Martha. I need to give my cares to Jesus and trust Him. I need only to spend time with Him and grow in Him. I need to seek Jesus first (just like Mary did). Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Matt. 6:33

In closing I will leave you with these verses. God Bless!

Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Matt.6:25-34

For where your treasure is
there will your heart be also

Have you ever thought about what it is that you treasure? Here is a test. If God told you to leave all you have and go right now to some other place, could you do that? Are your possessions, family, friends, job, and/or social status so important to you that you would hesitate leaving or worse not leave at all? These are questions that have been rolling around in my head. Could I give up all I have when Christ asks me? By God's grace, I will. But if God asks me today to get up and go, could I? Honestly, I think I would hesitate. As much as I would like to say I would do the right thing, I think I am a bit like the Biblical Lot or his wife. God change me!

For any who don't know who Lot and his wife are, I'll briefly introduce them to you. In the Old Testament God speaks to a man named Abraham to leave his home and go where God wants him. Abraham does this and becomes the father of a nation - the Israelites. Well Abraham had a nephew named Lot who went with him for part of the way. There came a point where they went different ways. Lot chose the plain of Jordan and ended up living in the towns of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah was a wicked place. God told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. God sent two angels to get Lot and his family out of Sodom. Lot hesitated. By God's grace, Lot, his wife, and two of his daughters left Sodom as it was being destroyed. "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." (Gen. 19:17) Well, Lot and his family left all they had and knew as home. "But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (Gen. 19:26) Both Lot and his wife treasured their home in Sodom. Lot's wife treasured it so much that she died for it.

So when I say I am a bit like them, I mean I still would have a hard time leaving all I have naturally. This is not a good thing. What do I have here that is more valuable than God? Nothing! But I still have to overcome and let go. The hardest thing for me to let go is my husband and son. I love them so much. But God also asks us to give our family over to Him to care for. The Bible has a story about this also – Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 22:1-18). Although Abraham is the father to a nation, he only had one son in which this nation came forth. When Abraham and his wife were very old, they miraculously had a son - whom they named Isaac. God tested Abraham and asked Abraham to sacrifice his only child. Abraham obeys. As he is about to follow through with God's instructions, God says. "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." (Gen. 22:12)

God wants us to give all we have to Him, even our children and loved ones. This is hard. I once read a story about a girl and her favorite possession – a pearl necklace. She was at a store with her mom and they were walking through the kids' isle. They came crossed a pretty (but fake) pearl necklace. The little girl asked her mother to buy it. She did. The little girl wore her pearls everywhere. She wore them at home. She wore them to school. She wore them to every meal. She wore them to bed. She was seen at all times wearing her pearls. She loved them. Well, after some time passed, her father started asking her to give them to him. Each night as he tucked her in bed, he would say, "Will you give me your pearls?" Each night she would say no and offer her father one of her other toys or possessions. Each night her father continued to ask. This went on night after night for quite some time. Finally, she decided to trust her dad and give him her prized pearls. When she gave up her pearls, her father handed her a present. It was a string of real pearls. She smiled and cried. All this time she held on to the fake pearls when her father simply wanted to give her something better - the real pearls. I am like that. I see what I have and don't want to give it up. But God is speaking to me to let go. Hum…

I recently had to move. During the process, I found myself saying good bye to the familiar places around me. At one point, I was driving and I came across a beautiful garden I have passed many times and admired. I thought how much I will miss seeing this garden. But an interesting thought came to mind. I had been reading the Chronicles of Narnia and had just finished the last book in the series called The Last Battle. Near the end of the story the characters find themselves in a different realm. It reminds them a lot of the place they had come from – Narnia. But it is different too. They are puzzled by this. How could this place be so much like Narnia and yet not like it? Here is how C. S. Lewis (the author) describes it:

"It is as hard to explain how the sunlit land was different from the old Narnia as it would be to tell you how the fruits of that country taste. Perhaps you will get some idea of it if you think like this. You may have been in a room in which there was a window that looked out on a lovely bay of the sea or a green valley that wound away among mountains. And in the wall of that room opposite to the window there may have been a looking-glass. And as you turned away from the window you suddenly caught sight of that sea or that valley, all over again, in the looking-glass. And the sea in the mirror, or the valley in the mirror, were in one sense just the same as the real ones: yet at the same time they were somehow different – deeper, more wonderful, more like places in a story: in a story you have never heard but very much want to know. The difference between the old Narnia and the new Narnia was like that. The new one was a deeper country: every rock and flower and blade of grass looked as if it meant more. … If you ever get there you will know what I mean."

The thought that was in my mind is this. The wonderful beauty we see and love about this world around us, is simply a reflection of a much more wondrous and beautiful world that yet awaits us. So I may or may not get to see that garden again. But all the beautiful gardens I love will be in the new heaven and earth. "For, behold, I (God) create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." (Isa.65:17) That is a wonderful thought.

So all this said, I believe God is asking us to give our natural possessions and treasures to Him. It may be hard, but I believe something better awaits us. Our treasures should not be here on earth in carnal things. Our treasures need to be heavenly ones - treasures that no one can steal from you, treasures that won't rust, rot, or be burnt away. If we give our loved ones into Christ's hands and we trust him, our treasures and things we value will be safe. Give God all you have. Trust Him. I will leave you with these Bible verses. God Bless!

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof." (Matt. 6:19-34)

Banquet Table

Witnessing to people about Christ is like:

Someone cooks a meal, sets the table and has all of it ready. The one who prepared everything then asks a servent to go ask the guess to come to the meal (Matt. 22:2). All we are required to do is invite people to Christ's banquet table (Song. 2:4 & Rev. 19:1-2). He has done all the preparations and is doing all the work. So encourage people to come to Christ. Pray for them. And be a good example of one who knows Christ and therefore reflects Him.

The Great Feast

Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many:And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. – Luke 14:16-23 (also Matt. 22:1-14)

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Your Invitation:

Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. – Rev. 3:20

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