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Are You More Like Martha or Mary?

By March 6, 2011Uncategorized

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, Luke 10:41 NIV

I’m confident that wasn’t the response Martha was looking for. Didn’t Jesus care that Mary refused to cut the pies or set the table? Couldn’t He see that Martha had so much to do if they were still going to eat by noon? Shouldn’t Jesus have told Mary to get up and get busy?

There was work to be done. If Jesus was going to get His fill of fried chicken, someone had to fry it! Martha was tasked with everything. The Lord was coming to dinner. Didn’t He deserve the best? Poor Martha! Left to do it all!

Do you ever feel like that?

Mary was just ‘hanging out’ with Jesus! Sitting at His feet, listening to His teaching, she had forgotten all about making the iced tea. She was busy, too!

Was Jesus saying that we shouldn’t prepare for our family and friends? Was He saying that we shouldn’t have a complete meal, because we need to invest all our time into meditating on His word? Is He asking Martha not to finish rolling out the biscuits?

Of course not! I’m quite sure Jesus would soon join Martha in the kitchen. He quite possibly might even have whipped up some mashed potatoes and gravy a little later. What Jesus was trying to tell Martha was to slow down and to set her priorities. Maybe they didn’t need to have three choices of vegetables that day, because Jesus was in the house.

If you and I are to mature as followers of God, we must give Jesus the time He deserves. I’m the classic Martha type. If there’s work to be done…I’ll do it. In the process, I’ve often missed some of the best opportunities for time with my Savior.

Are you like me at times?

Has your life become so crowded that you have forsaken your time with Jesus? Maybe you are worried and upset about too many things.

Take a break at the foot of Jesus. Let something go for a minute…even good things…so you can choose what is most important…choose Jesus!

Just curious…are you more like Martha or Mary most days?

Be honest!

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Ron Edmondson

Author Ron Edmondson

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Join the discussion 8 Comments

  • Jessica says:

    I think Christian culture–especially among Christian women–makes it incredibly difficult to be a "Mary." It seems sometimes that if you aren't either leading or heavily involved with 10 different ministries, plus perfectly caring for your home and family, you are less of a "Christian Woman." Trust me, I've tried to live up to that standard, and eventually left that performance-driven church when it became clear they were more driven by putting forth a "hip, perfect image" than serving Christ. It almost seems like lipservice–something Christian women say they want, but they really don't.

    • ronedmondson says:

      Great insight. Thank you. I think this is true for men also. (At least for pastors.)

  • Laurinda says:

    I think Martha gets a bad rap!

    Martha didn't have the Holy Spirit living inside of her at the time of the story. Jesus, God in the flesh, was in her living room and she didn't slow down. What I get from the story is to always stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit and never let anything forsake my time with the Lord.

    Yeah, I'm a lot like Martha because I when I read that story I feel her pain. I have to watch out and make sure I don't busy myself for the sake of being busy.

  • Jeanie Rose says:

    Unfortunately, if you are a Martha, you are a Martha every day and get to struggle to get some Mary time. The Marys I know are not transformed Marthas. They just seem to wired to be Mary. As a Martha who recognizes the addiction I have to being busy and do fight it, I take comfort in John 11. Martha is the one who moves in faith to have Jesus raise her brother from the dead. Perhaps the drive and energy of a Martha just needs to be better focused. That thought is comforting too!

    • ronedmondson says:

      That's probably true…I can show up some days and just want to sit at the feet of Jesus…but it is rare…I need discipline to do that.

  • Frankly speaking, I am like Martha at times. And, try hard to correct myself.