Martha and Mary Have Jesus Over for Supper

When the two sister’s brother Lazarus died and Martha and Mary went to Jesus separately one sister cried and caused Jesus to cry and the other sister didn’t. Martha and Mary were different and different is okay.

Which brings us to the story of Jesus eating a meal in their home, the text says that “Martha opened her home”. Martha demonstrated hospitality to Jesus and his companions. I’m guessing that Martha’s home was immaculate… everything in its place, clean and well swept. Not even a cob web in the corner.

Jesus, of course, starts teaching and everyone there listens to him except… Martha. Why? Because Martha has invited the Master into her home and she is worried and anxious about the details of being hospitable.

In fact the text said, “She was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made”. Things like setting the table, checking the food, making sure there weren’t any flies in the house, things to wash feet with, etc.

Later in the text Jesus tells her… “You are worried and upset about many things…”

Martha couldn’t listen to Jesus because she was “worried”, “upset” and “distracted” and none of those things were sin-related. They were hospitality-related.

Here’s another thing about Martha, not only was she not listening to Jesus but she wasn’t looking at him either… she was looking at her sister Mary.

Sometimes when we are worried, upset and distracted we take our eyes off of the better things of God and focus on what we think other people should be doing.

I’m sure Martha was surprised that Jesus was not more sympathetic towards her. She had presented her case to Jesus and asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her but Jesus didn’t. He told Martha in a gentle way that Martha was too worked up over relatively unimportant things and that Mary had chosen the more important thing.

I’m guessing that Martha sighed, took off her apron and sat down next to Mary and listened to what Jesus had to say and then afterwards they all got up and prepared the supper and enjoyed a meal together.

Its human nature to get worried, upset and distracted but an awful lot of it is caused by pressures we place upon ourselves and which we then vent upon others. Be careful about that and maybe take a long look at how we got there in the first place and just relax and listen to the Lord.