Better Listen (Luke 10:38-42).

Luke 10:38–42

Backstory: Jesus had been announced by John and confirmed to be God’s Son by the voice from heaven. He was ‘anointed’ by the Spirit to preach the gospel of the kingdom and liberate captives. He gathered a ‘new twelve’ around himself designating them as his disciples. They heard Jesus’ preaching and they witnessed his authority over demons, over sin and sickness and he had even restored people who had died back to life. They recognized Jesus’ Messianic identity, but were apparently blind to his need to suffer, be killed and rise again. Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem to bring his ‘exodus’ to fulfillment through his ‘cross and resurrection’ (Luke 9:31). In a previous story Jesus had rebuked his disciples for wanting to call down fire on Samaritans (9:54). He also told a story in which a traditionally 'hated Samaritan' rescues a ‘wounded Jew’ in true neighborly love (10:25-37). The kingdom that Jesus was bringing about was breaking out from the traditional Jewish boundaries. 

In their travels Jesus enters Bethany (John 11:1), a typical small village, where a woman named Martha welcomed Jesus into her home. Martha’s sister was sitting beside Jesus and she was listening to everything that Jesus had to say. However, Martha was distracted and pulled away from Jesus because of the pressure she felt to make all the various preparation and chores. Then Martha goes up to Jesus, and Martha accuses Jesus of not caring about her. Moreover, she tells Jesus to tell Mary to help her (10:38-40).

But why is Martha letting herself be pulled away from Jesus and get burdened down with the various preparations she had to do? How is it that her sister, Mary, was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Jesus and leaving the serving to her sister? Isn’t cooking food, preparing your house for guests and showing hospitality and serving Jesus commendable? Why is Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Jesus better than Martha serving Jesus? Martha had a good thing. She had opened her home and welcomed Jesus in and she was serving Jesus! Surely, she would have received Jesus’ blessing of peace (10:5). She was showing hospitality and serving Jesus and she is to be commended for that.

It, however, seems that Martha’s preparations distracted and drew her away from Jesus. So we find Martha full of anxiety and worry. So the overly anxious Martha approaches Jesus telling him, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” The Lord gently but firmly reproves her and addresses her saying, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary had chosen what is better, what is essential, and it won't be taken away from Mary! (10:40-42)". So, what was going on inside Martha.

First, we learn that Martha’s serving of Jesus distracted her from Jesus (10:40a). Secondly, we find Martha accusing Jesus of not caring about Martha (10:40b). Then she complains of all the work she had to do by herself and that it wasn’t fair for Mary not to help (10:40b). Martha tells Jesus what he needs to do in order to remedy this unjust situation (10:40b). Martha wants Jesus to make Mary help Martha and this would take Mary away from Jesus (10:40b). Then Jesus tells Martha she was worried about many things (10:41b). Jesus in a roundabout way was telling Martha that what she was doing was fine, but that it wasn't actually necessary (10:41b). Jesus hadn't told her to do it and it wasn't the thing that was actually needed. The serving of Jesus is noble and honoring work but in this case Martha was too busy trying to serve Jesus to sit and listen to Jesus (10:41). Martha was listening to Jesus and Martha even wanted to take this away from Mary!  

When it comes down to it, Martha was too busy serving Jesus to sit and listen to Jesus (10:40, 42). Mary’s serving was a good thing, but ceased to be a good thing when it ended up distracting Martha listening to Jesus. The listening to Jesus is more essential than serving Jesus. Her serving Jesus ended up pulling her away from being present with Jesus. While Martha was doing what was ‘right culturally’, Jesus hadn’t actually told Martha to do it. What Martha was doing was not actually necessary to Jesus. Jesus would only be there a short time and being present with Jesus and listening to Jesus was the thing that was needed. Serving is good and listening is good, but serving without listening becomes a problem... sitting and listening to Jesus is better. Serving without listening is not good, listening then serving is better! 

Being busy serving Jesus without listening to Jesus is a challenge for anyone to ministry. This is important, however, there is more going on here as well. Remember that Jesus tells a story of a despised Samaritan as an example of a loving neighbor. Also Jesus is moving, though not in a straight path, towards his death and resurrection in Jerusalem. In this story Jesus is crossing over some traditional cultural distinctions between men and women. What is at issue here is not really about the chores and preparations. The preparations are important, but they’re not the most important thing. Why find Martha playing the traditional culturally acceptable woman's role, but Mary was doing something radically alternative.

Mary crossed a Jewish cultural boundary by sitting down among the men. She sat down beside Rabbi Jesus. Mary was sitting at his feet in the way that Saul of Tarsus sat at the feet of his mentor Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). This meant that Saul was being mentored as a devoted follower of Gamaliel. This means that Mary sitting in a place reserved for men and she was positioning herself as a devoted disciple of Rabbi Jesus. Mary was listening to follow Jesus with all her heart, soul, strength and mind and Jesus was more than happy to do so. Mary, according to Jesus, was doing the necessary thing.  

Now Martha’s complaints and demands about the preparations shows that her serving was a distraction. Martha’s adherence to cultural expectations distracted her and left her overly anxious. Mary, on the other hand, chose to do what was counter-cultural and Jesus said that what Mary did was better. Mary sat in the presence of Jesus and she was listening intently. Martha was distracted, and wanted to pull Mary away from Jesus as well! So the story depicts Jesus’ inclusive and expanding kingdom. As Jesus travels towards his ‘cross and resurrection’ we learn of a ‘hated Samaritan’ who is the picture of true neighborly love. Then in this story we learn of a woman who sits at Jesus’ feet as a full-fledged disciple of King Jesus!