Martha & Mary: A Tale of Two Sisters

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

The Gospel Account of Martha and Mary has a profound lesson that can be applied in our lives today. In our modern era where constant productivity and outward achievements seem to be glorified above all else, we need to be intentional about slowing down and spending time in God’s presence over checking off tasks on our ever-increasing to-do lists. Martha and Mary represent archetypes that exist in all of us. Mary would represent our inner being and soul that longs for intimacy with our Savior above all else, even seemingly good things like being productive and getting things done to serve God. Martha would represent the part of us that is overly occupied with our daily responsibilities to our families, our jobs, our household chores and other commitments that fill up our day.

Jesus reminded Martha that she is worried about many things while Mary has chosen being present and intimate with the Lord over the hustle and bustle of being a good hostess. Being hospitable and serving others are of course important aspects of our lives, but they should not rank above making time for God and basking daily in His presence and love. Our hearts, souls and spirits need to be nourished by His presence and lifegiving words before we move along the day to take care of our duties. We need to anchor ourselves in Him so we don’t flounder amidst the sea of busy schedules and modern-day hustle culture.

Whatever activities we do, we can stay connected to His presence throughout the day. From this vantage point, even everyday routine tasks can be acts of worship and communion with Jesus, the Lover of our Souls. “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

Seeking God’s face and being present with Him need to precede any acts of service we do throughout the course of our days. When our daily actions are infused with His loving presence, life stops being an uphill struggle. When we stay connected to God, He will give us the sustenance and grace we need to go through each day no matter what it brings.