In Defense of Martha

In Defense of Martha

This is somewhere in time, about 32 A.D.

Luke 10:38-42

I am sure many of you have read this story or heard about it.  Jesus goes to visit his friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus.   Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and Martha gets busy.  We never hear what Lazarus is doing, but we know that Martha is bustling around.  She is probably making dinner for everyone.  She may also be making sure that Jesus has a place to sleep.  Through all her rushing around, she notices that she is working alone.

This is from the message Bible.  Luke 10:40-42 “Master don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me?  Tell her to lend me a hand.”  The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing.  One thing is essential, and Mary has chosen it – it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

Maybe I understand Martha.  She is the one getting things done.  I know more than a few people like her.  When you need something done, you give it to a Martha.  Martha’s run Vacation Bible School, man the prayer list and take food to the invalid.  She is the one who is always busy and usually has something to show for it.    If I had lived back then, I would have been friends with Martha. In a way, more people need to be like her so we wouldn’t need to search for volunteers to teach Sunday school.

So why does Martha always come off as the example of what not to do.  This is what I think.  First of all, if she had walked into the room and asked Mary to come help her, the story would have ended there. Instead she wanted Mary to be just as busy as she was.  She was bustling around and probably realized that she was getting a little stressed in her preparations, and she was working alone.  She probably started with a little self-talk.  What is Mary doing?  Doesn’t she see we have thing to accomplish.  Why isn’t she in here helping me? As this continues she probably gets a little more irritated with her sister.   Then she gets a little irritated with Jesus because He does not send Mary in to help her.  Her entrance into the room was probably not gentle and she may have had a bit of an attitude. 

When she walks into the room, she does not address her comments to Mary, but to Jesus.  “Master don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me?” 

Let’s stop right there.  How many times have we come to our Master with the “don’t you care” question on our lips?  Don’t you care that a child is sick. Don’t you care that I lost my job. Don’t you care? We all expect Jesus to act based on what we think should be done. I think His response to us will be similar to his response to Martha.  “You’re fussing far too much.” Why are we stressing and worrying when God can hold the universe in the span of His hand?  He knows the beginning from the end. He works things out for our good, if not in this life than the next.  Jesus can say he already knows about every problem we bring to him.  Faith means putting trust in our Creator to work out everything for us.

I will acknowledge that in my own life at times, I have asked Jesus, don’t you care?  Normally this was preceded by a decision I made without seeking His advice and now I need His help to clean up the mess.    Sometimes it was during a difficult and stressful time that had nothing to do with my decisions; it came from living in a broken world.  When I found out I could never have a child of my own. I had one of these times and I had to learn to trust my heavenly Father. 

Martha had a servant’s heart and for that we applaud her, but she questioned Jesus.  Not a smart move. You may be going through something now and it may be serious and heartbreaking.  I just want you to know that we have a heavenly Father we can trust to help us if we only ask.  Why are we worrying and stressing over many things?

What other lessons can we learn from Martha?  If the creator of the universe is sitting in your living room, go hang out with Him and order in.  He loves you, so enjoy it.