While they were on their way, Jesus came to a village where a woman named Martha made him welcome in her home. She had a sister, Mary, who seated herself at the Lord's feet and stayed there listening to his words.
Now Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to get on with the work by myself? Tell her to come and lend me a hand."
But the Lord answered, "Martha, Martha, you are fretting about so many things, but one thing is necessary. The part that Mary has chosen is best; and it shall not be taken away from her."
2 comments:
My wife always disliked this story:
~Why is he so hard on this poor woman, working her butt off? Why doesn't he go help?
I just keep seeing this story happen, people (me?) saying ~Look how hard I'm working!-- but not doing that one needful thing...
Delightful to hear your wife’s feelings! I’ve been stuck in my adoration of this text (same interpretation as your own) so that I’ve not considered alternatives. The part I’ve focused on for the past few years is in the statement that this part will not be taken away from Mary. I claim that as my own. I give up this part too often when I get busy with other things. Including playing the hero in cases – taking the credit. Which means I’m busy being Martha inwardly claiming attention for all my work. It’s still good to hear an alternative interpretation.
I noticed too that Larry revived a thread concerning Quaker studies of the bible with mentions of Oswald Chambers. This verse reminds me of Chambers’s devotional feelings. Sitting still in the Still.
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