09/02/2026
COLLEEN'S CLIFF NOTES: “My Martha Moments”
The story of Mary and Martha is a short one. It only appears in Luke, Chapter 10. However short it is, it is packed with meaning. It has always resonated with me. The story is a tale of two mindsets. I have fancied Mary as “freewheeling,” governed by her emotions and living in the moment. A right brainer. Wikipedia defines people who are right brained as “spontaneous, good at problem-solving and more comfortable with the unknown.” Martha, on the other hand, was a planner and a doer. She could not stand to have anything out of order in her house or her mind! A left brainer. Here’s what Wikipedia says about left brained people: “logical, analytical and orderly.”
In Luke 10, Jesus has just come from an encounter with lawyers and religious leaders who were trying to entrap Him. One in particular asked the question, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus answered, “What is written in the law?” The man answered correctly, and Jesus acknowledged that. But the lawyer would not let it drop. He really didn’t have a sincere desire to “love thy neighbor.” So, he pressed Jesus further: “and who is my neighbor?” This launched the story of the Good Samaritan. At the end of the parable, He asked them, “Who was a neighbor to this man?” They answered, “The one who showed mercy.” His parting shot to the group was, “Go and do likewise!” Following this verbal skirmish with the lawyers, no doubt Jesus was looking for a place to go and relax. He chose to go to Bethany where his good friend Lazarus lived with his sisters Mary and Martha.
I can just picture the scene: Upon Jesus’ arrival, Martha launched into “preparation mode.” Lazarus warmly welcomed his friend and bade Jesus sit down and “take a load off.” Mary was thrilled to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to Him. She loved and worshipped Him; knowing that anything that came out of His mouth was of supreme importance and she didn’t want to miss one word! Verse 40 says, “Martha was distracted by many tasks.” All Martha could think about was: “Do I have all the table settings ready? Is there enough bread and olives? What about a beverage?” Poor Martha! Matthew 6:33 states, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things (worldly needs) will be given to you as well.” If she had embraced this verse, she’d have been sitting at Jesus’ feet right along with Mary. Instead, she tried to enlist Jesus: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work myself? Tell her then to help me.” Jesus loved Martha just as much as Lazarus and Mary. So, I can imagine the love in His voice as he patiently said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, there is need of ONLY ONE THING. Mary has chosen the better part which will not be taken away from her.” We know what the ONE THING is. Jesus is using this as a teaching moment for Martha. Maybe she got the lesson and maybe she didn’t. This is a teaching moment for us thousands of years later. Do you get the lesson? I try...but…
I have Mary moments. I have Martha moments, too. I am predominantly right brained. In my younger days, I had a full-on aversion to planning, analyzing and being orderly. I grew up (mostly) and learned the value of those things and so I became a bit more balanced. I am far from achieving full Mary status, though. My God time is an integral part of my day. I get cranky and out of sorts if I don’t have it in the morning. But here’s what happens: I’ll begin to get deep into the Word and suddenly a Martha-like thought pops into my head and off the track I go! If I have the will power, I can shrug off those thoughts and get back on task, but often I do not. I know I should be sitting at Jesus’ feet, soaking in as much as I can. Instead, I get distracted by meal planning, notification chimes, and chores that must be done now. It frustrates me because my heart knows there is “need of ONLY ONE THING.” My heart wants to soak in the words of the Savior. So, why do I end up getting bogged down in Martha moments? WAIT! Why am I trying to solve this problem on my own steam? Jesus said in John 15, “I am the vine. You are the branches. Apart from me you can do nothing.” (paraphrase). The God of all things wants us to put HIM first! That means I need to ask God to help me. And I will. And perhaps the Martha moments will be under control, but I have to put my trust in Him to make that happen. And He will.
GOD’S PEACE TO ALL!
