Devotion during IDMC - Mary & Martha

That One Thing

Devotion by Rev Edmund Chan

18 Feb 2017

During IDMC 2017 Miri (Plenary 3) 

Luke 10:38-42 

What is that One thing Jesus told Martha?

Luke 10:38-42The Message (MSG)
Mary and Martha

38-40 As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
41-42 The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

Context and Contrast

Context :-

Martha and Mary were Jewish Sisters, brought up to understand Jewish Hospitality. Both love Jesus and welcomed Him and the people into their home. They have been taught how to cook and carry out hospitality.


In summary, two sisters,

• Both love Jesus
• Both love hosting 
• Both love hospitality
• Both generous

But here were some Contrast:-

#1 Living Room Vs Kitchen

#2 Spiritual Vs Materialistic

#3 Many things Vs One Thing

#4 Working away Vs Sitting at the feet of Jesus

Within the context, the contrast Jesus referred to that one thing. One Bible Commentary even suggested that One thing was referring to One Dish! That having One Dish would be enough for the gathering. So, what is that one thing Vs the many things? The "many things" were mentioned by Jesus in the earlier sentence: "Martha, you are worried and bothered about many things." Verse 42 The one thing - Inner Calm, Inner Peace that Mary had.  

Here was the likely scenario for that day, both sisters started quite happily in the kitchen cooking. After Mary has done some cooking, she decided to check out on Jesus and the crowd. So Mary left for the living room and she decided to stay and join in. Whatever Jesus was teaching, it got Mary's attention. Mary had forgotten about the kitchen workloads. 

Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Martha has noticed that Mary has disappeared, she asked the maids where Mary was. The maids reported back to Martha that Mary has gone into the living room and sitting at the feet of Jesus. Martha continued cooking and then felt unhappy that Mary did not return. 

If it was true that Martha just wanted Mary back into the kitchen because there was a lot workload there, then she personally or she could send a maid to go over to Mary and whispered for her to come back and help. But, that was not what Martha wanted, instead, Martha went into the Living Room and interrupted Jesus's teaching and questioned the Lord, 

“Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”

Martha was clearly seeking to be vindicated. In Bahasa Malaysia, there is a term for this "minta puji / minta kasihan". She wanted vindication, right there at the living room before the crowd from Jesus! This is the main reason why she was wrong! 

We could imagine the silence in the room, what would Jesus say? Jesus replied with great compassion towards Martha, 

“Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”

Therefore, that One Thing Jesus referred to was the inner peace and not just worried about too many things.

Lets use sanctified imagination:-

That we reverse the story. What if Martha was rested while busy in the kitchen preparing for food and Mary was the one filled with unrested-ness thinking why Martha was not at the foot of Jesus learning like herself until she interrupted Jesus to question him, "Master, don't you see that my sister is busy away in the kitchen and missing your teaching, why don't you ask Martha to come and sit here with me to learn from you?". Then Jesus would have replied to Mary, "Mary, dear Mary, you are worried and bothered by many things but only one thing is necessary and Martha has chosen it - and it won't be taken from her."

In conclusion, many things refer to whatever that can cause bothered and unrested inner self; one thing refers to rested-ness and inner calm. Outward activities we do Vs Inner heart.  The heart and space within is the one thing referred by Jesus. Be rested in the heart like Mary.

Personal Reflection :-

I got super excited when Rev Edmund Chan decided to share on this during the devotion on Plenary 3 of IDMC 2017, for so long, I have been hearing Christians teaching one another:-

Don't be like Martha, be like Mary because Mary chose that one thing and Mary was worried over many things. 

Don't be like Martha, cooking and sweating away in kitchen, missing Jesus' teachings and be like Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning so much from Jesus. 

Be like Mary because our life is short and we should treasure special time with Him and not spend time cooking in the kitchen. 

What I have been hearing was telling me that 

1) Working and cooking in the kitchen is ungodly. Being at the feet of Jesus is godly as Jesus praised Mary and said that in future, people would remember what Mary has chosen over the bad choice of Martha of toiling in the ktichen.

2) Its is not good to worry about many things and let things to make us worry. We just need that one thing like Mary and we should be fine. 

But, I have been objecting from within :-

1) If Martha did not work in the kitchen, what would they all eat? 

2) Someone obviously made the sacrifice so that all could benefit? But why was Jesus so harsh on Martha?

3) What about the Theology of work? Is work not holy or a form of worship towards God?

Through this devotion sharing by Rev Edmund Chan, I found the answers and agree that Martha has been wrong about missing that one thing and allowed the many things to make her worried. 






Note :- Pictures here are all from the internet.