My Reflection on John 10:38-42: Oh Mary, why you are not helping Martha?

Mary is a great biblical example of a person whose desire was to be taught by Jesus. Every time she appears in the Bible (as I’m using concordance to refer to her name last night); she’s kneeling humbly before Jesus. In John 11, she’s at Jesus’ feet in sorrow. In John 12, she’s at Jesus’ feet in adoration. In John 10, which I’m quoting below, she’s at Jesus’ feet to learn truth.

“As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

(John 10:38-42NLT)

Here I observed: Martha, the committed worker, wants to feed Jesus. Mary, the worshiper, wants to be fed by Jesus with His Word. Martha was in the kitchen preparing meals; Mary was in the living room, learning from Jesus. Martha annoyed; Mary rejoiced.

Jesus, the Lord, told Martha that she was filled with unnecessary ‘worried and upset’ that had affected her priority. It was harmful though it looked sincere, thus Jesus pressed that it wasn’t really important. What is important then? What is the priority that is more important than food etc.? (As work and food conscious Asian man, I have to ask this kind of questions)

In essence, it is the Word of God. Jesus commended Mary for having a good judgment of priority – that is, learning the Word of God.

Today, we can also be distracted by less important details (you names it) that had robbed your time spending in the Word of God. The Word of God here I’m referring to Jesus Himself and the Scriptures; the Bible.
Are your priority is to be in fellowship with the Lord?
Are you desire to hear Him as He speaks to you through Bible reading and studying?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.