“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!’ ‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.'” (Luke 10:38–42)
When the Lord Jesus came to Martha’s home as a guest, Martha and her family must have been both overjoyed and frantically busy. Furthermore, it was not just Jesus who came—the twelve disciples and others traveling with him were likely there as well. If an important guest came to my home today, I imagine I too would be rushing around like Martha, needing all my family members to help. But in Martha’s situation, her younger sister Mary was not lifting a finger to help—in fact, she was sitting there like a guest herself, at Jesus’ feet, offering no assistance at all. It was perfectly understandable—even reasonable— for Martha to feel resentful. Her reaction was not only to demand that Mary come and help her serve the guests, but also to appeal to Jesus in front of everyone, essentially asking him to rebuke Mary. Martha likely assumed that once she raised the matter, Jesus would surely remind Mary—or even instruct her—to go and help her sister. How could Mary show so little consideration, leaving her sister alone to host so many guests? Jesus’ response caught Martha off guard. Rather than rebuking Mary, he gently rebuked Martha, telling her that her priorities were misplaced and that Mary had made the right choice. His answer seems puzzling at first. Was Martha not busy and stressed precisely because she was hosting Jesus? And Jewish culture, much like Chinese culture, places great importance on showing hospitality to guests. Jesus understood the reason behind Martha’s request and could even sympathize with her—but in his eyes, listening to God’s Word was more important than anything else. Mary was not simply so caught up in listening that she absent-mindedly forgot to help her sister. From Jesus’ words, we understand that Mary had made a conscious, deliberate choice to sit and listen to Jesus, rather than to attend to the duties of hospitality—even though the latter seemed far more pressing, and even though her sister might be upset with her for not helping. Both Martha and Mary made choices that centered on Jesus—one chose to serve him, the other chose to listen to his words. Both are worthy of admiration. Yet it is clear that choosing to listen to God’s word takes precedence—it is more important than everything else. What was Mary’s attitude as she listened? She was not listening while simultaneously attending to guests, nor was she standing at a distance. The text tells us she sat at Jesus’ feet to listen. This posture reflects her deep hunger for the Lord and for his words. She placed herself as close to Jesus as possible, refusing to allow anything to distract her, with no intention of doing anything else while he spoke. This meant Martha had to interrupt Jesus’ teaching just to pull Mary away to help. Sitting at the Master’s feet also reflects the humility and reverence of a disciple toward their teacher. Mary’s esteem for the Lords words was something Jesus commended, and she has become a beautiful example for countless Christians throughout the history of the Church.
In Singapore today, listening to God’s Word the way Mary did is not easy. Many external and internal factors make it far easier for us to become like Martha. The needs of our children, the demands of studies, the pressures of work, and even the obligations of church ministry leave us worried and distracted. There are also many temptations vying for our attention—mobile games, text messages, videos, current news, stock market updates, and more. Unless we, like Mary, deliberately place ourselves at Jesus’ feet to listen, we may well miss out on that better portion. This coming June, the church is organising its biennial Church Camp, giving every brother and sister the chance to set aside the busyness of Singapore life and travel together to nearby Malacca to study God’s word and focus our hearts on the message God has for us. Of course, we won’t be sitting at the pastor’s feet—we have a comfortable, quiet meeting hall. But what matters most is that we come with Mary’s attitude: a heart that is hungry and attentive to God’s word.
Brothers and sisters, Jesus defended that sacred moment of listening to His word for Mary, and preserved that better portion for her. He will likewise prepare such a blessing for us at Church Camp—do you want it? Let us not be like Martha, overwhelmed by endless tasks. May the Lord grant each of us wisdom to make the necessary arrangements—organise your work, plan your leave, speak to the church if you face any difficulties, and come prepared to receive God’s word and that better portion. This year’s Church Camp theme is “Elisha: Your God Can Save You.” Please read through 1 Kings 18-19 and 2 Kings 4-8 in advance, and look forward to the blessing that comes from God’s word!