In Front | Workbook: Mary and Martha

Grab your Workbook Journal!

[Record your answers in the workbook provided at the beginning of this course.]

Two women who are featured in the Gospels are good friends of the Lord who live in Bethany, near Jerusalem. The contrast of Mary and Martha as types of religious observance is useful, and one story in particular shows us that being a woman was not, automatically, reason for Christ’s approval. Martha is responsible and dedicated, but Jesus is not impressed. Read Luke 10:38-42 and note the table below that contrasts the two women’s behavior and focus.

Source: David E. Garland, Luke: Zondervan exegetical commentary on the New Testament, 2011, p. 454.

Dr. Loveday Alexander notes the mistake Martha makes in this passage:

On the surface, Martha is making a mistake common to hosts: she is in danger of getting so bogged down in the details of hospitality that she forgets the point of the whole exercise, which is to enjoy the company of your guest. This would be a mistake for any host, and with any guest: to that extent, the story … works as simply as a piece of etiquette. When the guest is Jesus however, the mistake assumes cosmic proportions.

It’s easy for us to become distracted by the “responsibilities” of discipleship, but in this scene Jesus’ priority is clear. Martha does everything right, except her relationship with Jesus, which is all that He’s looking for. More than anything, Jesus wants us to enjoy His presence. Having Him in our lives should always be a joy and never a burden.

Source: Loveday C. Alexander, “Sisters in Adversity: Retelling Martha’s Story,” in A Feminist Companion to Luke, eds. Amy-Jill Levine and Marianne Bickenstaff, 2002, p. 209.

6. When do you find yourself making Martha’s mistake and emphasizing the responsibilities of faith over the presence of Jesus in your life? What might you do in these situations to change this?