Martha is NOT a role model.

Genesis 18: 1-10a

Psalm 138

Colossians 2:6-15, (16-19)

Luke 10:38-42

Martha and Mary are not being offered to us as two models of Christian life. Everyone must be a servant because Jesus, our Model, is one who serves. Service is not optional in the Christian life; but Martha is not a model of service in this story--she is a model of anxiety and resentment.

To understand the story, we must reread Jesus’ instruction to the disciples in Luke 10:21-24. Jesus says, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see…prophets and kings desired to see what you see and hear (akuo) what you hear." To see and hear Jesus is the blessing.

Mary is the true disciple because she sits at Jesus’ feet and listen/hears (akuo) Him. She understands who this is. She is not distracted. Earlier in Luke 9 at the Transfiguration God the Father spoke from the cloud and said, “This is My Son, hear (akuo) Him. That is God’s command. That is what Jesus tells us the saints of old long for—to see and hear Him. The great Jewish prayer says "Hear, Israel..." and hearing God's word is central to the Jewish faith.

Martha is, like all of us, broken. She is wounded and she acts as she does because of the wound. Her False Self is "the one who does the right thing" or "the helper" or the "one in charge." The False Self covers over the pain. So she is “distracted” (perispao—distracted, troubled, over busy, distressed). Those are words describing broken humans, not role models of Christian faithfulness. Martha "cannot" see or hear Jesus because she is too stressed out and busy, however, she is irritated with Him and her sister. “Don’t you care about me?” she asks. She is not being a servant in all this, she is focused on herself.

We are all Martha. We focus on ourselves because we are worried and anxious wonder. We do lots of things to "justify" ourselves (last week the Lawyer did it in his own intellectual way). We wonder if Jesus notices all we do and if He cares. Martha's problem is her heart, not what she is doing. If she had sat at Jesus' feet worried and distracted about why Mary wasn't there she could have the same reaction. Lots of people worry about going to church and are busy with praying or Bible study—and all the while worried and upset that God is not noticing how spiritual they are and resenting His mercy and love toward others who are no so spiritual. Martha at prayer is still the same person, just like Mary at service is the same person. Martha is an icon of the broken heart. Mary is an icon of the healing heart.

A troubled soul is the opposite of faith. Doubt, fear, anxiety are barriers to our union with God. In Luke 12 Jesus says do not worry. He asks, “Will worrying add to your life?” We know the answer, medical research proves it ruins our health and kills us. Anxiety also kills us spiritually. In the parable of the seed, Luke 8:14, the anxieties of life are weeds that choke the Kingdom seed in each human heart. In chapter 21, Jesus commands: “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the worries of this life so that the day of the Lord finds you unprepared.” This is what sin really is, anything that makes us unprepared to receive the kingdom. Anxiety is a barrier to the kingdom. Martha may be your hero, but she will not lead you into eternal life. There is no virtue in being busy (and resentful) if it means you do not see Jesus or hear Him.

Jesus tells Martha—you are in tumult about so much. He offers an alternative: “there is one thing that is needed and Mary has chosen it.” Jesus spoke of 'need' twice before this.

In Luke 5:31 Jesus said that healthy people don’t need a doctor, sick people do. In Luke 9:31 Jesus cured all those who needed healing. I am pretty sure the one thing we need is healing and it is only found at Jesus' feet. Remember, earlier in the Gospel, Peter's mother in law had a fever. Jesus healed her and she got up and served them (no mention of her being angry at Jesus). Until Jesus heals us, we can not truly serve. If we "serve" out of our broken heart we end up resentful, over-busy, and distracted. 

Mary is the model of those who face their woundedness and need. Mary is the model of those who listen to Jesus as disciples (which is what ‘sitting at His feet’ literally refers to).

Martha is the model of anxious non-belief. She is the busy one who tries to handle things on her own--she is overwhelmed, stressed out and angry with everyone, even the Lord. She is the role model of the False Self who hurts too bad inside to sit at Jesus’ feet.

Anything that keeps us from Jesus is bad.

Anything that makes you angry and resentful is bad.
Anything that lets you see Jesus and hear Jesus is good.