The scripture gives us an admonition for “one thing” that is necessary. “One thing” should be the priority in our daily lives.  In fact, Jesus, while visiting at the home of his friends, Mary and Martha, teaches them and us what that priority should be.  That “one thing” is more important than food, finances or approval.  What did Jesus say was the “one thing?”

Hospitality at the time of Jesus and Mary and Martha was close to being a sacred duty. Hospitality provided a grand welcome, the washing of the dusty sandaled feet, an all-out meal and a place for rest.  The guest was considered the “lord” of the house.   The hosts would do their best to meet whatever the guest requested. 

Martha was going all out in her hospitality efforts for Jesus.  In fact, so much so that she became very frustrated when her sister, Mary, was not doing her fair share of the preparations and serving.   Mary was shrugging her duties, according to Martha. 

Martha, fed up with doing all the preparations herself approached her guest, Jesus, asking him to command Mary to help.  But does he? 

Here’s the text in Luke 10:38-42:

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ 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!”

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” 

Martha opened her home to Jesus. Martha, an inviting and hospitable woman, was probably the older sister and was in charge of making the home ready for her guest, Jesus.  There was food to be cooked, baking to be done, a table to be set, napkins folded, beverage glasses filled, condiments to be gathered.  Many preparations are made for entertaining a guest!   

Martha became upset with Mary, who wasn’t helping.  With that frustration she goes to Jesus and asks him, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?”  And before Jesus can reply Martha commands Jesus, “Tell her to help me.”    It would appear that Martha is asking for Jesus to become the judge and call the verdict of guilty on her negligent sister.  What kind of hospitality is that?

Jesus, the Teacher, responds to Martha. 

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.

I understand Martha.  I want a clean house, food ready, everything in order when guests arrive.  And I can understand when the time is ready to serve and you are deserted in the kitchen, it can be trying and frustrating. 

Jesus, rather than telling Mary to help, responds to Martha, who was “worried and upset about many things!” Many things — meal preparations, serving, the hospitality, the cleanness of the home, the table settings, and those last minute details.   Jesus continued, “but few things are needed – or indeed only one.”  This must have given Martha pause. 

MARY DISCOVERED THE ONE THING

If we look back at the text we will see that Mary positioned herself at the feet of Jesus and was listening to everything he said (Verse 39, She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said). 

Was Jesus saying that food wasn’t important?  Was he talking about the amount of food to be enjoyed at the table?  Was he saying there were too many dishes being served? 

As we consider the contrast of Martha and Mary and consider Jesus’ words, it’s very clear that Jesus is saying there is one thing more important than food.  There is one thing more important than serving and hospitality.  There is one thing that is indeed needed more than the rest. 

Jesus commended Mary that she had discovered it, sitting at his feet, and listening to his teachings.  That’s the priority Jesus gives. 

Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.

ONE THING

Jesus commends Mary for having a greater hunger for his words than for food; a greater need for his presence and his words than serving. 

I am often like Martha, “often worried and upset about many things.”  Our job, kids, meal planning, eating, serving, working keep us so busy we neglect that “one thing” that should have priority over every other “thing” in our lives.  Jesus reminds us, as he did Martha, that, yes, there are good things to be done, but the “one thing” should take priority over the rest.

Mary’s character reveals her devotion to how she loves the Lord by her priority of the ONE THING.  Mary shows a priority over appetites, finances, and the approval of others. 

1. ONE THING is more important than FOOD

Jesus is saying we need bread, sustenance, food, but we also need God’s word daily.  How often do we eat each day?  2 or 3 or more times? Snacks? Bedtime food?   How does our Bible reading and prayer time compare?  Are we in the Word every day (we eat every day)?  Do we set aside time for prayer and just being in God’s presence? We make time to sit at the food table quite regularly.  When Jesus says we need the words from God more than we need food, how should that motivate us to get into the Word regularly?

Often our appetites, are for “things” that don’t satisfy.  Jesus was fasting for 40 days and 40 nights as he responds to the Devil’s temptation to turn stones into bread. Jesus easily responds that God’s word is more important than food.

 “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

Jesus often used analogies of hunger and thirst to help us understand the importance of God’s Word. In John 4 he is talking with the woman at the well.

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, “but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:4

Now that wasn’t to say we don’t need to drink water and eat food, but to show the importance of God’s word each day.  We need to eat and to drink to live and be healthy, humanly.  We need to daily eat and drink (read and understand) God’s word to be spiritually healthy.

2. ONE THING is more important than FINANCES

In John 12 Jesus is again at the home of Martha and Mary.  Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead, was reclining with Jesus at the table.  Martha served.  Mary took expensive, pure nard, worth a year’s wages, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped it with her hair.

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. ² Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.³ Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

⁴ But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, ⁵ “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.” ⁶ He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.

⁷ “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. ⁸ You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.”

We aren’t told how Mary acquired the expensive nard.  Was she the younger unmarried sister of Martha and this expensive nard was part of a dowry?  Or were both Mary and Martha older in years, perhaps widowed, and had not remarried.  We don’t have any record of a father or husband. Although unusual for women to be unmarried, these sisters may have been women of some wealth?  Whatever their situation, Mary’s expensive gesture went past her concern for her earthly treasures. 

Have you ever taken a year’s salary and given it to the Kingdom?  This helps put in perspective the love and humility which Mary pours out on Jesus.  Often money is spent on what we value. Mary’s generosity told all those present (and us today) that she valued Jesus enough to give this valuable possession of nard to show her love.   In close relationship to Mary’s generosity, we may consider our own giving.  What does my financial giving reveal about my love for the Lord?

We couldn’t clothe our family, have food on the table, or pay the bills without the salary from our work. Yet how often are we like Martha, worried and upset about many things, often financial things?   Jesus teaches us to take time each day in prayer and Bible reading along with giving our tithes and offerings and generosity.   The “one thing” of His presence and promises of provision help us put all things in the right priority. 

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Matthew 6:33

3. ONE THING is more important than APPROVAL FROM OTHERS

Judas objected to Mary’s expensive gesture.  He said the value of the nard should have been given to the poor!  Interesting coming from the guy who was a thief and who helped himself to the stash. “Judas Iscariot “was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it.” John 12:6

Judas may not have been the only one who disapproved.   Others may have been annoyed by her intrusion into the meal.  Some may have thought she was being inappropriate in her gesture of pouring this nard on the feet of Jesus (a sign of burial and death).  Some may have thought her forward approach a moral gaffe especially when she wiped the feet of Jesus with her unbound hair.   Generally, Jewish women didn’t let down their hair in public. 

According to other historical writers, (“A Woman’s Unbound Hair in the Greco-Roman World” by Charles H. Cosgrove), her unbound hair may have indicated she was in mourning.  Her brother had recently died, and now Jesus was going to die.  Mary was prophetic in her anointing of Jesus. If her hair was unbound to mourn for the dead, perhaps this enlightens the response of Jesus when he said, “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 

Mary poured out her love at great expense, without worrying what others thought of her.  She had leaned the priority of the “one thing” Jesus said was more important than all others.  More than food, finances, and other’s approval.  The priority of being a disciple of Jesus and listening to his words so filled her heart and mind that the approval of others paled. 

I am often like Martha, worried and upset about many things.  Jesus commended Mary in that the “one thing” of priority — more important than food, or finances, or approval — was sitting at his feet and listening to his teachings. 

⁴¹ “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

I hope this blog will encourage you to make God’s word (listening to Jesus), and prayer (sitting at His feet) a priority each day.  Share in the comments how you are growing in time in the Word and prayer.