“Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
– Luke 10:42
Most of us know the story of the sisters Martha and Mary. Martha invited Jesus into her home and began making preparations; Mary simply sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to him. After a while Martha complained to Jesus and asked him to send Mary to help her.
It seems that everyone can identify with one or the other of these sisters – or maybe sometimes with both. I have heard Martha described as task-oriented, flustered, judgemental, a busybody, and earthly-minded – mostly negative adjectives. Jesus himself was not too flattering. He told Martha that she was worried and upset about many things, when only one thing was needful. Meanwhile Mary is often described in a different light – with words like devoted, surrendered, listener, loving, and heavenly-minded.
It is interesting to note that Jesus never tells Martha that she is wrong, or that she should join Mary and sit down to listen for awhile. Martha did a lot of commendable things that day. She invited Jesus into her home, and she was working hard to make things nice for her guest. Actions like that would normally receive high praise, but we tend to cast her in a negative light. Martha was doing many good things. But at the moment, Mary chose something better. In the work of missions, we can easily get caught up in the effort to make things just right. There are good things to do and we should aim to do them well, and with enthusiasm. But sometimes there is something better. Sometimes it is better to sit quietly and listen. Jesus told Martha that only one thing was needed. How often do we get bogged down in detailed preparation when when we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen? Mary chose to do the one thing really needed, and Jesus would not allow Martha or anyone else to take that from her. As we enter a new year in mission service together, let us not neglect the one thing that is needed.