Hello and welcome to the Women's Weekly Bible Challenge! I'm Lisa Ann Spencer.
I. INTRODUCTION
Those of you who are well-versed in scripture will recognize this phrase, ‘one thing is needful’, which comes from the book of Luke and the account of Martha and Mary.
I have no doubt that everyone is familiar with this account of Martha and Mary. Many books and women’s devotionals have been written about it. It is a popular topic in women’s ministries. We all want to be Mary, don’t we? And I’m guessing that most of us busy wives and mothers feel more like Martha. I pray that I am able to shed some light on this passage to help us understand how we can correctly apply it to our lives today, as it pertains to the theme of this retreat, UNDISTRACTED – Living a Worshipful Life.
Let’s read through the passage together, and break down the details.
Luke 10:38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’s feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
38 Now it came to pass, as
they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named
Martha received him into her house.
Question: Who were ‘they’ and where were they going?
Luke 9:51 tells us that He [Jesus] stedfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem.
Jesus and the 12 apostles, and several other nameless disciples, had sold their belongings and were literally following Jesus everywhere He went. Since Jesus’ baptism by John, He and his disciples had been ministering in northern Israel, the region around the Sea of Galilee. As the time was approaching for Jesus to go to the cross, He set His face to begin His journey to Jerusalem, where He must be crucified. He does not enter Jerusalem until ten chapters later in Chapter 19:28. In those ten chapters between 9 and 19, we read about Him entering into villages to teach and preach (9:52, 56).
Question: Which ‘certain village’ did they enter?
By checking a cross reference to John 11:1, we learn that ‘the certain village’ is Bethany, confirming that the certain woman is ‘Martha’ with a sister named Mary.
Note: Martha received Him into her house.
Let’s consider the previous chapters of Luke for more information about receiving Christ into a house.
Luke 8:40 And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.
Contrast that verse with an earlier, verse, 37, Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them;
Jump to Luke 9. In verses1-2, we see Jesus calling the 12 apostles and sending them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal.
Notice verse 4a, ‘And whatsoever house ye enter into’.
And, verse 5a, ‘And whosoever will not receive you…’.
In Luke 9:53, as Jesus was passing from northern Israel towards Jerusalem, He passed through a village of the Samaritans, and scripture tells us, ‘And they did not receive him,’.
In Luke 10, Jesus appoints 70 apostles. These 70 apostles are given the same instructions to preach the kingdom and heal the sick.
Note: An apostle is one who has personally seen and been sent by Jesus. It literally means, ‘sent ones’. There are no apostles today, only Ambassadors.
Compare Verse 8a And into whatsover city ye enter, and they receive you,’ to verse 10 But into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you not…’.
From these verses, we can understand that the little word ‘received’ means more than just inviting someone into a house. We can understand that it means hearing and receiving His word, and believing it.
Consider Verse 39
39 And she had a sister called
Mary, which also sat at Jesus’s feet, and heard his word.
This certain woman, Martha, has “a sister called Mary, which ALSO sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word”.
Note the word ‘also’. This indicates that Martha, at times, sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word. This is consistent with her receiving Him.
40 But Martha was cumbered
about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my
sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.
The first word of the verse, “BUT”, is a little word with big meaning in scripture. It means a contrast, an opposite, something contrary to what was just said. We were just told that Martha received him and at times she sat at his feet, hearing His word, BUT…
She was cumbered about much serving. She had received Jesus, but she wasn’t hearing His word because she was DISTRACTED!
The word ‘Cumber’ is found in the Bible only 2 times; here in Luke 10 and also in Luke 13:7, which describes a fig tree that is not producing any fruit. Of the fig tree it was said that it cumbereth the ground. It was crowding out the ground, it was taking up resources that a fruitful tree could have used, it was a waste of space and time.
NOTE: The King James Bible is the only Bible that has a built-in cross-reference system. The modern versions, in an effort to obtain a copywrite, must change a certain amount of the words to avoid copywrite infringement. This carelessness of the very words of God destroys the connections that God intends for us to make as we are reading and studying His word.
Martha was cumbered; burdened and distracted about much serving.
I feel sympathetic towards Martha, and I tend to think like her. I feel sure that I would be thinking about all those men needing to be fed, including Jesus! It may be natural to think this way, but we had rather think Biblically.
Turn back one chapter to Luke 9:10-17. I’m sure you are very familiar with this account of Jesus feeding 5,000 men with 5 loaves and 2 fishes.
By the time Jesus is received by Martha into her house, Jesus has been ministering in Israel for 3 years. His miracles were not secret; therefore I have no doubt that Martha knew what Jesus was capable of. Instead of walking by faith in the truth, Martha was walking in the flesh. First, she tried to emotionally manipulate Jesus by accusing Him of not caring that she was left to serve alone. Then she actually commands Him to bid Mary to help her. Imagine, telling God what to do! But let’s not be too hard on Martha; I think we often do the same in our prayer life, when we speak as if we know how God ought to do things.
Consider Verse 41
41 And Jesus answered and said
unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:
Jesus gives her a gentle correction. When He says, “Martha, Martha”, calling her name twice. It should remind us of other instances written by Luke.
“Jerusalem Jerusalem”
Luke 13:34 O
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the
prophets, and stonest them that are
sent unto thee; how often would I have
gathered thy children together, as a hen doth
gather her brood under her wings, and ye
would not!
“Simon, Simon”
Luke 22:31 And the Lord said,
Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as
wheat: 32a But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not…
“Saul, Saul”
Acts 9:4 And he fell to the
earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
In these verses, Jesus is not angry. He is appealing to man. These passages emphasize His grace and mercy!
We read how Jesus mercifully corrects Martha with the truth. “…thou are careful and troubled about many things:’ He saw into her heart. Jesus is far more concerned with Martha’s inner man than He is with her physical burden.
NOTE: In verse 41, the Holy Spirit defines ‘cumbered’ for us by replacing it with the words ‘careful and troubled’. Dictionaries can be helpful; but the King James Bible is its own dictionary.
Consider Verse 42
42 But one thing is needful:
and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.
Here again is that powerful three-letter word, ‘but’, to point out a sharp contrast in the text.
The ‘many things’ of verse 41 that Martha had chosen contrasts starkly with the ‘one thing’ that Mary had chosen.
NOTE that it is a choice!.
And here the account abruptly ends!
Jesus refused Martha’s request. We can learn why by considering James 4:3, which was written to the twelve tribes of Israel (James 1:1), not to the Body of Christ in this dispensation.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your own lusts.
Jesus directed her to choose the one needful thing, the good part, which was to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear the word of God. But before we attempt to apply the word of God to ourselves, let’s consider:
Q: What should Martha have done first, instead of manipulating and commanding?
A: She could have gone to Jesus with her
troubled heart and asked Him to help her.
I think Jesus would have gladly fed the crowd so that everyone could sit
at His feet and hear His word.
Unlike the account of Martha and Mary, which so abruptly ends here, the Bible does not end here. Much more revelation comes after this account.
Let's consider another use of the phrase “ONE THING”.
Philippians 3:13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Q: What is this one thing that is most important to Apostle Paul? What is this ‘high calling’ that he is referring to?
A: Read the previous verses for context.
Philippians 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, 9 and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith; 10 that I may know him,
NOTE; “The faith of Christ” has been removed out of every modern translation of the Bible. It has been corrupted to say “faith in Christ”, which is the opposite of what this verse is saying. I urge you to get a King James Bible and do a concordance search for ‘the faith of Christ’ and learn about this important doctrine.
The apostle Paul was given new revelation after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection (2 Corinthians 12:1, 7; Galatians 1:12; Ephesians 3:3). This new revelation was for the church in this dispensation, which is His Body (Ephesians 1:22-23). It is important for us to understand Paul’s revelations as he wrote half of the New Testament directly to us.
If we want to prioritize that ONE THING, that is to know Christ, so that we may live a worshipful life that is pleasing to Him, we must consider what Paul says.
2 Timothy 2:7 Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.
MAKING APPLICATION:
It is very important to understand that we do not live in the same dispensation as Martha and Mary. We do not live during the earthly ministry of Jesus (Romans 15:8, Matthew 15:24). We are certainly like Martha in that we can be cumbered about much serving, but we do not ask Jesus to miraculously feed the people in our house so we can sit and study God’s word all day. In this dispensation that was given to Paul (Ephesians 3:2 and Colossians 1:25), God has given us a different set of instructions. We are not instructed by Jesus to sell all that we have and follow Him (Matthew 19:27; Luke 18:22); instead we are told by Paul to work with our own hands (1 Corinthians 4:12; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11).
As women we are instructed to:
- Be
keepers at home
- Guide
the house
- Please
our husbands
- Bring
up children
- Relieve
the afflicted
- Wash
the saint’s feet
If we approach this list of good works as a set of rules to live by, trying to accomplish these tasks in our flesh, we will be troubled and anxious like Martha. But if we read and study God’s word, we will mature in the knowledge of the word of God (The Bible) and in the knowledge of the Word of God (Jesus Christ). If we are not distracted from getting to know God through His word, we will grow stronger in our inner man, and we will learn to walk in the Spirit, naturally bearing the fruit which is pleasing to Him.
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