Dear Christian friends:

Both Mary and Martha believed in Jesus, loved Him and wanted to serve Him. But Jesus scolded Martha because she chose a so-so way to serve Him while He praised Mary because she chose the good way to serve Him.

Same as Mary and Martha, we love Jesus and want to serve Him. We, too, must choose ways of serving Jesus. Sometimes we, same as Martha, choose a so-so way to serve Jesus while we could, same as Mary choose the good way.

Our text reminds us about that and urges us to be more careful in our choices.


Mary and Martha had to decide which way they will serve Jesus. The same way we must decide.

Martha chose to serve Jesus by preparing a fine dinner for him in her home. She wanted to show her love and respect to Jesus by making a fine meal for Him and His disciples. Martha was a good, fine woman, a good cook, no doubt, and a good housekeeper. We need good women same as Martha. We need them in our homes and we need them here at church.

It is good when we wish to serve Jesus by doing our work at home or our daily job. We should try to do the best job we can, no matter what our duty or work is. We should feel responsible same as Martha, and welcome friends and relatives into our homes.

Often here at church we have dinners. Many members help and serve Jesus when they volunteer to cook and serve. Some members serve Jesus as officers of our congregation. Others serve Jesus by singing in the choir. Some of our members work on the various standing committees as the worship committee or the building and grounds committee. In this way we choose ways to serve Jesus and show our love and thanks to Him who first loved us. "We love Him because He first loved us."(1 John 4: 19)

But we must be careful in choosing ways to serve Jesus. Some ways are more important than others. Sitting at Jesus' feet and hearing His Word is most important, more important than cooking and serving a fine dinner. Our text tells us that Martha invited Jesus and His disciples into her home. Jesus sat down, and after a while He began explaining God's Word to Mary and Martha and His 12 disciples.

Then Martha was worried about the dinner. She excused herself and went out into the kitchen and began preparing the dinner, but Mary stayed in the living room, sitting at Jesus' feet, eagerly attending to His teaching. Martha thought it was more important to cook a fine dinner than to sit at Jesus' feet and learn God's Word. And Martha decided to make an extra fine dinner. She was not satisfied to make a plain luncheon. After a while she became very busy and upset. It was too much for her. She became angry at her sister and thought she was lazy, because she didn't come and help her in the kitchen. She even blamed Jesus. (verse 40) So Jesus scolded Martha and told her that it was more important to hear God's Word than to cook and serve a fine dinner. (verses 41-42)

We all must remember that! The best way to serve Jesus and show love for Him is to sit at His feet and hear His Word. That's more important than attending to your duty as president of the church or your duty as an officer or your duty as chairman on a committee. When you have a opportunity to hear God's Word you should choose that and leave the other duties or serving until later or another time.

Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet and hear God's Word. (verse 39) Mary, like Martha, wanted to serve a nice dinner for Jesus. She was not lazy as Martha complained. But Mary wanted to hear Jesus explain God's Word first. She thought that was more important. Mary decided to let the dinner wait, later, and first attend to Jesus' teaching. Mary could then help Martha prepare a quick, plain luncheon. Jesus praised Mary because she chose to hear God's Word first. (verse 42)

We, the same as Mary, can choose to sit at Jesus' feet and hear God's Word. Every Sunday we can choose: either go to Bible Class or do something else during that hour. Also on Sunday we must decide to go to church service or other. Here in church we also sit at Jesus' feet and attend to God's Word. We can also choose this "good part" every day. How? Use your Portals of Prayer booklet daily! Read the two Bible lessons it shows and then the explanation and say the prayers. Daily you can sit at Jesus' feet and hear God's Word in your home or apartment. One deaf man takes his Portals of Prayer booklet with him to work. He puts it in his lunch box with his sandwich. Then during the lunch hour while he is feeding his body he also feeds his soul.

If we choose to sit at Jesus' feet and hear God's Word regularly, we will receive many blessings through that.

We will learn to know God better, His great and wonderful love for us, which He shows in the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. We will have peace in our hearts because we will know that God loves us and has forgiven all our sins. Our faith will grow stronger and we can then resist temptation better. Also, in this world full of sickness and death we will have hope for eternal life in heaven.

And these many blessings no one can take away from us. We may lose our earthly things such as money, clothes, car or house, but the blessings we receive through hearing God's Word no one can take from us. Jesus said, "Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her." (verse 42)

And, if we first choose to sit at Jesus' feet and learn God's Word, we will receive strength and wisdom to serve better in our other various duties and work. God's Word gives us more patience and love for others. We will not become angry against our sisters and brothers, as Martha did against Mary. We will not criticise our brothers and sisters or blame God when nothing is done right. We will become better spouses, better church members, better employees and better citizens.

We are often tempted to choose the same as Martha did. But resist that temptation. The good choice is to sit at Jesus' feet.

Amen.