Martha: Distraction, Anxiety, and the One Thing

Reading in the Grand Story about Martha and Mary...
"Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, 'Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.' " (Luke 10:38-42)

I've heard a lot of different takes on this story in my time. The latest trend has been to rush to the defense of Martha and make her heroic or misunderstood. But Jesus understood her perfectly and He addressed the problem in no uncertain terms: "Martha, you are distracted."

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines distraction as "something that makes it difficult to think or pay attention." There is nothing wrong with serving people. In fact, it's an earmark of a true disciple of Christ. Most church leaders would probably agree they would love a church full of Marthas. The problem is that Martha wasn't serving out of obedience to anything her Lord had told her to do. He was speaking. He was teaching them. It wasn't time for scurrying and working and serving. It was time for being still and listening. Martha couldn't see that because she was distracted.

What distracted her? Jesus named two specific things: anxiety and trouble. Martha was a worrier, and she was annoyed and irritated that she was the only one who seemed to be worried. The original Greek word for "troubled" is where we get the English word "turbulence." In the modern vernacular we would say she was "in a tizzy." Why? What had her worried? The key is in her request to Jesus: "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her to help me." Did you catch that? "I'm the only one doing anything! If I didn't do it, it wouldn't get done, and then where would we all be?" I have a sneaking suspicion that even if Mary did try to help, Martha would just go behind her and re-do everything she did, all the while muttering under her breath about how if you want anything done right you just have to do it yourself.

It's easy to fall into the Martha trap. It's the classic case of an over-exaggerated sense of our own importance. I have seen it creep into ministries that started off doing good work, but  slowly, over time, they became a little world unto themselves thinking, "We are the only ones doing real ministry. Nothing else is as important as what we are doing." There began to be an attitude of contempt towards other ministries. Other ways of serving. Other styles of worship. Other approaches to preaching. Other denominations. Other people. Until we are all alone in our minds. The only ones who matter. Busyness is not so much about activity as it is the posture of our hearts.

Look, nobody asked Martha to do anything. Not from what I read in the text. Jesus simply responded to her invitation to use her house as a place to teach. It was her idea to complicate it with a bunch of extra service. Like so many churches that busy themselves with a million programs and events and activities, cleverly marketed and catering to every demographic imaginable. Jesus said, "One thing is necessary." Everything else is a distraction. But how would we ever know if that's true. We refuse to try. "No, Jesus, you don't understand. People expect it. They want it. If we don't offer it, they will just go somewhere else. Then what will happen to our church?" And then we wear ourselves out (and our volunteers) chasing every idea that pops into our heads about how church ought to be.

"One thing is necessary." Apparently, stillness is required for listening. Like the mirror-surface of a calm lake, I can only perfectly reflect an image if I am perfectly still and peaceful.

God, help me today to stay focused on that One Thing, and may all other distractions fall away. Keep pride from seducing me into believing I am indispensable or alone in my work. Let me only busy myself with those things that You have told me to do. teach me to be still and listen. For Your glory, and in the name of Jesus. Amen.