The Character of Jesus 48
Jesus as a Guest of Mary and Martha
Luke 10:38 – 42
Physical Priorities
- Characteristic: Physical Priorities
- (38) The 70 had been sent out and had returned, so Jesus and His disciples were in the region of Judea. Mary and Martha lived in Bethany (John 11:1) which was less than 2 miles east of Jerusalem, on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. The size of the entourage could be as few as a dozen or as many as a hundred. The courtyards of homes of their apparent financial position could accommodate such a crowd. Martha issued the invitation.
- (39) Martha’s sister Mary opted to sit and listen rather than help with dinner preparations.
- (40) Martha was frazzled by the magnitude of the preparations. Perhaps knowing that Mary would not be persuaded to stop listening and rather work, Mary asked Jesus to direct Mary to help with preparations.
- (41) Jesus’ first priority was to lower Martha’s stress level.
- (42) Second, Jesus declined Martha’s request by telling her to relax and not take the dinner preparations so seriously that she lose the point of Jesus’ visit. He notes that Mary had chosen better, seeking the spiritual with higher priority than physical needs.
- Application: Physical Priorities
- How do we lower the stress level of those who want to do more?
- How do we get comfortable with having lower physical expectations?
- How do we develop higher spiritual expectations?
- How do we get comfortable with people having different expectations?