“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42
In Luke 10, Jesus and His disciples arrive at the home of sisters Martha and Mary for a meal and a bit of rest during their ministry. While Mary settles at Jesus’ feet, absorbed in His teaching, Martha hustles in the kitchen—growing increasingly frustrated that her sister isn’t helping with the preparations. In exasperation, Martha even calls on the Savior Himself to reprimand Mary for her “laziness” and lend a hand.
But Jesus doesn’t side with Martha’s frantic energy. Instead, He gently rebukes her anxious spirit and praises Mary for choosing the better path—a moment of calm, pause, and listening.
As a classic Type A personality, I used to bristle at Jesus’ gentle reproach of Martha.
After all, it’s the Marthas of the world who get things done. We’re the planners and the do-ers, and we take pride in our productivity. Often, I would ruminate on this Gospel story during my Martha-relatable seasons. In the midst of running errands, crossing tasks off my to-do list, and juggling what felt like hundreds of balls in the air, the accumulation of annoyances and resentment was inevitable. And undoubtedly, life will present certain situations in which those whom we rely upon do not execute the tasks they have been designated to do – which can cause a strain on everyone involved. But our cringe-worthy flashbacks to the dreaded group projects in school is not what Jesus was referring to in the story of Martha and Mary.
As always, Jesus sees past the physical to the true heart of every person and every circumstance.
Luke 19:1-10 tells the story of Jesus inviting Himself to the home of Zacchaeus, a tax collector. In a few verses, we learn that Jesus looked beyond Zacchaeus’s profession – a despised man and outcast due to cheating people for a living – and recognized that Zacchaeus was eagerly seeking Him among the crowds. When Jesus dined at Zacchaeus’s home later that day, we do not read that Zacchaeus was frantically cleaning up for the arrival of guests, or hurriedly preparing a meal. During his time with Jesus, Zacchaeus was so moved and convicted that he promised to pay back the money that he cheated from others. Jesus declared, “Today salvation has come to this house,” in response to Zacchaeus’s transformation.
When Martha opened her home to Jesus and His disciples, she became distracted and overwhelmed at her duties of playing hostess. Martha’s heart was in the right place—she wanted to honor Jesus by making His visit comfortable and memorable. Yet in her zeal to serve, she overlooked the very heart of hospitality: presence. Jesus wasn’t evaluating her homemaking skills; He was extending an invitation to simply be with Him.
Zacchaeus’s story emphasizes a heart wholly captivated by Jesus—so much so that he climbed a tree and welcomed Him without concern for public opinion or the conventions of his day. His repentance and generosity sprang directly from an undivided focus: he saw Jesus, and his life changed. In Martha’s case, the distraction wasn’t external criticism but her own anxious striving. Though her efforts were noble, her mind was fractured—partly on the meal, partly on the guest list, and perhaps even partly comparing herself to Mary.
Zacchaeus’s generosity and Martha’s exertion reveal two very different responses to the same invitation—to draw near to the Savior. One opens his heart and is radically changed; the other pours out effort at the expense of inner stillness.
“Few things are needed – or indeed, only one” – to pause and recharge at the feet of our Savior. Resting at Jesus’ feet doesn’t mean neglecting our responsibilities; it means anchoring them in His strength rather than our own. In that stillness, we’re reminded that His power is made perfect in our weakness, and our service becomes an overflow of gratitude instead of a race to prove our worth.