And it came to pass as they went that *he* entered into a certain village; and a certain woman, Martha by name, received him into her house.
A homeless Teacher on the road to Jerusalem needed a place to stay, and a woman named Martha opened her door to Him. Everything that follows grows out of that welcome, which the commentators read as real love with one thing missing.
The Lord had no home of His own. One writer stops on how strange that is:
See Him here in His daily life of poverty and simplicity — the houseless, homeless Son of Man! Martha received the homeless One into her home. The difficulty here is not with Scripture but with unbelief. Who can take in what that means? The One who lives in eternity depended on the faith and love of a poor woman named Martha for a day's lodging. What a privilege for her!
He was passing through, not settling down. That changes how the welcome reads:
Here we find the Lord on His way to suffer. "He set His face to go to Jerusalem." "As they went on their way, Jesus entered a village." This was after the Mount of Transfiguration, where Moses and Elijah spoke to Him of His departure. He was on His way to death. He was passing out of the world. On that road "Martha welcomed Him into her house." She had no sense of the path the Lord was taking, or that He was not staying in this world. So she invites Him into her house and tries to entertain Him with her things. She was making the Lord her guest. Mary was the Lord's guest, and He was entertaining her with His things.
The verse blames her for nothing. The house is hers, and she chose to open it:
Martha, like the rich young man of Mark 10, had much about her that was excellent. The house at Bethany seems to have belonged to her, and she was glad to open her home to receive the Lord of glory. She was not only hospitable; she was also a busy servant in the Lord's service. There are "many things" to do for the Lord in this world, and Martha filled her days with these "many things." Yet with all these fine qualities she had overlooked "one thing."
This scene follows straight after the story of the good Samaritan, and the order teaches something:
The good Samaritan had bandaged the wounds of the man he found half dead, pouring in oil and wine. He had set him on his own animal, taken him to an inn, and provided all he needed until he should return. Now Mary's occupation shows us the diligent service of the saved soul in the meantime: hearing the word of Jesus is indeed the good portion, which will not be taken away.
Hospitality was the right response to a Messiah on earth. But the moment had changed, and so had what He wanted most:
Receiving the word takes the place of the attentions that were due to the Messiah. The presence of a Messiah on earth called for those attentions. But look at the condition man was in — he rejected the Saviour. What he needed was the word, and Jesus, in His perfect love, will have nothing else. For man, and for the glory of God, only one thing was needful, and that is what Jesus desires. For Himself, He would go without everything else to have it.
The contrast between the sisters is not the last word on Martha. At a later meal in Bethany her serving draws no correction:
A contrast is here drawn between the two sisters: the one occupied with what she could do for the Lord; the other with what He was. But in John 12 the Lord is at Bethany again, and they make a supper for Him. There Martha's service draws no qualifying word at all. The Lord had raised up her brother Lazarus, and He had dealt with her herself, and this had no doubt taught her the lesson she needed. Service in communion with Himself is acceptable to Him.
- Homeless. The Son of Man had no lodging of His own, so a woman's open door became His resting place — and her privilege.
- Passing through. He was on the road to Jerusalem and to death. Martha made Him her guest, when the moment called for becoming His.
- Welcomed. Opening her house was real love and real faith. Writers praise what was excellent in her before naming the one thing she missed.
- One thing. The hour called for more than attentions to the Messiah. It called for hearing His word — the good portion no one can take away.
- Restored. By John 12 Martha serves again, and no correction follows. Service done in His company is welcome to Him.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also, having sat down at the feet of Jesus was listening to his word.
Luke moves straight from a parable about a rescued traveller to a quiet house where a woman sits and listens. The verse raises a question. What does a rescued person do next, and why is this the one thing needed?
One writer links the scene back to the traveller left half dead in the story just before it.
The good Samaritan had bound up the wounds of the man he found half dead, pouring in oil and wine. He had set him on his own animal and taken him to an inn. He made all the provision needed for him until he should return. Now Mary's occupation shows us what the diligent service of the saved soul should be in the meantime. Hearing the word of Jesus is indeed the good part which shall not be taken away.
Mary sits rather than stands. One writer weighs that difference against another woman in Luke.
The woman who was a sinner stood at the feet of Jesus, for as yet she was not enjoying forgiveness and peace. Mary, on the other hand, sat. That was a sign that every question about the state of her soul had been settled, so she was at rest. So we take our place at the feet of Jesus first as people who repent, and we stay there as His servants and disciples.
The ESV keeps the reading most editors prefer: "at the Lord's feet." One writer finds two kinds of people in this scene, and weight in that title.
Two kinds of souls are pictured here. Some receive the Lord as Saviour and rest there, whatever service they think best to give. Others, having received Him, press on with purpose of heart to learn His mind and to know Him personally. … Sitting at His feet declared that she had become His disciple. It means even more if we adopt the reading preferred by most, "at the feet of THE LORD." It is a blessed moment for any soul when that point is reached. He is enthroned in the heart as supreme, and His will becomes the only law of our daily lives.
Older translations end the verse with "heard His word." One writer separates that from simply hearing sounds.
There were many who listened to the words of the Lord Jesus who did not hear His word. To hear His word there must be an ear to hear, and only those in whom God had worked had this capacity. Hearing His word is a mark of a true follower of the Lord Jesus. It shows that a person values the divine revelation brought to men in the Person of Jesus. It shows a desire to know its substance, spirit and details.
One writer weighs what Mary could give the Lord against what He could give her.
Mary had discovered that all she could do for the Lord was nothing compared with what He had to give her. To receive His word is the one thing needful, for out of that will flow all service that is acceptable to Him.
Reverse that order and the work starts to weigh. Mary's sister worked without first listening.
She set herself to work without having first been in the company of the Lord, in communion with Him. So the word of the Lord had never taught her the mind of the Lord. As a result she was "distracted with much serving" and "anxious and troubled about many things." She complained about her sister, and even entertained the thought that the Lord was indifferent to her work.
Nothing dramatic happens here. One writer makes that the point.
It was not much to record of this one that she sat at Jesus' feet. Has it any value in our eyes? Yet it was like ointment poured out to the heart of the Beloved One. We may be active in service, and that is right in its place. But there is nothing He values so much as our loving to listen to Him. He is now exalted on the throne of the Majesty on high. How wonderful that He still looks for the chance of speaking to us down here!
Mary appears three times in the Gospels, always in the same place.
We see her first in her sister's home at Bethany. The Lord of life entered that home, and Mary sat at His feet as a learner (Luke 10). Later, when death had entered the home, she is found at His feet as a mourner (John 11). Last of all, a few of His loved ones make a supper for the Lord, who had just displayed His resurrection power and glory. There she is found at His feet as a worshipper.
- Rescued first. The parable carries a wounded traveller to safety. Mary shows what the rescued do until their Rescuer returns.
- Seated, not standing. Sitting marks a soul at rest, with the question of its own state already settled.
- A learner's place. Some receive the Lord and rest there. Mary pressed on to learn His mind, sitting as a pupil at the feet of her Lord.
- Receiving before serving. What He gives outweighs anything we bring. Real service flows out of that. Work begun without it turns into distraction and complaint.
- Kept forever. Learner in Luke 10, mourner in John 11, worshipper at the supper — the same feet, and a portion that will not be taken away.