Mary and Martha Reveal Devotion Is Better than Service (John 12:1-8)

Christ in the house of Martha and Mary reveals devotion is more important than service. Read or listen to this chapter from Work and Rest God’s Way to learn why Jesus didn't rebuke Martha in John 12:1-8, even though He rebuked her when serving earlier.

Table of contentsChrist in the House of Martha and MaryMary and Martha Reveal Devotion Is More Important than ServiceMary and Martha Reveal Sitting at Jesus’ Feet Is a ChoiceMary Chose the BetterMartha Later Avoided Rebuke from JesusJesus Didn’t Rebuke Martha Because She Didn’t Have Something Better to ChooseJesus Didn’t Rebuke Martha Because She Served with the Right Heart

Christ in the House of Martha and Mary

The average foot contains six hundred sweat glands per square centimeter, which is hundreds more than the armpits. Our feet secrete salt, glucose, vitamins, and amino acids that provide the perfect diet for bacteria to thrive. In appreciation for the food, bacteria leave us with fatty acids that produce the common foot odor. Given our anatomy, no matter how clean we are, foot odor is almost unavoidable.

Feet might smell bad in our day, but we can be sure they smelled even worse in Jesus’ day. While most of us don’t like the idea of being too close to people’s feet, Mary didn’t let it hold her back. Luke 10:38–42 records:

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

The village is Bethany, which was about two miles east of Jerusalem on the slope of the Mount of Olives. Mary and Martha were sisters, and their brother was Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. More than likely, all three of them lived together in this house. Mary shows up three times in Scripture, and each time she’s at Jesus’ feet (See also John 11:32 and John 12:3). When Jesus arrived, the sisters responded differently: Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to His teaching, and Martha was “distracted with much serving.”

While it’s easy to condemn Martha, let’s put ourselves in her place. She has Jesus—the Christ, the Lord, the Son of God—for dinner. She “welcomed Him into her house” and wanted everything to be perfect. She’s busy with all the food preparations and formalities that we would expect. All the while, her sister, Mary, seemed to be relaxing! Would you be frustrated if you were Martha? Mary lived under the same roof. She should have felt equally responsible for making sure things went well, but she seemed to be doing nothing more than sitting idly at Jesus’ feet.

How do we explain Martha being rebuked, and Mary being commended? Making it more striking, Martha was serving Jesus! It would be one thing if she were serving someone else, but she was serving the Lord!

Mary and Martha Reveal Devotion Is More Important than Service

Unfortunately, people contrast Mary and Martha and teach that Christians must make a choice: be a worshiper like Mary or a servant like Martha. They think it’s “either/or” when it’s actually both: we should be worshipers and servants. What do we hope to hear when we stand before the Lord? “Well done good and faithful person who sat at Jesus’ feet” or “Well done good and faithful person who prayed and read the Bible every day.” No. We hope to hear, “Well done good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23). This account is not minimizing service. Instead, it is elevating devotion.

“Martha was distracted with much serving,” but distracted from whom, or from what? From Jesus and His teaching!