What Martha’s Problem Really Was

I doubt many stories in the Bible are more relatable than the account of Mary and Martha. However, the character with whom I relate has changed over time. As a kid, I heard the story and was convinced that I would never struggle like Martha. Of course Mary did the right thing! Who would want to work and fret when they could just sit and listen to Jesus? It was a total no-brainer! 

Admittedly, as a youngster I didn’t have much trouble not cooking or cleaning. It came pretty naturally to me. But as an adult wife and mother, I now completely identify with Martha. Though I’ve never had the Messiah over for lunch, I have certainly found myself irritated at other people who seem content to sit and do nothing while I make sure we have something to eat—often when no guests are in the house. 

Because Martha’s predicament hits so close to home, it’s easy to take her side (even though she’s rebuked by Jesus). After all, who doesn’t want to have lunch to eat and clean plates to eat it on?

But what if Martha’s problem didn’t have anything to do with hospitality or domestic chores? And what if you and I struggle like Martha far more often than we think? 

It didn’t. And we do. 

All About the Adjectives

Though this is a familiar story, it’s helpful to read it as Luke records it in chapter ten of his Gospel: 

While they were traveling, he entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord’s feet and was listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand.”

The Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38–42)

On its surface, this appears to be a petty sisterly squabble over the division of labor. But such a reading short changes what Jesus teaches Martha. To see the lesson, we need to pay attention to some grammar. So allow me to be your English teacher for just a moment and invite you to look at the adjectives. 

Distracted

Luke first describes Martha as “distracted”—a problem that, surprisingly, predates smartphones. Martha’s to-do list distracted her from what was really important (more on that later). The problem wasn’t that she had the to-do list. After all, someone did need to make dinner. The problem was what she allowed her list to do in her mind.

We see something similar happen to Peter when he walks on water. In the midst of the choppy waves, the disciples see Jesus walking on the sea. True to form, Peter wants to know if it’s really Jesus and asks Him to prove it by inviting Peter to walk on water too. Jesus obliges, and Peter participates in the miracle, walking on the waves himself—until distraction kicks in: 

But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14:30)

Martha’s struggle wasn’t ultimately about household tasks—it was a matter of the heart, a mindset that plagues us all. The crisis overseas. A post from a friend. A text from our spouse. A deadline that can’t be missed. These things may rightly require our attention—and it isn’t wrong to respond to them. But when we allow distraction to take root, our hearts drift, and we risk missing what matters most.

And that leads us to the next adjective. 

Worried

Distractions are inevitable, but when we allow them to reign in our mental space, we continue to spiral downward. For Martha, we watch that distraction lead to worry. Instead of taking her thoughts captive and recalibrating her thinking, she went into panic-mode. I don’t know exactly what her concerns were, but they took over in her mind. 

As usual, I can relate.

For me, this happens most often at night. I lie awake thinking about a crisis over which I have no control. I turn solution after solution over in my head, trying to find the right one. 

Sometimes, though, it strikes in the middle of the day. I get a text or an email that demands my attention, and worry constantly over how to respond with just the right words to communicate just the right thing. 

Martha was clearly worried about the presentation of her home and table to the Messiah. But what worries you? How have your distractions taken hold in your mind and turned your thoughts away from what is good and praiseworthy, true, and honorable (Phil. 4:8)? 

We’re not done yet. Martha’s spiral takes yet another spin downward. We have another adjective to examine. 

Upset

The Lord doesn’t stop with calling out Martha’s worry. She’s struggling with something else as well: she’s upset. Other translations use the adjectives “bothered,” “troubled,” or “disquieted” to translate this Greek word that appears nowhere else in Scripture. 

Martha’s mind has become like a boiling pot, bubbling over with her concern, irritation, anxiety, and troubles. She has lost focus on who Jesus is and is instead worried only about her own things. The forest (and most of the trees) have disappeared. She can see only a few leaves in front of her. 

Martha’s problem had nothing to do with her to-do list and everything to do with how she handled her thoughts. Luke didn’t include this account to caution women away from vacuuming, doing dishes, or cooking a nice meal for company. He included it as a warning against unguarded thoughts. 

Thankfully, he does include a solution. And guess where it is. That’s right—another adjective.

Necessary 

In His gentle rebuke of Martha’s muddled mindset, Jesus says that Mary has chosen what is “necessary.” At this point, all of us Type A personalities might be tempted to argue: Wasn’t Martha doing what was necessary? Wasn’t Mary just sitting there while her sister did all the work? But before we allow our own thoughts to spiral, we need to remember—Martha’s problem wasn’t her to-do list. It was her mindset. 

The “necessary” thing is clearly a focus on Jesus. The question is, could Martha have had that and gotten lunch on the table? If you do the cooking in your home, you’re probably hoping—as I do—that the answer is yes. And it must be. After all, the people are going to get hungry. The truth is, Martha could have done all the things and still chosen what was “necessary.” It wasn’t about the tasks—it was about the posture of her heart.

The author of Hebrews tells us to lay aside sin and “weights” (or, distractions, if you will) and run the race set before us with endurance (Heb. 12:1–2). For some of us, the race set before us involves doing the household jobs. For others, it involves going to work each day, changing oil, mowing grass, or fixing leaky faucets. We all have to run our race with endurance—but the author gives us the necessary part next. We don’t just run. We run with our eyes fixed on Jesus: the great Example, High Priest, and perfect Lamb of God. 

The apostle Paul tackles this topic as well in 2 Corinthians 10: 

Since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:4–5)

We wrestle against the army of the world, the devil, and our flesh. And often the battlefield lies right between our ears. Whether we’re folding clothes, stirring soup, responding to email, or sitting in the waiting room, we must wrestle our “distracted” thoughts to the ground, taking them captive as we set our eyes on Who (not what) is really necessary.