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These two sisters and their brother Lazarus lived at Bethany (Jn 11:1-2). It was this Mary, not Mary Magdalene, who anointed Jesus a few days before his crucifixion (Jn 12:1-11). On that occasion, as on this, Martha performed the household duties, and Mary expressed her devotion to Jesus by listening. But in this earlier incident, recorded by Luke, Martha criticized Mary and provoked a rebuke from Jesus. Martha’s fault was not her preoccupation with household chores. It was her hostile attitude toward her sister’s readiness to listen to Jesus. This story, like that of the Transfiguration, indicates the importance of listening to Jesus and meditating on his words. Discipleship is not merely action. It involves contemplation.
O that I could for ever sit,
With Mary at the Master’s feet!
Charles Wesley (4:342)