Mary, Martha, and the Concept of Anxiety

Luke 10:38-42 tells the story of the time Jesus visited the home of Mary and Martha. While Mary sat to listen to Jesus talk, Mary was busy preparing the meal. In the course of these preparations, Martha became “distracted” (v. 40) with her work and eventually complained to Jesus that he should rebuke Mary for not helping. Jesus replied “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (v. 41-42).

Now the typical way of interpreting this story is to either argue that Martha was wrong for being too busy and should have followed Mary’s example, or say that Martha just should have minded her own business. I think both of these interpretations miss the mark. This isn’t a Mary vs. Martha story. If you look at the words being used in the story, we see that the subject of this story is worry and anxiety, a repeated theme in the New Testament.

The Greek word for “distract” is perispáō (περισπάω) and means “to be distracted with cares”, “to be troubled, distressed”. The Greek word for “worry” is merimnáō (μεριμνάω) and means “to be anxious”, “to be troubled with cares”. The Gospel writers (Q source) use this word several times when Jesus speaks on his frequent theme of not being anxious or worrisome (Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:11-26). Its cognate mérimna (μέριμνα) is used elsewhere in the New Testament, which we will come to. The word for “bothered” is tyrbázō (τυρβάζω) and means “to be troubled in mind, disquieted”.

Anxiety is a frequent theme in the Bible because, while it is not necessarily sin, it is the occasion of sin (see the work of Soren Kierkegaard and Reinhold Niebuhr). I’ve cited Jesus’ “Do Not Worry” teaching (Matthew 6:25-34; Luke 12:11-26). Jesus also talks about anxiety in his famous Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:18-22; Mark 4:14-20; Luke 8:11-15). He says that there are those who hear the good news, have the foundation, but do not bear the true results of their faith because they are choked by the world. Jesus used the analogy of thorns that choke a plant, preventing it from bearing fruit. The world is constantly producing frustrations and distractions that inauthenticate our lives and prevent us from living out our faith fully. Mérimna is used in Luke 21:34 when Jesus warned the people not to be distracted from the coming destruction of Jerusalem by Rome. Paul uses the term in 2 Corinthians 11:28 when describing the troubles and burdens he faced as an apostle. Along with the beatings, shipwrecks, pains, hunger, thirst, and other sufferings he experienced that sought to prevent him from preaching the gospel, Paul adds the anxiety that comes upon him ministering to the churches. Like his other sufferings, this anxiety sought to distract and prevent his Kingdom work. Peter uses mérimna in his first letter when talking about suffering and submission (5:7). He quotes Psalm 55:22, saying, "Give all your anxiety to [God] for he looks after you." Essentially, this is the same teaching of Jesus when he tells his disciples to avoid fear but have faith in God who looks after you (Matthew 10:28-31).

 

Martha’s problem was not that she was busy serving and making preparations for dinner while Mary sat and listened to Jesus speak. Her problem was that she allowed her busy activities to create a distracting anxiety in her mind that occasioned her lashing out at Jesus and Mary. Jesus does not reprimand Martha for serving or being busy; he chides her for her worry that resulted in her lashing out. But why did she lash out at Jesus? Look at what Martha says in verse 40:

“Lord, do you not care [μέλω] that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?”

The word mélō (μέλω) means “to care, to be concerned about”. It is the exact same word that the disciples used when they were out on the lake in a boat with Jesus and a storm erupts.

“Jesus himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him and said to Him, ‘Teacher, do you not care [μέλω] that we are perishing?’” (Mark 4:38)

Jesus immediately calms the storm and then asks the disciples where there faith is.

In their fear, worry, and anxiety the disciples lashed out at Jesus who remained calm, confusing his faith with uncaring. In the same way, Martha, worked up in her anxiety, accuses Jesus of not caring.

So I do not think that the point of this story is a lesson about being too busy serving to stop and sit at the feet of Jesus to hear what he has to say. The words of the story – the very words of Jesus – indicate that the subject matter is worry and anxiety, a prominent theme in the Bible.