When Jesus Came to Stay: Listening Like Mary, Loving Like Martha
Recently, I found myself once again struggling to serve, to fix, to justify that I’m “worthy.” I poured myself into the tasks, but my soul felt shallow. That’s when I found myself face to face with the Biblical account of Mary and Martha. Two women, one day with Jesus, and their choices that still call to my heart : am I laboring to Him, or listening to Him?
The Story That Found Me
Luke 10 tells it beautifully. Jesus arrives in Bethany, and Martha opens her home. She immediately dives into preparing the food, changing the bed linens, arranging the seats, setting, and stirring. She hopes to honor Jesus by placing beauty where it might catch His eye. Meanwhile, her sister Mary does something that appears thoughtless: she sits right at Jesus’ feet. She’s listening, consuming, absorbing each word.
Martha is finally fed up with me. She bursts out, begging Jesus to chasten her sister…. Jesus doesn’t chide Martha, but He does redirect her heart:
Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. Luke 10:41–42 (NIV)
Martha wasn’t wrong to serve—but somewhere in her ardor, she lost sight of the One worthy of her listening.
Listening Doesn’t Mean Doing Nothing
Honestly, Mary wasn’t indifferent. In fact, in John 11, she springs into action the moment Jesus calls her. Her stillness wasn’t idleness—it was preparation. Listening first grounded her in love.
After she said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” John 11:28 (NIV)
And James’ reminds:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only… James 1:22 (ESV)
Listening and working aren’t rivals—they’re partners. One leads to the other. Listening without action keeps us mired in inertia, but acting without listening keeps us off track. We need both.
What Listening Looks Like for Me
Lately, listening means beginning my morning with quiet: a Bible verse, a prayer, or just a hushed “Dear Jesus, show me your plan for today?” It’s slowing long enough to settle my heart before I’m caught up in the day.
It’s not exact. I still forget. I still fuss over the table and miss the guest of honor. But freedom isn’t found in excellent execution. It’s found in His presence.
Serving From Rest
Jesus never asked us to stop working. It’s not the work He resists, but the emphasis we place on it. He wants our work to flow from our love, not pressure. Paul instructs:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord…. Colossians 3:23 (NIV)
What if our hospitality began at His feet? What if our encouragement came from deep communion, not mere performance? That’s the turning—from caged to free.
To Think About
o. Where do I feel trapped by “doing”?
o. What does listening to Jesus mean to you?
o. How could my usefulness change if it began with love, not obligation?
This story is more than an old Bible story—it’s a mirror. I see myself in both sisters, and I’m learning that listening doesn’t disqualify me from serving—it readies me to serve from a deeper, freer space.
Jesus is present right now. He’s calling you. Will you sit with Him awhile before you dash off again?
If you missed the first post in this series, explore how comparison can feel like a spiritual cage—and how grace sets us free. From Tasks to Grace: Releasing the Cage of Performance..
Jane Hatfield October 2025
Love this article. Touched my heart b/c at times people have said I do so much. I don’t do so much b/c Jesus did so much more for me. I’m not trying to pay for what He has done. I do because I love Him so very deeply. My motivation is first–my love for Jesus, and second–my love for others.