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Marth and Martha by He Qi

He, Qi. Mary and Martha, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN

READINGS FOR COMING WEEK

Ninth Sunday After Pentecost

QUESTIONS

Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” That quote from (this Sunday’s/today’s) gospel reading was spoken to two sisters with contrasting priorities in entertaining their special guest. Are you a Martha or a Mary? (This question is not just for women!)

  1. Can you think of a time when you were doing all the work and someone near you chose not to help because of another priority? How did you feel?
  2. Do you struggle with finding time for Jesus because of all kinds of other pressing matters? If so, what can you do about that?
  3. Is there a discipline you have to help keep priorities in order?
GOSPEL VERSE
Luke 10:38-42
Jesus Visits Martha and Mary

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ 41But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things;42there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Readings are from the online Revised Common Lectionary, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, a division of the Jean and Alexander Heard Library.

Scripture texts are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.