Church Fathers Commentary Luke 10:38-42

"Now as they went on their way, he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord`s feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving; and she came up to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister did leave me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. But the Lord answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things: but one thing is needful: for Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her." — Luke 10:38-42 (ASV)

The Venerable Bede: The love of God and our neighbor, which was previously expressed in words and parables, is here demonstrated in action and reality, for the text says, Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village.

Origen of Alexandria: Luke omits the name of this village here, but John mentions it, calling it Bethany.

St. Augustine of Hippo: But the Lord, who came to His own, and His own did not receive Him, was received as a guest, for it follows, And a certain woman named Martha received him into her house, and so on, as strangers are usually received. And yet, a servant received her Lord, the sick her Savior, the creature her Creator.

But if anyone should say, “O blessed are those who have been considered worthy to receive Christ into their houses,” do not grieve, for He says, For inasmuch as you have done it to the least of my brethren, you have done it to me.

But taking the form of a servant, He wished in that state to be fed by servants, because of His condescension, not His physical state. He had a body in which He was hungry and thirsty, but when He was hungry in the desert, Angels ministered to Him. Therefore, in wishing to be fed, He Himself came to the one who would feed Him.

Martha, then, setting out to prepare and feed our Lord, was occupied with serving. But Mary her sister chose instead to be fed by the Lord, for it follows, And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

St. John Chrysostom: It is not said of Mary simply that she sat near Jesus, but at His feet, to show her diligence, steadfastness, and zeal in hearing, and the great reverence she had for our Lord.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now, just as she was humble in sitting at His feet, so she received all the more from him. For water pours down to the lowest part of the valley but flows away from the high ground of a hill.

St. Basil the Great: Now every work and word of our Savior is a rule of piety and virtue. For He took on our body for this purpose: that we might, as much as we are able, imitate His way of life.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: By His own example, then, He teaches His disciples how they should behave in the houses of those who receive them. Namely, when they come to a house, they should not remain idle but should instead fill the minds of those who receive them with sacred and divine teaching. But let those who prepare the house meet their guests gladly and earnestly, for two reasons. First, they will be edified by the teaching of those whom they receive; next, they will also receive the reward of charity. And so it follows here, But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and so on.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Martha was rightly engaged in ministering to the bodily needs and wants of our Lord, as one who was mortal. But He who was clothed in mortal flesh was, in the beginning, the Word. Behold, then, what Mary heard: The Word was made flesh. Behold, then, the One to whom Martha ministered. The one was laboring, the other at rest. Yet Martha, when she was very troubled in her occupation and the business of serving, interrupted our Lord and complained about her sister.

For it follows when she said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Mary was absorbed in the sweetness of our Lord’s words; Martha was preparing a feast for our Lord, while Mary was already rejoicing in the feast of His words. While Mary was listening with delight to those sweet words, feeding on them with the deepest affection, our Lord was interrupted by her sister. What must we suppose her alarm was, lest the Lord should say to her, “Rise and help your sister?”

Therefore, our Lord, who was not at a loss—for He had shown He was the Lord—answered as follows: And Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha. The repetition of the name is a sign of love, or perhaps a way of getting her attention so that she would listen more earnestly. When called twice, she hears, You are troubled about many things. That is, you are busied with many things. For a person wishes to have everything needed when serving but cannot; and so, between seeking what is missing and preparing what is at hand, the mind is distracted.

For if Martha had been sufficient on her own, she would not have needed her sister's help. There are many diverse things that are carnal and temporal, but one thing is preferred to the many. For one is not from many, but many are from one. Thus it follows, But one thing is needful. Mary wished to be occupied with that one thing, according to the verse, It is good for me to cling close to the Lord. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one. He does not bring us to this one unless we, though many, have one heart.

St. Cyril of Alexandria: Or else, when certain brothers have received God, they will not be anxious about much service, nor ask for things that are not in their possession and are beyond their needs. For everywhere and in everything, what is superfluous is burdensome. For it creates weariness in those who are trying to provide it, while the guests feel that they are the cause of the trouble.

St. Basil the Great: It is also foolish to take food for the support of the body only to harm the body in return, and to hinder it in performing the divine command. If, then, a poor man comes, let him receive a model and example of moderation in food. Let us not prepare our tables for the sake of those who wish to live luxuriously.

For the life of the Christian is uniform, always tending toward one object: the glory of God. But the life of those who are outside the faith is manifold and wavering, changing at will. And how, in truth, can you—when you set your table before your brother with a profusion of food and for the pleasure of feasting—accuse him of luxury and revile him as a glutton, censuring his indulgence in the very thing you yourself provide him? Our Lord did not commend Martha when she was busied with much serving.

St. Augustine of Hippo: What then? Must we think that blame was cast upon the service of Martha, who was engaged in the duties of hospitality and rejoiced in having such a great guest? If this is true, let people give up ministering to the needy. In short, let them be at leisure, intent only on gaining wholesome knowledge, taking no care for any stranger in the village who is in need of bread. Let works of mercy be ignored and only knowledge be cultivated.

Theophylact of Ohrid: Our Lord, then, does not forbid hospitality, but the anxiety over many things—that is to say, hurry and worry. And note the wisdom of our Lord: at first He said nothing to Martha, but when she tried to pull her sister away from listening, then the Lord took the opportunity to reprove her. For hospitality is always honored as long as it keeps us to what is necessary. But when it begins to hinder us from attending to what is more important, then it is plain that hearing the divine word is more honorable.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Our Lord, then, does not blame the actions but distinguishes between the duties. For it follows, Mary has chosen that good part... He is not saying your part is bad, but that hers is better. Why is it better? Because it shall not be taken away from her. From you, the necessary burden of your work will one day be taken away. For when you come into that heavenly country, you will find no stranger to receive with hospitality. But it will be taken away for your good, so that what is better may be given to you. Trouble will be taken away, so that rest may be given. You are still at sea; she is in port. For the sweetness of truth is eternal; in this life it increases, and in the next it will be made perfect, never to be taken away.

St. Ambrose of Milan: May you, then, like Mary, be influenced by the desire for wisdom. For this is the greater, this the more perfect work. Do not let the care of ministering to others turn your mind from the knowledge of the heavenly word, nor should you reprove or think lazy those whom you see seeking after wisdom.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Now mystically, Martha’s receiving our Lord into her house represents the Church, which now receives the Lord into her heart. Mary her sister, who sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word, signifies the same Church, but in the future life, where, ceasing from labor and the ministering to her needs, she will delight in Wisdom alone.

Her complaint that her sister did not help her provides the occasion for our Lord's judgment. In it, He shows that the Church is anxious and troubled about much service, even when there is only one thing needful—a thing which is, however, attained through the merits of that service. But He says that Mary has chosen the good part, for through the one (service), the other (contemplation) is reached, and that part shall not be taken away.

St. Gregory the Great: Or, Mary, who sat and heard our Lord’s words, signifies the contemplative life, while Martha, engaged in more outward services, signifies the active life. Now Martha’s care is not blamed, but Mary is praised. For while the rewards of the active life are great, those of the contemplative life are far better. Hence, it is said that Mary’s part will never be taken away from her, for the works of the active life pass away with the body, but the joys of the contemplative life instead begin to increase from the moment of death.