Are you a Mary or a Martha?

Luke 10:38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"
41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

John 12:1-3
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages." 6He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 "Leave her alone," Jesus replied. " It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me."

Martha and Mary were sisters, yet they were two different people. Martha was a server, a worker. She was busy with all the preparations that needed to be done to entertain Jesus and His disciples. In the second passage, it doesn't say much about her, just "Martha served". Martha doesn't really get much glory for all her service, in fact, if anything, Jesus admonishes her. She worked hard to make sure everyone had their food and drink, she cleaned and scrubbed, she did the dishes, she took care of everyone. Sound familiar? 

Mary, on the other hand was a worshiper. She sat at Jesus feet, gleaning every bit of knowledge that she could get from Him. She took a jar of expensive perfume and poured it on His feet and wiped it up with her hair. She sat and took the time to truly get to know Jesus, to become His friend and to worship Him by doing the most unselfish thing she could think of, washing His feet.

Yet, when Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was just sitting there, what did He say? Did He tell Mary to get up and help her sister? No. He commended Mary for choosing to sit and listen to Him and again in the next passage He praises her for putting Him first stating that we will always have the poor with us, but He is only with us for a short time.

Martha served others first; Mary served Jesus first...and by reading the scripture we can gather that Jesus preferred Mary's way. So how can we be a Mary in a Martha world? 

Jesus wants us to put Him first. When He told the Sadducees what the greatest commandment was...the first thing He said was to love the Lord your God and secondly love your neighbor as yourself. 

Matthew 22:34-39
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 

From this we must assume that Jesus wants us to stop and take the time to truly worship Him, put Him first. Yes, He wants us to serve. There are many verses in the Bible to support that, but He wants to be first in our lives. He wants us to worship Him, to adore Him. He wants to be our best friend. How long has it been since you took the time to sit at Jesus feet and worship Him? If you are a Martha, like me, don't forget to take some time trying to be more like Mary. Service is important, but worship is imperative!