What One Thing is Important?

Is the Word the One Thing...
that is important to you?

As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, "Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me." But the Lord said to her, "My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

Meditate on the One Thing about which Jesus spoke.

 

Years ago, when discussing this scripture passage, I was impressed that Jesus was saying that one dish was enough. There didn’t need to be a big variety of foods that took hours to prepare. Just a big casserole to feed everyone. Did the Jews at that time even make casseroles? Ha! Just some hummus, pita bread, and fresh fruit. How about a

But Martha was slaving away. She wanted to serve a glorious banquet for Jesus and their other guests. Someone had to do the work—cleaning, washing not only the fresh fruits and vegetables, but the whole house. Cooking the meat was a chore in itself. The wood had to be chopped and carried to the oven, then build the fire, roast and baste the meat. You wouldn’t want it to dry out. Is the bread ready? Even pita bread takes some time and energy. Can’t Mary help out? Jesus recognized that Mary had chosen the only one thing worth being concerned about. His teaching. Couldn’t Martha set aside all the tasks and come join them? She could benefit from His teaching, too. One dish was enough. Teaching from the Holy Rabbi was enough. I imagine that He had not forgotten the recipe for feeding five thousand, so He could actually feed a couple dozen people at Martha’s home easily. Why didn’t Martha ask Him to help?

What do we learn about Jesus from this passage? Does it give you the desire to seek Jesus more?

 

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I long to sit at Your feet, read Your word, and learn from You. But there is always work to do. Like the Little Red Hen, I ask, who will get the garden ready to plant, who will plant, who will water, who will weed, who will harvest, who will prepare the vegetables, fruit, and grain for the meal? Who will cook, clean, and preserve the food for the winter? I answer, I will. And I will sit at Your feet and savor Your every word. There is only so much time in the day—so please, Lord, help me to manage my time wisely, using it to learn more about You and to serve You graciously.

 

Verses of Salvation ~ So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. So you must live as God's obedient children. Don't slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn't know any better then. But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy. For the Scriptures say, "You must be holy because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16

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© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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