The one thing needed

Sermon by Pr. Sharai Jacob on the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost + Sunday, July 20, 2025

The story of Mary and Martha is one of those Gospel readings that hits close to home! Whether you relate to Mary - having the work you are passionate about de-valued, or to Martha - feeling alone and overwhelmed in the hard work you’re doing, this reading shows us a snapshot of one of the most common human experiences. 

It makes me think of arguments with my brother whenever one of us felt we had to do more chores or harder chores than the other. Looking back I think we would have gotten more done working together on each of the chores instead of wasting time bickering about it.

Maybe you didn’t argue with a sibling, but a roommate or a coworker you felt frustrated with. 

Martha welcomes Jesus into her home and gets to work preparing a meal for them to share! Throughout Luke’s Gospel, hospitality is an act of discipleship. Just a few verses earlier, Jesus tells his followers that those who welcome others are blessed. So when Martha welcomes Jesus and begins serving, she’s doing something good.

And here goes Mary, instead of helping in the kitchen, she’s sitting and chatting with Jesus. Martha gets frustrated. She’s doing all the work while Mary is sitting and listening. And so Martha goes to Jesus—not quietly, but with a demand:

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work? Tell her to help me.”

We can relate to that. Who hasn’t felt like they’re doing more than their fair share—whether in a home, a church, a workplace, or even in community service? 

Martha is overwhelmed. She isn’t just asking for help—she’s caught in comparison. She sees Mary sitting and listening and sees her own work as more important. But, just like Martha’s hospitality is the work of a disciple, Mary’s posture is also that of a disciple. Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. In ancient times, sitting at someone’s feet meant you were their student, their follower. Paul uses the same language to describe learning from his teacher Gamaliel. Mary is listening to Jesus' word — something Luke consistently lifts up as central to the life of faith. 

So both sisters are doing good things. There is no villain in this story. But tension still arises. And Jesus responds not with harsh criticism, but a gentle redirection:

“Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the good portion, and it will not be taken from her.”

Notice—Jesus doesn’t say Martha is wrong to serve. He never says her work isn’t valuable. The issue is that she’s distracted. She’s become so focused on what Mary isn’t doing, she’s forgotten why she welcomed Jesus in the first place.

It’s a spiritual misalignment—a shift away from Jesus toward frustration and resentment. And that shift turns something good—her service—into a source of stress and division.

So what is this “one thing” that Jesus says is needed? It’s not about action versus contemplation. It’s not about saying prayer is more important than service or study is more important than hospitality.

The “one thing” is focus. Orientation. Being surrounded by and grounded in Jesus before anything else.

Mary is doing something good—she’s giving her full attention to Christ. And that, Jesus says, is the “good portion.” The Greek word here isn’t “better” in a competitive sense—it’s good, true, lasting. It's the kind of portion that nourishes the soul.

Luke isn’t telling us to be only like Mary or only like Martha. The Church needs both. Disciples serve and listen. We cook meals and study Scripture. We march for justice and we pause for prayer. The key is knowing what God is calling us to in this moment—and being grounded in that call, without resentment or comparison.

We live in a world full of distractions and responsibilities – petty arguments on social media, the expectations we hold for ourselves and others, the endless need we see in the world around us, the many injustices that have caused so much need. Like Martha, we care deeply. And that’s good. But Jesus reminds us that trying to fix all of it at once leaves us frustrated and burned out. Martha’s hard work is something we are all called to - We are called to meet the needs we see and correct injustice wherever we see it. 

But Jesus shows us in this scripture, that we are not called to work ourselves into burn out. We are called to work sustainably – only one thing is needed. So, what’s your one thing? The thing you are called to do in this season. When you find it, do that one thing well. And let your relationship with Jesus fuel your work. 

If you start to feel overwhelmed — if you find yourself comparing, frustrated, or pulled in too many directions — let that be your sign to pause. To sit at Jesus’ feet again. To listen. To remember why you're doing what you’re doing in the first place.

This week I pray, may we all be like Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet.
May we all be like Martha, offering welcome and doing good work.
And may we, in all things, keep our focus on the one thing needed: Jesus, who meets us in our busyness, our frustration, and our listening—always with grace.

Amen.