It really is a heart matter

As I have been reading about Mary and Martha, I have come across something interesting. Growing up hearing the story of Mary sitting at Jesus feet and Martha busy in the kitchen, it seemed to always be communicated to me that Martha was the 'bad one' and Mary was the 'good one'. Reading several commentaries on the story found in Luke 10, I found that people interpret it differently.

Your 'grid', how you interpret or 'see' things, is made up by your personal circumstances and environment. Our response to anything is determined by how it fits into our grid.
I don't think any of these commentaries are necessarily wrong, it is just how that writer sees!
That explains much.

What I come away with from the story of Mary sitting and Martha working is this: Martha was doing/serving Christ the way she knew was her responsibility. The problem wasn't in her serving, the problem was in her attitude that she was serving and Mary was not doing it her way! Jesus saw through both their actions and looked at their hearts. I would suggest to you that he would have rebuked Mary just as quickly if he had saw in her heart that she was just sitting there at his feet to 'look religious'! I really do think He would.

Martha was the oldest of the siblings, most likely, and she was the owner of the house, most likely. It would have been her responsibility to take care of the guests in her home. Jesus had rebuked a man earlier in whose home He visited because of the owner's lack of detail in caring for Him. Was it really the lack of detail that Jesus was concerned about? No, it was the man's heart in not realizing his own great need for a Savior (Luke 7). Jesus simply speaks the language we hear! He knows the intentions of the heart-

Hebrews 4:12For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

It really is a heart matter!
Blessings
Bekita