“But the Lord answered her, Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
– Luke 10:41–42
Oh, would you just let that first verse soak in for a minute. Just picture Jesus looking into the eyes of Martha and saying, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things.”
Luke 10:41–42 Speaks of the Wisest Thing we could ever Do
Would Jesus say this to you today? Just think. Is there anything or maybe many things that you are anxious about today, that you’re troubled about today? And just hear Jesus saying to you right now, one thing is necessary. In this passage, Jesus points to Mary who is just sitting at his feet listening to what he says. Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the good portion which will not be taken away from her.” The good portion.
Mary has made the wise choice. Instead of fretting and being anxious, being troubled about many things, Mary is doing one thing. She’s quietly sitting at Jesus’ feet just looking at him and listening to him. This is the one thing that’s necessary for you and me in a world filled with things that make us anxious or troubled.
Luke 10:41–42 Is a Call to lay aside Worry
I just want to encourage you with Jesus words in Matthew 6, “Do not worry about anything. Your Father in heaven loves you and is committed to providing for you”. He commands us in Philippians 4, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything with prayer and petition. With thanksgiving, present your request to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus”. Hear this word from God to your anxious, troubled mind and heart today. He loves you and you can trust them. Think of Isaiah 26, “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you”.
So God, I just pray that over every one of our lives right now in this moment. Help us feel and experience your peace as we look to and listen to you. God, we confess there are many things going on in our lives and our families and the world around us that we are tempted to be anxious or troubled over.
God, we pray that you would help us to do the one thing that’s necessary, especially when we are tempted to anxiety and to be troubled, to fix our eyes on you, to hear your word to us, your love for us, to believe and trust your love for us and your sovereignty over us. Oh God, help us to be like Mary, in Luke 10 and keep us from being like Martha. We praise you for the privilege of sitting at your feet, of listening to your word, of looking in your face in prayer and meditation on the Bible and the promises that you have made to us.
Praying for the Tuvan People of Russia
And God, we pray for people who don’t have the Bible, who don’t have your promises before them to look to and listen to who are anxious and troubled about many things we think about today. We pray today for the Tuvan people of Russia, this Shaman and Tibetan Buddhist people who don’t know the peace that’s found in Jesus alone. God, we pray for the spread of the gospel to the Tuvan people, knowing there are no known followers, specifically among the Tuvan Todzhan.
God, please cause the peace of Jesus to spread in Russia, Ukraine, and among the Tuvan Todzhan people of Russia. Lord, we thank you for the privilege of being at your feet and trusting in your wise, all powerful love. Keep us. Guard us we pray from being anxious or troubled about many things, about anything, in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a Lead Pastor for McLean Bible Church. He is also the Founder of Radical, an organization that makes Jesus known among the nations.
David received his B.A. from the University of Georgia and M.Div., Th.M., and Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of his published works include Radical, Radical Together, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Don’t Hold Back, and How to Read the Bible.
He lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area with his wife and children.
