Exegetical Bible Study of Jesus’s encounter with Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42
More specifically, you will be studying Jesus’ encounter with Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. You will use the template below in order to complete a study of this passage. In your study, you will use the skills of Observation, Interpretation, Correlation, and Application that you have become familiar with through your reading in Everyday Bible Study.

I. Observation

A. I have read Luke 10:38-42 in both a formal translation (KJV, NKJV, NASB, ESV, or CSB) and a functional translation (NIV, NLT, or NCV). Highlight the correct answer. You will find a copy of the NASB, ESV, CSB, and NOT in your myWSB Library.

• Yes
• No

B. Identify the basic elements of the story you are studying

1. Main characters: (List them)
Jesus Christ
Mary of Bethany ( NOT Mary Magdalene)
Martha (sister of Mary of Bethany)
Note: While the names of the disciples were not mentioned, the word they implies that they were with Jesus, Martha and Mary. They were not the main characters though. It is also important to note that there is a variation of this account in John 12 where Lazarus is present also.
2. Plot: (50-100 words)
Jesus enters a village continuing to preach the good news. He enters the home
of Martha who has a sister there also named Mary. Mary is seated at the feet of Jesus listening intently to his words, while Martha is distracted with all the preparations going on. The encounter shifts when Martha questions Jesus about her sister being more concerned with what he has to say than with helping her. The plot thickens as Jesus responds to her by saying “ Martha, Martha you are distracted with so many things (service), while your sister Mary has chosen the good part, which is to listen to the word he has to say, which will not be taken from her.

3. Story structure: (50-100 words)
Introduction:
The general story structure is that Luke gives an “ orderly sequence” of the events about Christs birth, life (ministry), death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.( Hindson. p 374). This particular story fits in with the life (ministry of Jesus.
Inciting incident:
However, her husband (son of the prophets) is now dead and she is left with her two sons in debt to a creditor
Exposition:
Jesus enters a village where he is invited into the home by a woman named Martha.
Rising Action:
Martha has a sister named Mary who is sitting by the feet of Jesus listening to his word. Martha is bothered by the fact that she has to do all the preparations of service, while her sister Mary does not help and just sits by listening to what Jesus has to say.
Climax:
Jesus responds to Martha and tells her that she is bothered by so many things.
Falling Action:
Jesus however instructs her that only one thing is necessary.
Resolution:
Jesus tells Martha that the good part will not be taking away from Mary, which she has chosen.

C. List basic observations about this passage using the “Key Question” for observation. Remember to consult the list of items from the observation section in studying the Gospel in Chapter 36. This will help you be more detailed in your answers to “who,” “what,”, “where,” “when,” “why,” and “how.”

1. Who:

• Jesus Christ
• Mary of Bethany
• Martha ( Mary’s Sister)
• Disciples with Jesus ( Judas mentioned in John 12)
• Lazarus was present in the Gospel of John account
• Author: Luke (Medical doctor)
• Recipient: Theophilus ( Greek Gentile)

2. What:
Jesus is currently continuing his public ministry where is performing many acts of miracles and teaching ( the good news). It is important to understand the different accounts in the Gospel of this story, some of the historical history also during that time and the emphasis Luke places on women. Here you have Jesus the Messiah, Mary of Bethany and Martha who were “ both loved by Jesus”. While the story in Luke doesn’t mention Lazarus and him, raising from the dead, he is the brother of the two sisters. The Gospel of Luke gives special attention to women more than the other Gospels, so it is possible this is why Lazarus and the disciples were not mentioned specifically. You have Martha who is making preparations for dinner in anticipation for the coming passover. There is basically a celebration going on. You have two different sides of the
coin; Mary who is focused on Jesus (proper service) where Martha is distracted (with her business). Martha questions Jesus as if he doesn’t care what is going on and that Mary is too focused on him.

3. Where:

• Village in Bethany ( town east of Jerusalem)
• Near the site of the Tomb of Lazarus
• Home of Martha

4. When:

• During the public ministry of Jesus Christ
• Six days before Passover
• During a banquet (dinner)
• Between BC and AC

5. Why
To understand the why part, we need to clearly understand the other elements of observation ( such as what and when) , the major themes being taught throughout the Gospels, the role of women, and some of the history. Jesus is traveling with his disciples teaching the Gospel or the “ Good News” of the Kingdom of Heaven. The Gospel of Luke pictures Jesus as the “ Son of Man” He is the Messiah and the way to salvation. He is going to different places teaching and performing miracles. He comes to a village where Mary and Martha are and it is six days before passover. There is much preparation going and they are going to be having a banquet that evening. Martha is stressing out because she feels like she is doing all the preparation, while Mary is doing nothing. Women play a special role in the life of Jesus. “They support Jesus and his disciples with their possessions”.( Hindson. p 379). Luke mentions that Mary is at the feet of Jesus listening, but we see in John that she anointed. His feet with oil (nard) which was a very expensive perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. It wasn’t custom for women to let their hair down during this time, so this was performed as a great act of humility and reverence (discipleship) for Jesus. However, Martha is placing more emphasis on service in preparation for passover.

6. How:
In the account of Martha and Mary in Luke ( this particular story) we don’t see Jesus doing any miracles, but what we do see teaching and correction. While Mary is listening to Jesus, Martha questions Jesus “ Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to all the serving? The Lord answers by telling Martha, you are worried about so many things and distracted, but only one thing is important and that is what Mary has chosen “ the good part”. Jesus corrects Martha in that he makes the point clear that what she should be doing is that of “ being a disciple and following Him” instead of being caught up on “doing things” It is not that service is wrong, but she has her priorities back words.
Observation Notes [Key Words] Now, But, They, Listening, Him , Worried, Bothered, Then, distracted, preparations,

II. Interpretation

A. Determine the author’s main point. In 1-2 paragraphs (100-400 words) explain what you think the author is trying to communicate in this passage. Remember to take into consideration that this passage includes a conversation that Jesus has with Martha. Thus, this passage is both showing and telling us something.
To properly understand this passage, we need to step back and perform a” microscope method” of The Gospel and put the pieces we made in our observation section together. Taking a wide angle lens view of The Gospel of Luke we see that there is a chronological view in which Jesus is pictured as the “ Son of Man” who came to seek and save the lost. He was born, came to preach the message that he was the way to salvation, but that he would have to die on the cross, but would be resurrected. That is the big picture. Moving in we can see more of what Jesus is doing. He is speaking many parables and revealing things. He says “ I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities also, for I was sent for this purpose.” His call was to the disciples to come “follow me and I will make you fishers of men” He teaches many things on not worrying and not being anxious for nothing in other gospels. You have to step back and see what his message is. Moving in on higher magnification we see can Jesus teaches about The Parable of the Sower(seed is the word), The Builders and Foundations where he says “ Everyone who comes to Me, and hears my words and acts on them, I will show you whom I am like. He is teaching about what it means to follow him and receive his words. Moving in further we can see that Luke places emphasis on women more ( the other woman who wept and wiped Jesus feet with her hair).
Now we come to the story of Martha and Mary where Jesus is continuing to teach. It is 6 days before passover, they are doing lots of planning and preparation by having a dinner. Two sisters, two sides of the coin and two behaviors. You have Mary of Bethany sitting listening to Jesus at His feet ( seed on good soil), where Martha is distracted by the cares and worries of the world (seed on rocky soil). Jesus has no problem with service. But service and faith are to go hand and hand. It is not that Martha is serving, but that she is missing the point that where it is at is Jesus Feet. Mary chose the good part. The good part can be interpreted to be “ Discipleship” or following him, listening to his teachings, His words. There can be many variations. Martha chose the not so good part, which is to worry about the cares of the world. The things of this world are fading away and perishing. Service, awards, fame, whatever will be taken away and fade. The Word of God will never fade away. It always was and will be and has the power to save and give eternal life; which will never be taken away.

B. Based on your answer above, write out one principle from this passage. You should be able to express this principle in 1-3 sentences.
One of the principles from this passage is one of obedience and love for God through listening to His word. Mary was captivated by Jesus and listening to His words. One way we show love and obedience to God his through His word.

III. Correlation

A. How does this passage from Luke’s Gospel fit within the metanarrative of the Bible? State what type of story you believe this to be (creation, fall, redemption, or new creation) and explain why you believe this to be so. Your explanation should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length.
The passage from Luke’s Gospel fits in with the rest of the metanarrative of the Bible in that this is a story of redemption. In the book of Genesis we see clearly the account of creation where God said “ Let there be”. This was followed by the fall of adam and eve which brought sin into the world. So what is happening in the rest of the Bible up until some parts of revelation is a story of redemption. Jesus was predicted in the Old Testament to be the coming Messiah. Jesus was the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan to redeem His people. In the Gospel of Luke we see Jesus continuing to teach that He is the way to the father. It is through faith in Jesus Christ alone that we are redeemed, made righteous before a Holy God and one day will be glorified in the new
creation.

B. How does your principal from Luke 10:38-42 fit with the rest of the Scripture? This principle is the one you have written out in 1-3 sentences in the Interpretation section. If your principle is a true Biblical principle it will be reflected throughout the Scriptures. Where is the principle discovered in this Old Testament narrative found elsewhere in the Scriptures? Your
explanation should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length.
Going back to the book of Deuteronomy in the Old Testament in Chapter 6 and than to the book of Proverbs we see a great correlation with listening to the word of God and what it means to be a true disciple. Obey and Prosper. “ O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you.” In other words to keep his commands and statues. “ Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.You shall teach them diligently. This is what Jesus did ( teach) and Mary responded the right way. In proverbs, Chapter 1 Solomon teaching through the spirit of God again, where he says “ Hear, my son, your father’s instructions. My son, do not forget my teaching.”We see many instances in the Old Testament of men and women that obeyed and love the Lord’s teachings. David, Moses, Ruth, Abraham and the list goes on. Mary was one who delighted in the Lord’s teachings.

C. How does this passage from Luke’s Gospel reflect the person and work of Jesus Christ?
State and explain at least one way that the principle of this passage identifies something of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Your explanation should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length.
“ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. ( John 1:1-3). And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory. ( John 1:14).
Where am I going with this ?
One of the most beautiful things about Jesus and that is so lovely is that here you have Mary sitting at His feet listening to the word. But the entire time is that Jesus is the Word.
He teaches a Parable about the Sower and the Seed and explains the meaning. The entire time He is the seed. In Colossians we see Paul explain the “ Mystery of God” which is hidden in Jesus.
All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Him. This is why I get so excited about the Gospel when I talk. The same God in the Old Testament who said “ I AM WHO I AM” is speaking is the same God speaking in Jesus. Jesus is God.

IV. Application
What points of application can be made using the Four Questions for Application? State and explain 1 point of application for each of these four questions. Your explanation for each of these points should be 1 paragraph (100-200 words) in length.

A. The question of duty

The question of duty is one of not only one of “ Discipleship” but one of Service also to God. In the story of the account with Mary and Martha we see two sides of the coin when looking at Mary and Martha. Mary is all about discipleship “ following Jesus” and His teachings, but is also about service. Martha is really about service, but hasn’t come to the place yet of discipleship, but she will. The lesson here is for us is that they have to go hand in hand in our duty to God. We are called by Jesus to “ pick up our cross and deny ourselves and follow Him. There are many fans of Jesus in the world. People love what Jesus is about, but when it comes to His commands and following them, it gets tricky. Nobody really wants to suffer and give up the rights to themselves. However, Jesus didn’t come to tickle the ear like many false teachers do. Our duty is to follow him and that means focusing in on Him, not the world. Yes we are going to get distracted like Martha and worries will come in, but we can’t give into them.

B. The question of character
Through carefully studying the account of Mary and Martha in the Gospels, we can see two character traits at hand: One of Obedience and Humility. We can clearly see the case of obedience in Mary when she was listening to the word Jesus spoke, while not being worried with other things. To see humility we get a better picture in the Gospel of John where she let her hair down and wiped his feet. Our character should be that of Mary where we are obedient to Lord when He speaks, but also one of humility. Everyday we should submit ourselves humbly before the Lord, recognizing that we are not Him and there is no one like Him. He is in control and that we have nothing to worry about. Our character should demonstrate obedience. Our obedience to His word should show itself by the fruit it produces. Is it producing a character of peace, joy, love, patience, faith, self-control in ourselves. If it is not we need to do some serious examination. It doesn’t we are not saved, but maybe we are not allowing the spirit to have his way with us.

C. The question of goals
The question of goals is very simple in this case. We already know what our duty and character should look like, so we take the two and apply them to our goal in life. Our primary goal in life or the chief end of man is to “ Glorify God”. The question is how do we do that, well for one thing to love Him supremely. We can see from the story of Martha and Mary how to do and not to it. We listen to the word and go out and be “ fishers of men”. Our mission in life is one of going out and sharing the Gospel to others. Our goal in life is not like Martha where we should be worried and distracted with the things of this life, but eternal things which cannot be taken. Our goal should be about the “ Good Part” that is. We are uniquely made and not all of us are made to pastors, but in whatever circumstances we are placed we need to keep the Gospel as our focus.

D. The question of discernment
When we talk about “ discernment” I want to make clear that I am not necessarily talking about the spiritual gift of discernment. All of us are giving specific gifts through the spirit for the building up of the church. Some are teachers, have the gift of knowledge, faith, mercy, but not all have a unique ability to discern in the sense of a spiritual gift. If you are a believer and truly saved, then you have the spirit living in you, so you are able to discern and understand what has freely been given to you by the Word of God. Our eyes and hearts are able to discern certain things from God others can’t. If we have done this study correctly, prayed, asked the spirit to illuminate it, there should be a certain level of impact and message we take away from. There is something that God wants to do in and through us through this Bible study. There is also an enemy “ called satan” who is ready standing by to snatch the word from us. We need to discern from this story about where we are at today in our walk with Jesus. Its ok to do an honest assessment and see if we are more like Mary, Martha or somewhere in the middle. Can we discern if we are on good soil, rocky soil or just on plain thorns.