The One Thing Necessary

Luke 10:41-42, 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.”

Given the preceding parable on the Good Samaritan, one might assume that “good religion” is being a good neighbor and that, if one would inherit eternal life, he must be a good guy to all around him. But such an others-focused, works-oriented attitude is not what Luke is trying to convey in his book. While the parable of the Good Samaritan should show us that we all will fail if we try to win our own salvation by being good neighbors, this next story about Mary and Martha shows us there is really only one thing we need––Jesus, the Good Samaritan Himself.

Martha should be considered a prime example of the Good Samaritan in her backbreaking service to others; by this standard Mary was failing miserably to live up to “good-person-ness.” However, Jesus praises Mary for having found the “one thing necessary which will not be taken from her” not Martha for all the kind favors rendered to those around her. While people are important (as indicated in the previous parable), we mustn't forget that Jesus is the center of the universe and the reason for all! He is the one thing we all need and the only thing that can never be taken from us!