The “Main” Course
“As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said.”
— Luke 10:38–39 (MSG)
This familiar story begins with an ordinary moment. Jesus enters a village and is welcomed into a home by two sisters, Mary and Martha. Yet in the middle of an everyday interaction, Jesus reveals something profound about the heart of God and what it means to truly be present with Him.
I love the way The Message describes the scene. Martha is “pulled away by all she had to do,” while Mary sat before Jesus, “hanging on every word he said.”
At first glance, it can feel like Mary is the “good” sister and Martha is simply distracted. But if we look more closely, we begin to see that these women are not opposites as much as they are mirrors of a tension many of us carry every day.
Martha is doing visible, necessary, honorable work. She is serving Jesus. Preparing the meal. Taking care of the house. Her work is productive and measurable.
Mary chooses something quieter. She sits. She listens. Nothing is being checked off a list. Nothing about her posture looks impressive or productive. It is hidden.
And hiddenness can feel uncomfortable.
When I think about a season of hiddenness in my own life, I immediately think about the years when my children were babies. I had three kids in four years, and much of my life happened inside the walls of my home while my husband commuted long hours to New York City. I was grateful to stay home, but I also remember feeling unseen at times.
Many of the women around me returned to successful and important careers after maternity leave. Meanwhile, my days were spent at playgrounds surrounded more by nannies and au pairs than other moms. On weekends, when conversations turned toward careers and accomplishments, I often felt hidden, uninteresting, and unproductive.
It felt like everyone else was Martha — visible, accomplished, credentialed — while I quietly occupied a Mary season.
Maybe you’ve felt that too.
Or maybe your season has looked more like Martha’s — carrying responsibilities, serving everyone around you, and wondering if anyone notices how heavy it all feels.
At the root of both sisters is something deeply human: comparison and discontentment.
Martha finally comes to Jesus and says, “Master, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me.”
Her frustration isn’t only directed at Mary. It’s directed at Jesus too.
And hiddenness can feel especially painful when you’re the one carrying the visible load.
But Jesus responds so tenderly:
“Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it.” (MSG)
Jesus does not shame Martha for serving. He simply reframes her priorities.
Mary chose what Jesus called “the main course.”
Not laziness. Not disengagement.
But presence.
Attention.
Intimacy.
So often we live as though our worth is tied to what we produce, accomplish, or manage. But Jesus invites us into something deeper — to simply be with Him.
Are we willing to sit with Jesus without performing for Him?
Without proving ourselves?
Without producing?
Hiddenness is choosing to be rooted before being recognized. It is choosing formation over visibility.
Mary’s posture may have looked unimportant to others, but Jesus called it eternal.
Tasks end.
Meals are eaten.
To-do lists eventually disappear.
But intimacy with Christ endures.
This passage does not tell us to stop serving. It simply reminds us to sit first. Because when service flows from presence, it becomes worship instead of burden.
So where might Jesus be inviting you into hiddenness today?
Maybe it looks like quiet prayer that no one else sees.
Maybe it’s listening instead of fixing.
Maybe it’s trusting that your value is not connected to your productivity.
Or maybe it’s simply choosing to pause long enough to sit at the feet of Jesus again.
The kingdom of God often advances quietly through hearts willing to be fully present with Him.
Journal Prompt:
Are you living more like Martha — burdened and distracted — or like Mary, attentive and present?
What would it look like for you to choose “the main course” this week
Prayer:
Jesus, thank You that You see me fully, even in the hidden places. Help me to slow down and sit with You before I rush to serve. Teach me to find my worth not in productivity or recognition, but in Your presence. Form my heart in the quiet places and help me choose what is eternal. Amen.
