Luke 10:38

By His own example then He teaches His disciples how they ought to behave in the houses of those who receive them, namely, when they come to a house, they should not remain idle, but rather fill the minds of those who receive them with sacred and divine teaching. But let those who make ready the house, go to meet their guests gladly and earnestly, for two reasons. First, indeed, they will be edified by the teaching of those whom they receive; next also they will receive the reward of charity.

It happened, as they were going, that he entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister named Mary. This reading is beautifully connected to the preceding one. For as that one designates love …

The love of God and our neighbour, which was contained above in words and parables, is here set forth in very deed and reality; for it is said, Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village.

Great is the good that comes from hospitality, as Martha showed, and it should not be neglected; but an even greater good is to attend to spiritual discourse. For by the former the body is nourished, but by the latter the soul is given life.

For the instruction of the disciples, a human example is subjoined, set forth in a twofold manner. Now it came to pass, as they went, etc. After he handed down a form of living through the divine precept, here secondly he hands it down through …

They were seventy elders of the Jews that were employed by Ptolemy king of Egypt in turning the Old Testament into Greek, whose translation is thence called the Septuagint. The great sanhedrim consisted of this number. We are glad to find that Christ had so many followers fit to be sent forth; his labour was not altogether in vain, though he met with much opposition.

A certain village - If this village was Bethany, where Martha and Mary lived, at less than two miles’ distance from Jerusalem, see Joh 11:1, Joh 11:18; Joh 12:2, then this must have happened later than Luke places it; because, in Luk 19:29, he represents Jesus as having arrived after this at Bethany; and what is said in Luk 13:22, and Luk 17:11, seems to confirm that this visit of Jesus to Martha and Mary ought to be placed later. Bishop Pearce.

IT is not an easy thing to maintain the balance of our spiritual life. No man can be spiritually healthy who does not meditate and commune. No man, on the other hand, is as he should be unless he is active and diligent in holy service. David sweetly sang, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures." There was the contemplative. "He leads me beside the still waters." There was the active and progressive. The difficulty is to maintain the two—and to keep each in its relative proportion to the other.

The little history which these verses contain, is only recorded in the Gospel of Luke. So long as the world stands, the story of Mary and Martha will furnish the Church with lessons of wisdom which ought never to be forgotten. Taken together with the eleventh chapter of John's Gospel, it throws a most instructive light on the inner life of the family which Jesus loved. Let us observe, for one thing — how different the characters and personalities of true Christians may be. The two sisters of whom we read in this passage were faithful disciples. Both had believed.

The little history which these verses contain, is only recorded in the Gospel of Luke. So long as the world stands, the story of Mary and Martha will furnish the Church with lessons of wisdom which ought never to be forgotten. Taken together with the eleventh chapter of John's Gospel, it throws a most instructive light on the inner life of the family which Jesus loved. Let us observe, for one thing — how different the characters and personalities of true Christians may be. The two sisters of whom we read in this passage were faithful disciples. Both had believed. Both had been converted. Both had honored Christ when few gave Him honor. Both loved Jesus — and Jesus loved both of them. Yet they were evidently women of very different turn of mind. Martha was active, stirring, and impulsive, feeling strongly — and speaking out all she felt. Mary was quiet, still, and contemplative, feeling deeply — but saying less than she felt. Martha, when Jesus came to her house, rejoiced to see Him — and busied herself with preparing a suitable refreshment. Mary, also, rejoiced to see Him — but her first thought was to sit at His feet and hear His Word. Grace reigned in both hearts — but each showed the effects of grace at different times, and in different ways. We shall find it very useful to ourselves to remember this lesson. We must not expect all believers in Christ to be exactly like one another. We must not set down others as having no grace — because their experience does not entirely tally with our own. The sheep in the Lord's flock have each their own peculiarities. The trees in the Lord's garden are not all precisely alike. All true servants of God agree in the principal things of religion. All are led by one Spirit. All feel their sins — and all trust in Christ. All repent, all believe — and all are holy.

IT is not an easy thing to maintain the balance of our spiritual life. No man can be spiritually healthy who does not meditate and commune. No man, on the other hand, is as he should be unless he is active and diligent in holy service. David sweetly sang, "He makes me to lie down in green pastures." There was the contemplative. "He leads me beside the still waters." There was the active and progressive. The difficulty is to maintain the two—and to keep each in its relative proportion to the other. We must not be so active as to neglect communion, nor so contemplative as to become unpractical. In the chapter from which our text is taken we have several lessons on this subject. The seventy disciples returned from their preaching tour flushed with the joy of success. And our Savior, to refine that joy and prevent its degenerating into pride, bids them rather rejoice that their names were written in Heaven. He conducted their contemplations to the glorious doctrine of election, that grateful thoughts might sober them after successful work. He bids them consider themselves as debtors to Divine Grace, which reveals unto babes the mysteries of God—for He would not allow their new position as workers to make them forget that they were the chosen of God—and therefore debtors. Our wise Master next returns to the subject of service, and instructs them by the memorable parable of the good Samaritan and the wounded man. And then as if they might vainly imagine philanthropy, as it is the service of Christ, to be the only service of Christ, and to be the only thing worth living for, He brings in the two sisters of Bethany. The Holy Spirit meant thereby to teach us that while we ought to abound in service, and to do good abundantly to our fellow men, yet we must not fail in worship, in spiritual reverence, in meek discipleship, and quiet contemplation.

A certain village - Bethany. See Joh 11:1. It was on the eastern declivity of the Mount of Olives. See the notes at Mat 21:1. Received him - Received him kindly and hospitably. From this it would seem that “Martha” was properly the mistress of the house. Possibly she was a widow, and her brother Lazarus and younger sister Mary lived with her; and as “she” had the care of the household, this will also show why she was so diligently employed about domestic affairs.