Martha was having a busy day. She was making an elaborate meal for Jesus and his followers. She was a gracious hostess, but her grace turned sour.

The story does not tell us that Martha was wrong to make a nice meal, but she was foolish to allow the preparation of the meal to sour her opportunity to be with Christ. She was so distracted and overwhelmed by her preparations that her desire to be hospitable backfired when she accused Christ of not caring about her plans.

I feel bad for Martha. Whenever I hear this story, it is told as though Martha should have imitated Mary, who just sat and listened. That may sound good, but it doesn't always work well in life.

If I need to get something done, I want Martha on my side. We want people like Martha to serve on committees, lead Bible studies, and plan events. If everyone only sat and listened, much would be left undone.

Jesus was not teaching us that we should sit still and do nothing, but he does challenge us to reconsider our priorities so that we can be near him. If we are overwhelmed to the point that we become angry at God for not paying attention to our plans, we may need to reconsider the value of our ideas.