Be thou my vision, O lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me save that thou art.[1]

These familiar lyrics remind us of the central importance of God’s presence in our lives. The hymn goes on:
“Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.” The keyword is presence and that presence is exactly what today’s Gospel story, about Mary and Martha, is all about. Imagine preparing a big dinner: the chicken is cooking, the fish is roasting, the broccoli is steaming, green beans are snapped, bread is rising. We’ve got plain and pumpernickel, three salad dressings, everyone’s preference accounted for.

Now let’s go over the seating arrangement. Jesus, of course, sits at the head of the table with Peter, James, and John nearby. Lazarus is there, maybe next to Peter. On the other side, Bart, Simon, Andrew, and Thomas are joined by David, Rusty, Hank, and maybe even Cal. Another table holds Matthew, Philip, Thaddeus, James, and perhaps Bill, Steve, Roy, and Larry. Then there's Judas… maybe seated at the kids' table? The meal is coming together, and suddenly someone realizes: Oh no, we forgot the pies! What is a feast without dessert? This frantic, humorous setup brings us straight into the tension of today’s story, Martha is busy with the dinner. Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet, and Jesus gently tells Martha that she’s anxious and distracted by many things, but that Mary has chosen what is better.[3]

We often rush to compare Mary and Martha, picking sides, but the truth is more nuanced. As the preacher Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “The condition of a servant suits every Christian well.”[2] Serving, even serving much, is not Martha’s fault. It’s not wrong to want everything to be perfect when Jesus comes to dinner. It's not wrong to prepare food for people who have spent their lives feeding others. She was doing good. The issue, Jesus says, is that she was distracted, not by sin, not by selfishness, but by her service. There’s a difference between serving with joy and serving with anxiety. Between preparing a meal out of love and preparing one to prove our worth. Tennessee Williams once said, “Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it… it’s shy, it won’t come out while you're watching.”[4] Sometimes we plan so much, or try so hard to make things right, that we miss the very presence of God among us.

I’m not great at hosting big meals. It’s not my gift. I usually ask for help, but I do want hospitality, whether in my home or in this church, to be meaningful. I want it to create a space where people feel seen, welcomed, and loved. But Jesus isn’t coming to judge the flavor of the roast or whether the vinaigrette was homemade. He’s not asking, “Where’s the balsamic?” He’s offering himself as the nourishment. That’s what Mary recognized. That is what Martha, overwhelmed by her own expectations, missed, just for a moment.
It’s human to forget. It’s human to drop a plate, overcook the pie, or miss the timing. We are weak. We are distracted, but God is patient, and full of grace. What matters is not perfection, but presence. Presence, being present, is what we are called to give to others as followers of Christ. In worship, in service, in hospitality, and in prayer, we are called to be with one another, not just do for one another. So yes, be like Martha in her service, but be like Mary in her focus. Jesus was, after all, the main course that day. The bread of life was sitting right there in the living room.

There’s a moment in another Gospel where Martha gets it right, where she is the one who chooses well. That is important. God doesn’t lock us into one role forever. He sees our hearts. He knows when we are anxious, when we are trying too hard, when we just want things to go right. He calls us, again and again, not just to the kitchen, but to the table. Let me leave you with those words from the hymn once more:
“Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.” May Jesus be our best thought, by day or by night. May His presence be our light. Whether we are busy in the kitchen or quietly sitting at His feet, may we always return to the better part: His presence, His love, His grace.

[1] Mary Elizabeth Byrne, Be thou my vision, H82 #488
[2] Charles Spurgeon, Evening By Evening, 2005, p.26
[3] Luke 10:38-42
[4] Tennessee Williams, 1911-1983.