Luke 10:38 ASV, Luke 10:39 ASV, Luke 10:40 ASV, Luke 10:41 ASV and Luke 10:42 ASV

I’ve read this scripture many times, and have every time, feel like I totally relate to Martha. Problem is, it doesn’t matter how much older or “wiser” I get, I still relate to Martha. I think Martha’s love language (for you Gary Chapman readers) must have been “acts of service” – she expressed her love for people by what she did for them. So it made perfect sense to invest all of her energy on working to serve Jesus. After all, wouldn’t she later learn that Jesus expressed His love for her (and all of us) by serving? By doing the hardest work of carrying our sins to the cross on our behalf, so that we wouldn’t have to?

And while we’re taught that our salvation is not a result of our works, but is only the result of God’s grace…

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

…we’re also taught that good works are a natural response to the gratitude we feel for the grace we have received…

"For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10)

… and further, that if we aren’t “doing good,” then there is no real evidence that we are actually followers of Christ.

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." (James 2:17)

So why is Mary’s outpouring of gratitude to Jesus so problematic? John MacArthur, in his book Twelve Extraordinary Women, says this:

“…the moment she stopped listening to Christ and made something other than Him the focus of her heart and attention, her perspective became very self-centered. At that point, even her service to Christ became tainted with self-absorption…”

Ouch…it’s true isn’t it? Too often, I allow my mind to wander from Christ, and allow my “service” to become the focus of my attention. And when my attention is centered on my works, I’m more focused on how well I do them…my own performance…than I am on doing them as an expression. And at that point, it’s all about me, and is no longer about Christ.

What are the warning signals that our service is no longer Christ-centered, but has become self-centered?