As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.” Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42
The frustration here is so palpable! In the forefront, this poor maid is trying to keep it together but she looks like she is about to cry or lose her temper. Her cheeks are flushed, her brow furrowed, and she looks off into the distance not acknowledging what the old woman is saying to her or where she is pointing. Her hands are red and raw from working so hard and she has more kitchen tasks before her. She is clearly fed up, probably with the amount of work she has been doing and still has to do. Maybe with the ungratefulness or irrational expectations of those she is serving or maybe she just feels sorry for herself that she is in here working while others are relaxing. Perhaps all the pressure she feels is put on her by herself and not necessarily by those she is serving.
Whatever the specific nuances, the old woman is trying to redirect her attention to the scene in the back, to the story of Mary and Martha. Martha too was working hard and frustrated. She felt like she was doing all the work while her sister just sat around. And she complained about this to Jesus. But Jesus gently and firmly put her in her place and reminded her that while she is anxious about all the things on her to-do list, Mary is actually doing the one thing that is important, sitting and listening to Jesus.
Diego Velasquez is the epitome of Spanish Golden age Baroque. He was the official court painter of King Phillip IV and embodied the ideals of Baroque art while also carving out his own path and pushing boundaries. He is immensely influential to classical, modern, and even contemporary painters.
In this painting, Velasquez masterfully ties the Biblical story in with a modern-day application of its meaning. He employs the common Spanish Baroque idea of a bodegon, a humble kitchen-themed still life, showing off common items and a variety of form and texture to display the artist’s skill. The figures are relatable, dressed in ‘contemporary’ clothing and cooking in a Spanish way, and there is enough detail to create a rich narrative; but it is also sparse enough so that the viewer has to work a little bit and draw their own lines of connection.
It is unclear if the Biblical scene is a painting on the wall of a kitchen or a window in the wall into another room. Either way, it is an example of Velasquez’s experimentation of a ‘scene within a scene’ that he often dabbles in various ways in his works. He is known for his unique compositions and this painting is no exception. Through his work, you instantly connect with the frustrated maid and feel the rebuke of Christ himself to your own heart.
Likewise, Martha felt like she was better than her sister because she worked harder than her, with her pride and self-worth tied up in the tasks she could accomplish. But really she was a slave to her anxiety about all those tasks… what if she couldn’t get them all done? Who’s going to make sure the bread doesn’t burn and the guests are comfortable and the glasses are refilled? And on and on… She felt the burden and grew bitter about it, feeling like it wasn’t fair that it was all up to her and she was the only one who cared about these things.
Jesus knew her heart and cut right through all that. He reminded her of what is important and what is not. He told her that “one thing is needed,” the thing that Mary is doing right now, and He isn’t going to take that away from her. Jesus does not care if a meal is not perfectly cooked, if the house is not perfectly cleaned, or if all the items we put on our to-do lists are accomplished. He cares if He has our heart and our attention. Our souls will not be satisfied with accomplishing all the tasks to perfection and serving all the people and meeting all the needs (and those are good things to pursue!). Our souls will only be satisfied by sitting at His feet. What a reminder to every mom, dad, employee, church volunteer, student… really every human being! Rather than growing bitter or pushing ourselves harder, let’s put all those burdens down and sit at Jesus’ feet. That is the only thing that really needs to get done.
Painting found in the National Gallery, London.
Like, follow & share… https://www.facebook.com/comemeetjesus.art
Shop coffee table books at https://www.comemeetjesus.art.
Use promo code S50 for 50% off!
