Martha, Martha, why are you anxious about so many things yet only one is necessary? The biblical story of Martha and Mary is a popular one because of the different interpretations that it generates. On the one hand, some readers will perceive in the story Jesus’ implicit approval of Mary’s stance (Mary not helping her sister), and on the other hand, there are those who see in the story Jesus’ explicit rebuke of Martha’s distractions. We have even gone as far as designating people as either the Marthas or the Marys of this world depending on their personalities or lifestyle. However, most of the time our interpretations fall short of the teaching that Jesus wanted to impart. For starters, Jesus never rebuked Martha for wanting to serve him and those who accompanied him. Just as it is in our societies today, welcoming guests was considered a blessing and was highly recommended in the Jewish society (Abraham insisted on showing hospitality to the three strangers who happened to pass by his gate [cf. Genesis 18:1-10a]). Jesus himself teaches that hospitality is a virtue and will form one of the criterions for judgment on the final day (“I was a stranger and you welcomed me” [cf. Matthew 25:35]). Jesus frequented the home of Martha and Mary, and it is likely that Martha and Mary had always served Jesus and his companions. But for some reason known only to her, Mary decided on this particular day to sit at the feet of Jesus, leaving all the serving to Martha. And this got Martha upset and complaining. It is this that Jesus wanted to correct. Showing hospitality to guests/strangers should not be seen as a burden (as Martha apparently made hers to be). It should not generate complains from the one who serves. Showing hospitality is a service of love, something that elicits a feeling of satisfaction from the one offering it. Of course Martha was right to ask Mary to help her, but the manner of her asking revealed that she was distracted by Mary sitting down: “Do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do all the serving?” Martha chose to focus on what Mary was doing (or not doing) instead of focusing on what she was doing. Her focusing on Mary made her to see what she was doing as a burden, as something weighing down upon her. This made her to disengage her serving from the only thing necessary: love. Without love, service turns into a burden. Without love, service turns into something to be avoided rather than something to be embraced whole heartedly. Without love, we turn service into complaints.