Discipleship as Action in Luke 10:38-42: Be a Mary and a Martha*

Luke 10:38-42 explores the theme of female discipleship through the lens of Mary and Martha's encounter with Jesus. Rather than follow the common interpretation, which sees the passage as a critique of Martha’s busyness and an endorsement of Mary’s listening, Jesus’ response is understood as not prioritizing one expression of discipleship over the other. The problem is that Martha's question is wrongly put, forcing comparison and prioritization when a choice is not needed. The actions of the two women are both hallmarks of discipleship, and both of them model faithful discipleship in their hospitality and engagement with Jesus.