How it works
Jesus and his friends walked to Bethany, a village on a hill near Jerusalem. Two sisters, Martha and Mary, lived there.
Martha opened the door and told them all to come in. She hurried to the kitchen to cook a big meal.
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened, because in those days students sat at their teacher's feet to learn.
Martha asked Jesus if he cared. He spoke kindly and said Mary had chosen the good part.
Worked examples
Tell what each sister did
- Martha cooked: she stirred, chopped and tasted the stew.
- Mary sat and listened to Jesus.
- The episode says Martha showed her love by serving, and Mary showed hers by listening.
How did Jesus answer?
- Martha asked him to tell Mary to help her.
- Jesus did not tell Mary to go. He looked at Martha with great kindness.
- He said her name softly, and said Mary had chosen the good part.
Fix the mistake
- Someone says Jesus spoke in an angry voice.
- Look back: the story says he looked at Martha with great kindness.
- Fix it: he spoke gently, because he cared about both sisters.