Martha and Mary
Emily McPhie (1978– )
- Medium
United States
ca. 2015
Oil on panel
“Martha, Martha” is Jesus’s gentle reprimand in Bethany—given not because Martha is doing something wrong as she busies herself with relieving temporal thirsts but rather because the Lord desires her to choose “that good part” (Luke 10:41–42). Mary, who is portrayed with an outstretched hand, asks the Lord to fill her with eternal truth, spiritual nourishment, peace, joy, and everlasting life. We also must choose every day, between many worthy options, the things that matter most.