There can be no doubt but Martha was a good housekeeper. She kept everything straight, clean and neat. And when Jesus came, it upset her somewhat, and she ran out into the kitchen, at the back of the house to get the supper; not a single thing must be left undone, everything must be there. She is so eager about it, coming in and out of the little guest-chamber where the Master is sitting, hurrying here and there with this one thought in her heart, that the Lord must have her best, nothing must be left unturned to give Him comfort. And, of course, there is a good deal of excitement and possible anxiety. The disarranged furniture is hastily put to rights, the table had to be freshly laid with clean white cloths, and the dining-room made presentable, for it must be remembered Christ did not come alone. He had a group of twelve disciples with Him, and such an influx of visitors would throw any village home into perturbation. Then, no doubt, the day’s labor had been a good appetizer. The kitchen department that day was a very important department, and probably Martha had no sooner greeted her guests than she fled to that room. No doubt she was a good cook. Mary had full confidence that her sister could get up the best dinner of any woman in Bethany, for Martha was not only a hard-working and painstaking woman, but also a good manager, ever inventive of some new pastry, or discovering something in the art of cookery and housekeeping. On the other hand, Mary had no worriment about household affairs. She seemed to say, “Now, let us have a division of labor. Martha, you cook, and I’ll sit down and be good.” So you have often seen a great difference between two sisters. Mary is so fond of conversation she has no time to attend to the household welfare. So by this self-appointed arrangement, Mary is in the parlor with Christ, and Martha is in the kitchen. It would have been better if they had divided the work, and then they could have divided the opportunity of listening to Jesus; but Mary monopolizes Christ while Martha swelters at the fire. It was a very important thing that they should have a good dinner that day. Christ was hungry, and He did not often have a luxurious entertainment. Alas! if the duty had devolved upon Mary, what a repast that would have been! But something went wrong in the kitchen. Perhaps the fire would not burn, or the bread would not bake, or Martha scalded her hand, or something was burned black that ought only to have been made brown; and Martha lost her patience, and forgetting the proprieties of the occasion, with besweated brow, and, perhaps with pitcher in one hand and tongs in the other, she rushes out of the kitchen into the presence of Christ, saying, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?”