The One Thing Needful

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needful. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:41-42

For what are we placed in this world? Is it to dwell here always? You cannot think so, when the millions of mankind that have appeared upon the stage of time, are so many instances of the contrary. The true notion therefore of the present state is, that it is a state of preparation and trial for the eternal world; a state of education for our adult age. As children are sent to school, and youth bound out to trades, to prepare them for business, and qualify them to live in the world—so we are placed here to prepare us for the grand business of immortality, the state of our maturity, and to qualify us to live forever!

And is there a heaven of the most perfect happiness, and a hell of the most intense misery—just before us, perhaps not a year or even a day distant from us? And it is the great design, the business and duty of the present state: to obtain the one and escape the other! Then what are we doing? What is the world doing all around us? Are they acting as it befits candidates for eternity? Are they indeed making that the principal object of their most zealous endeavours, which is the grand design, business and duty of the present state? Are they minding this at all hazards, whatever else they neglect?

This is what we might expect from them as reasonable creatures who love themselves, and have a strong innate desire of happiness. This, a stranger to our world might charitably presume concerning them. But, alas! look upon the conduct of the world around you, or look nearer home, and where you are more nearly interested, upon your own conduct—and you will see this is not generally the case! No! instead of pursuing the one thing needful, the world is all in motion, all hustle and bustle, like ants upon a mole-hill, about temporal affairs. They are in a still higher degree than Martha, careful and troubled about many things.

Now to recall you from this endless variety of vain pursuits, and direct your endeavours to the proper object, I can think of no better expedient than to explain and inculcate upon you the admonition of Christ to Martha, and his commendation of Mary upon this head.

Martha was the head of a little family, probably a widow in a village near Jerusalem, called Bethany. Her brother and sister, Lazarus and Mary, lived along with her. And what is remarkable concerning this little family is, that they were all lovers of Jesus; and their love was not without return on his side; for we are expressly told that 'Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus'. What a happy family is this! but oh how rare in the world! This was the happy place of retirement to Jesus, after the labours and fatigues of his ministry in the city, and here we often find him.

Though spent and exhausted with his public services—yet when he gets into the circle of a few friends in a private house, he cannot be idle; he still instructs them with his heavenly discourse; and his conversation is a constant sermon.

Mary, who was passionately devout, and eager for instruction, would not let such a rare opportunity slip—but sits down at the feet of this great Teacher, which was the posture of the Jewish pupils before their masters, and eagerly catches every word from his lips; from which dropped knowledge sweeter than honey from the honey-comb. Though she is solicitous for the comfort of her heavenly guest—yet she makes no great stir to provide for him an elegant or sumptuous entertainment; for she knew his happiness did not consist in luxurious eating and drinking. It was his food and his drink to do the will of his Father; and as the sustenance of his body, plain food was most acceptable to him. He was not willing that any should lose their souls, by losing opportunities of instruction, while they were making sumptuous provision for him.

Mary was also so deeply engaged about her salvation, that she was nobly careless about the little decencies of entertainments. The body and all its supports and gratifications, appeared of very small importance to her—when compared with the immortal soul. Oh! if the soul be but fed with the words of eternal life, it is enough. All this she did with Christ's warm approbation, and therefore her conduct is an example worthy of our imitation.

And if it were imitated, it would happily reform the pride, luxury, excessive delicacy, and multiform extravagance which have crept in upon us under the ingratiating names of politeness, decency, hospitality, good economy, and I know not what! These guilty superfluities and refinements render the life of some—a course of idolatry to so sordid a god as their bellies; and that of others a course of busy, laborious, and expensive trifling!

But to return: Martha, though a pious woman—yet, like too many among us, was too solicitous about these things. She seemed more concerned to maintain her reputation for good hospitality, than to improve in divine knowledge at every opportunity; and to entertain her guest rather as a gentleman, than as a divine teacher and the Saviour of souls. Hence, instead of sitting at his feet with her sister, in the posture of a humble disciple—she was busy in making preparations; and her mind was distracted with the cares of her family.

As moderate labor and care about earthly things is lawful, and even a duty—people are not readily suspicious or easily convinced of their guilty excesses in these labours and cares. Hence Martha is so far from condemning herself on this account, that she blames her devout sister for not following her example! Nay, she has the confidence to complain to Christ himself of her neglect, and that in language too, that sounds somewhat rude and irreverent. "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Are you so partial as to allow her to devolve all the trouble upon me—while she sits idle at your feet?

Jesus turns upon her with just severity, and throws the blame where it should lie, "Martha, Martha!" There is a vehemence and pungency in the repetition, "Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about many things!" Your worldly mind has many objects; and many objects excite many cares and troubles, fruitless troubles and useless cares! Your restless mind is scattered among a thousand things, and tossed from one to another with an endless variety of concerns. But let me collect your thoughts and cares to one point, a point where they should all terminate: "only one thing is needful;" and therefore, dropping your excessive care about many things, make this one thing the great object of your pursuit. This one thing is what your sister is now attending to, while you are vainly careful about many things; and therefore, instead of blaming her conduct, I must approve it. She has made the best choice, "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." After all your care and labour, the things of this vain world must be given up at last, and lost forever. But Mary has made a wiser choice; the portion she has chosen shall be hers forever; it shall never be taken away from her!"

But what does Christ mean by this one thing which alone is needful? I answer, We may learn what he meant, by the occasion and circumstances of his speaking. He mentions this one thing in an admonition to Martha for excessive worldly cares—and the neglect of an opportunity for promoting her salvation; and he expressly opposes this one thing—to the many things which engrossed her care; and therefore it must mean something different from and superior to all the pursuits of time. This one thing is that which Mary was so much concerned about, while attentively listening to his instruction. And what can that be but salvation as the end, and holiness as the means, or a proper care of the soul? This is that which is opposite and superior to the many cares of life—this is that which Mary was attending to and pursuing. And I may add, this is that good part which Mary had chosen, which should never be taken away from her; for that good part which Mary had chosen seems intended by Christ to explain what he meant by the one thing needful. Therefore the one thing needful must mean the salvation of the soul, and an earnest application to the means necessary to obtain this end above all other things in the world. To be holy—in order to be happy; to pray, to hear, to meditate, and use all the means of grace appointed to produce or cherish holiness in us; to use these means with constancy, frequency, earnestness, and zeal; to use them diligently whatever else is neglected, or to make all other things give way in comparison of this; this I apprehend is the one thing needful which Christ here intends: this is that which is absolutely necessary, necessary above all other things, and necessary forever.

The end, namely, salvation, will be granted by all to be necessary; and the necessity of the end renders the means also necessary. If it is necessary that you shall be forever happy, and escape everlasting misery—it is also necessary that you should be holy. For you can no more be saved without holiness—than you can be healthy without health, see without light, or live without food. And if holiness is necessary, then the earnest use of means appointed for the production and improvement of holiness in us must be necessary too. For you can no more expect to become holy without the use of these means—than to reap without sowing, or become truly virtuous and godly by chance or fate. To be holy in order to be happy, and to use all the means of grace in order to be holy, is therefore the one thing needful.

But why is this concern which is so complex, called 'one thing'? I answer: Though salvation and holiness include various ingredients, and though the means of grace are various—yet they may be all taken collectively and called 'one thing'; that is, one great business, one important object of pursuit, in which all our endeavours and aims should centre and terminate. It is also said to be one, in opposition to the many things that are the objects of a worldly mind.

This world owes its variety in a great measure to contradiction and inconsistency. There is no harmony or unity in the earthly objects of men's pursuits, nor in the means they use to secure them. Riches, honours, and pleasures generally clash. If a man will be rich—he must restrain himself in the pleasures of gratifying his eager appetites, and perhaps use some base artifice that may stain his honour. If he would be honourable—he must often be generous with his riches, and abstain from some sordid pleasures. If he would have the full enjoyment of sensual pleasures, he must often squander away his riches, and injure his honour to procure them.

The lusts of men—as well as their objects, are also various and contradictory. Covetousness and sensuality, pride and tranquillity, envy and the love of ease, and a thousand jarring passions—maintain a constant fight in the sinner's heart.

The means for gratifying these lusts are likewise contrary; sometimes truth, sometimes falsehood; sometimes indolence, sometimes action and labor are necessary. In these things there is no unity of design, nor consistency of means; but the sinner is properly distracted, drawn this way and that, tossed from wave to wave; and there is no steadiness or uniformity in his pursuits.

But the work of salvation is one, the means and the end correspond, and the means are consistent one with another; and therefore the whole, though consisting of many parts, may be said to be one.

It may also be called the one thing needful—to intimate that this is needful above all other things. It is a common form of speech to say of that which is necessary above all other things—that it is the one or only thing necessary; and so we may understand this passage.

There are what we call the real necessities of life; such as food and water; there are also necessary callings and necessary labours. All these are necessary in a lower sense; necessary in their proper place. But in comparison of the great work of our salvation, they are all unnecessary; if we are but saved—we may do very well without them all. But salvation is so necessary, that nothing else deserves to be called necessary in comparison of it.

This shows you also, not only why this is called one thing—but why or in what sense, it is said to be necessary. It is of absoluteand incomparable necessity! There is not absolutely necessity to our happiness, that we should be rich or honourable; nay, there is no absolute necessity to our happiness that we should live in this world at all, for we may live infinitely more happy in the heavenly world. And if life itself is not absolutely necessary, then much less are food, or clothing, or health—or any of those things which in a lower sense we call the necessities of life. In comparison of this—they are all needless.

I add farther, this one thing may be said to be necessary, because it is necessary always, or forever. The necessities of this life we cannot long need—for we must soon remove into a world where there is no room for them; but holiness and salvation we shall find needful always! They are needful under the calamities of life; needful in the agonies of death; needful in the eternal world; needful millions of ages hence; needful to all eternity; and without them—we are eternally undone! This is a necessity indeed! This is a necessity, in comparison of which all other necessities, are but superfluities.

I hope by this short explanation, that I have cleared the way through your understandings to your hearts; and to your hearts I would now address myself. However solemnly I may speak upon this interesting subject, you will have more reason to blame me for the deficiency, than for the excess of my zeal and solemnity. I hope I have entered this sacred place today with a sincere desire to do some service to your immortal souls before I leave it. And may I not hope that you have come here with a desire to receive some great advantage? If not, you may number your seeming act of religion, as among the sins of your life; you have come here today to sin away these sacred hours in hypocrisy and a profane mockery of the great God! But if you are willing to receive any benefit, hear attentively; hear, that your souls may live!

My first request to you is, that you would make this passage the test of your characters, and seriously inquire whether you have lived in the world as those who really and practically believe that this is the one thing of absolute necessity. Are not all the joys of heaven and your immortal souls—worth the little pains of seriously putting this short question to your consciences? Review your life, look into your hearts, and inquire: has this one thing lain more upon your hearts than all other things together? Has this been, above all other things, the object of your most vehement desires, your most earnest endeavours, and eager pursuit? I do not ask whether you have heard or read that this one thing is necessary, or whether you have sometimes talked about it. I do not ask whether you have paid to God the compliment of appearing in his house once a week, or of performing him a little lip-service, morning and evening in your families, or in your closets, after you have served yourselves and the world all the rest of your time, without one affectionate thought of God.

Nor do I inquire whether in a pang of horror after the commission of some gross sin, that you have tried to make your conscience easy by a few prayers and tears, of which you form an opiate to cast you again into a dead sleep in sin! I do not ask whether you have performed many actions that are materially good, and abstained from many sins. All this you may have done—and yet haveneglected the one thing needful all your lives!

But I ask you, whether this one thing needful has been habitually uppermost in your hearts, the favorite object of your desires, the aim of your most vigorous endeavours, the supreme happiness of your souls, and the principal object of your concern above all things in the world? Sirs, you may now hear this question with stupid unconcern and indifference; but I must tell you, that you will find, another day, how much depends upon it! In that day it will be found, that the main difference between true Christians and the various classes of sinners is this—God, Christ, holiness, and the concerns of eternity, are habitually uppermost in the hearts of the former! But, to the latter, they are generally but secondary things; and the world engrosses the vigour of their souls, and is the principal concern of their lives!

To serve God, to obtain his favour, and to be happy forever in his love—is the main business of the true Christian—to which all the concerns of the world and the flesh must give way! But to live in ease, in reputation, in pleasure, or riches, or to gratify himself in the pursuit and enjoyment of some created good—this is the main concern of the unsaved sinner! The one has made a hearty resignation of himself, and all that he is and has—to God, through Jesus Christ; he serves him with the best, and thinks nothing too good for him. But the other has his exceptions and reserves; he will serve God—provided it may consist with his ease, and pleasure, and temporal interest; he will serve God with a bended knee, and the external forms of devotion; but, with the vigour of his spirit, he serves the world and his flesh! This is the grand difference between a true Christian and the various forms of half-Christians and hypocrites.

And certainly this is a difference that may be discerned. The tenor of a man's practice, and the object of his love, especially of his highest love and practical esteem—must certainly be very distinguishable from a secondary thing, and from the object of a languid passion, or mere speculation. Therefore, if you make but an impartial trial, you have reason to hope you will make a just discovery of your true character; or if you cannot make the discovery yourselves, call in the assistance of others. Do not ask your worldly and sensual neighbours, for they are but poor judges, and they will flatter you in self-defence; but ask your pious friends whether you have spoken and acted like people who practically made this the one thing needful. They can tell you what subject you talked most seriously about, what pursuit seemed to lie most upon your hearts, and chiefly to exhaust your activity.

Brethren, I beseech you, by one means or other, to bring this matter to an outcome, and let it hang in suspense no longer. Why are you so indifferent how this matter stands with you? Is it because you imagine you may be true Christians, and obtain salvation, however this matter is with you? Do not be deceived! No man can serve two masters, whose commands are contrary; and you cannot serve God and Mammon, with a service equally devoted to both! If any man loves the world, with supreme affection—the love of the Father is not in him. 1 John 2:15. Do not be deceived! God is not mocked: whatever a man sows—that shall he also reap! He who sows to his flesh—shall from the flesh reap corruption: a miserable harvest indeed! But he who sows to the Spirit—shall from the Spirit reap everlasting life. Galatians 6:7, 8.

Therefore you may be sure that if you live after the flesh—you shall certainly die; and that you can never enjoy the one thing needful, unless you mind and pursue it above all other things! But I shall not urge you any farther to try yourselves by this test. I take it for granted the consciences of some of you have determined the matter, and that you are plainly convicted of having hitherto neglected the one thing needful. Allow me then honestly to expose your conduct in its proper colours, and tell you what you have been doing—while you were busy about other things, and neglecting this one thing needful.

1. However well you have improved your TIME for other purposes, you have lost it all, unless you have improved it in securing the one thing needful. The proper notion of time is, that it is a space for repentance. Time is given us—to prepare for eternity. If this is done, we have lived long enough, and the great end of time and life is answered, whatever else be undone. But if this is undone, you have lived in vain, and all your time is lost, however busily and successfully you have pursued other things! Though you have studied yourselves pale to furnish your minds with knowledge; though you have spent the night and the day in heaping up riches, or climbing up to the pinnacle of honour , and not lost an hour that might be turned to your advantage—yet you have been most wretchedly fooling away your time, and lost it all, if you have not laid it out in securing the one thing needful!

And, believe me, time is a precious thing. So it will appear in a dying hour, or in the eternal world, to the greatest spendthrift among you. Then, oh for a year, or even a week, or a day—to secure that one thing which you are now neglecting! And will you now waste your time—while you improve it? Shall so precious a blessing be lost? By this calculation, how many days, how many years—have you lost for ever! For, is not that lost, which is spent in frustrating the end for which it was given you? Time was given you to secure an eternity of happiness—but you have spent it in adding sin to sin, and consequently in treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath! And is not your time then a thousand times worse than lost?

Let me tell you, if you continue in this foolish course to the end, you will wish a thousand times, either that you had never had one hour's time given you—or that you had made a better use of it!

2. Whatever else you have been doing, you have lost your LABOUR with your time, if you have not laboured above all things, for this one thing needful. No doubt you have been busy about something all your life; but you might as well have been idle! You have been busy—in accomplishing nothing worth while! You have perhaps toiled through many anxious and laborious days—and yournights have shared in the anxieties and labours of your days. But if you have not laboured for the one thing necessary, all your labour and all the fruits of it are lost!

Indeed, God may have made use of you for the good of his church, or of your country, as we make use of thorns and briers to stop a breach, or of useless wood for fuel to warm our families; but as to any lasting and solid advantage to yourselves, all your labour has been lost!

But this is not all. Not only your secular labour is lost—but all your toil and pains, if you have used any in the duties of religion, they are lost likewise! All your reading, hearing, praying; all your serious thoughts of death and eternity; all your struggles with particular lusts and temptations; all the kind things you have done to mankind—all are lost, since you have performed them by halves—with a lukewarm heart, and have not made the one thing needful your great business and pursuit!

All these things will not save you; and what is that religion good for—which will not save your souls? What do those religious endeavours avail—which will allow you to fall into hell after all? Certainly such religion is vain!

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