Martha and Mary: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 10:38-42

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

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Luke 10:38-42 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 10:38-42 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

When a visitor comes to your home, what do you usually do to get ready for them?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn about two sisters who welcomed Jesus into their home. One sister was busy working, and the other sat and listened to Jesus. We will learn what is most important when spending time with God.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

busy: (adjective) Having many things to do.
care: (verb) To feel that something is important.
choice: (noun) The act of picking between two or more things.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
listening to: (phrase) To pay attention to a sound or to what someone is saying.
taken away: (phrase) To have something removed or moved to another place.
teach: (verb) To help someone learn how to do something.
upset: (adjective) Feeling worried or unhappy.
worried: (adjective) Feeling unhappy because of problems.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

answer: (verb) To speak or write back to a question.
busy: (adjective) Having many things to do.
by myself: (phrase) To be alone or to do something without help from other people.
care: (verb) To feel that something is important.
choice: (noun) The act of picking between two or more things.
done: (adjective) Finished or completed.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
get: (verb) To become or to reach a certain state.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
left: (verb) To have gone away from a place.
listening to: (phrase) To pay attention to a sound or to what someone is saying.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
named: (adjective) Having a specific name.
right: (adjective) Something that is correct or good.
sister: (noun) A girl or woman who has the same parents as another person.
taken away: (phrase) To have something removed or moved to another place.
teach: (verb) To help someone learn how to do something.
travel: (verb) To go from one place to another.
upset: (adjective) Feeling worried or unhappy.
worried: (adjective) Feeling unhappy because of problems.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

busy: (adjective) Having many things to do.
by myself: (phrase) To be alone or to do something without help from other people.
care: (verb) To feel that something is important.
choice: (noun) The act of picking between two or more things.
done: (adjective) Finished or completed.
feet: (noun) The parts of the body at the end of the legs that a person stands on.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
help: (verb) To do something useful for someone.
house: (noun) A building where people live.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
left: (verb) To have gone away from a place.
let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
listening to: (phrase) To pay attention to a sound or to what someone is saying.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
made: (verb) To have created or built something.
many: (adjective) A large number of people or things.
Martha: (noun) A friend of Jesus and the sister of Mary and Lazarus.
Mary: (noun) A follower of Jesus and the sister of Martha.
named: (adjective) Having a specific name.
never: (adverb) Not at any time.
only: (adjective) Just one and no more.
right: (adjective) Something that is correct or good.
sister: (noun) A girl or woman who has the same parents as another person.
sit: (verb) To rest your body on a chair or the ground.
stay: (verb) To not leave a place.
taken away: (phrase) To have something removed or moved to another place.
teach: (verb) To help someone learn how to do something.
tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
thing: (noun) An event or an action.
too: (adverb) More than what is needed.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
travel: (verb) To go from one place to another.
upset: (adjective) Feeling worried or unhappy.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
while: (conjunction) During the time that something is happening.
woman: (noun) An adult female person.
work: (noun) A job or the things a person must do.
worried: (adjective) Feeling unhappy because of problems.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells a short story about two sisters named Martha and Mary. Jesus and his followers were traveling and Martha welcomed them into her home. While she worked hard to get things ready, her sister Mary sat quietly at Jesus’ feet. At that time, students sat at the feet of their teacher to listen. Mary sat there because she wanted to hear Jesus teach.

Martha became upset because she was doing all the work by herself. She asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her. Martha was busy, but her heart felt worried. Jesus kindly told her that only one thing is important. He said Mary made the right choice by listening to him. Jesus explained that listening to him is the most important thing and it would not be taken away from Mary.

This passage teaches us that while working and serving others is good, it is even more important to spend time with Jesus and listen to his words. Jesus wants us to come close to him and learn from him.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Mary and Martha
38 While Jesus and his followers were traveling, he went into a town, and a woman named Martha let him stay at her house.
39 She had a sister named Mary.
Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach.
40 But her sister Martha was busy doing all the work that had to be done.
Martha went in and said,
“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?
Tell her to help me!”
41 But the Lord answered her,
“Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things.
42 Only one thing is important.
Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 (ERV)