Luke 10

(We've moved past Jesus sending out the seventy-two (complex) and the Good Samaritan (highly familiar)

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

⁴¹ "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed-or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

    

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Most of us are well-aware of this revealing scene involving sisters Mary and Martha. Evidently, these two women, with their brother Lazarus, were friends of Jesus. It's an interesting vignette of two very different people, though sisters, who are seeking to be connected to Jesus. Naturally, there is much we can learn here.

 

One commentator makes the very valid point that in Mary and Martha we're reminded of the very different personalities and "temperaments" we find in people. No two people are alike, as we all know, and in people's differences we can learn something. This commentator describes their temperaments respectively as active and contemplative. God's work in the world certainly needs both the activist and the meditator. Some people find themselves most fulfilled in getting hands-on involved in some cause in Christ's service and others find their greatest contribution serving as a prayer warrior for the work of the Kingdom. Blessings on both! The problem comes, however, when Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary "to help me." Martha lets her perception of serving Jesus preclude the good Mary is doing.   We should celebrate each other's gifts for the cause of Christ rather than expect uniform service.

 

I do applaud Martha for being sensitive to the physical needs of Jesus and his disciples. As we noted before in talking about the women who helped support Jesus, the gift of hospitality and support is not to be minimized. Much good is done in the life of the Church by those who see their major contribution as providing hospitality, food, and caring physical support in times of need.

I also applaud Mary for not missing this opportunity to hear Jesus and learn from him. This was an amazing opportunity for her and she took advantage of it. Just as the Church needs those who provide the service of hospitality, so the Church needs those who take seriously going deeper in spiritual insights and knowledge. These persons by their example invite each of us to make spiritual awareness a key part of our faith journey.

 

In the end, I think, we all must avoid the problem Martha experienced... Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. Each of us can fall prey to the distractions of life which keep us from going deeper with Christ. Some of those distractions may actually be necessary and good...family, work, civic involvement, personal hobbies; but there is always a problem when our commitment to these precludes proper commitment and service to Christ.