The Rev. Kathleen M. Sturges
Whenever I hear the story of Martha and Mary I get my hackles up, which is probably not the best response to hearing Scripture. Still, I want to run to Martha’s defense. It’s Martha, you know, that invites Jesus and his band of followers into her home. Jesus depends on such people like Martha to provide a roof over his head and food in his mouth. And as you may know, hosting a group of people in one’s home is not a passive activity; there are meals to plan, food to prepare, tables to set and dishes to wash among other things. No wonder Martha is described as being busy with many tasks. That phrase, “many tasks,” is literally translated as “much service.” And that word “service” is the same word that Jesus will use later on when he says that if anyone wants to become a disciple that person needs to be servant of all. So Martha in all her tasks is actually engaged in discipleship with her acts of service. To which I say, “Go Martha!”
Then there’s her sister, Mary, whom we are told is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to what he is saying. Now, at first, it may sound like Mary doesn’t have much of a work ethic. She’s may be even lazy, sitting there while her sister slaves in the kitchen. But that phrase, “sitting at Jesus’ feet” does not necessarily tell us her literal location, at the feet of Jesus, rather it primarily communicates her role. For sitting at someone’s feet in Jesus’ day was meant to communicate that that person, which always was a man, was taking on the role of a student or a learner. So when Mary is “sitting at Jesus’ feet” it isn’t a passive or lazy act. On the contrary Mary is doing something very radical. She is claiming that she, along with all the men, is a learner, a student, even a disciple of Jesus. To which I say, “Go Mary!”
But my impulse to root on and defend both sisters, Martha of service and Mary of contemplation, is rooted in the worry that Jesus is going to choose one over the other. And at first read it seems that he does. Mary is picked and Martha is left in the kitchen wondering what went wrong.
However, if we had the luxury of having our Bibles in front of us this morning and we were turned to the gospel of Luke chapter 10 we would see that this Martha and Mary story is set in a certain and, I believe, an intentional context. For immediately before our story today Jesus is asked a question that we heard last week, “Who is my neighbor?” to which Jesus responds with the well-known story of the Good Samaritan – the ultimate story of discipleship as service.
And immediately following our Martha/Mary story, Jesus is asked a different type of question by his disciples when they say, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Jesus answers their request by saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven...” He gives them the Lord’s Prayer - the ultimate prayer of disciples throughout the ages.
It’s no coincidence that Martha and Mary are sandwiched between these two lessons that proclaim that both service and contemplation and prayer as essential to a rich, deep, abiding life of faith. Service and prayer are not in competition with each other, but complementary and necessary. So Martha, the sister of service, and Mary, the sister of contemplation and prayer, do not need to be pitted against one another in some sad sort of sibling rivalry. Rather they are equally cherished sisters in the family of faith.
Whenever I hear the story of Martha and Mary I get my hackles up, which is probably not the best response to hearing Scripture. Still, I want to run to Martha’s defense. It’s Martha, you know, that invites Jesus and his band of followers into her home. Jesus depends on such people like Martha to provide a roof over his head and food in his mouth. And as you may know, hosting a group of people in one’s home is not a passive activity; there are meals to plan, food to prepare, tables to set and dishes to wash among other things. No wonder Martha is described as being busy with many tasks. That phrase, “many tasks,” is literally translated as “much service.” And that word “service” is the same word that Jesus will use later on when he says that if anyone wants to become a disciple that person needs to be servant of all. So Martha in all her tasks is actually engaged in discipleship with her acts of service. To which I say, “Go Martha!”
Then there’s her sister, Mary, whom we are told is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to what he is saying. Now, at first, it may sound like Mary doesn’t have much of a work ethic. She’s may be even lazy, sitting there while her sister slaves in the kitchen. But that phrase, “sitting at Jesus’ feet” does not necessarily tell us her literal location, at the feet of Jesus, rather it primarily communicates her role. For sitting at someone’s feet in Jesus’ day was meant to communicate that that person, which always was a man, was taking on the role of a student or a learner. So when Mary is “sitting at Jesus’ feet” it isn’t a passive or lazy act. On the contrary Mary is doing something very radical. She is claiming that she, along with all the men, is a learner, a student, even a disciple of Jesus. To which I say, “Go Mary!”
But my impulse to root on and defend both sisters, Martha of service and Mary of contemplation, is rooted in the worry that Jesus is going to choose one over the other. And at first read it seems that he does. Mary is picked and Martha is left in the kitchen wondering what went wrong.
However, if we had the luxury of having our Bibles in front of us this morning and we were turned to the gospel of Luke chapter 10 we would see that this Martha and Mary story is set in a certain and, I believe, an intentional context. For immediately before our story today Jesus is asked a question that we heard last week, “Who is my neighbor?” to which Jesus responds with the well-known story of the Good Samaritan – the ultimate story of discipleship as service.
And immediately following our Martha/Mary story, Jesus is asked a different type of question by his disciples when they say, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Jesus answers their request by saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven...” He gives them the Lord’s Prayer - the ultimate prayer of disciples throughout the ages.
It’s no coincidence that Martha and Mary are sandwiched between these two lessons that proclaim that both service and contemplation and prayer as essential to a rich, deep, abiding life of faith. Service and prayer are not in competition with each other, but complementary and necessary. So Martha, the sister of service, and Mary, the sister of contemplation and prayer, do not need to be pitted against one another in some sad sort of sibling rivalry. Rather they are equally cherished sisters in the family of faith.
Yet there is something more going on here. Martha seems to feel that she is in competition with
her sister and looks to Jesus to take her side when she says to him, “Lord, do you not care that
my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” It’s a plea to be
chosen – to lift service up over and against contemplation. But Jesus will have none of that as he
responds to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need
of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
Since we know the greater context of this story, we know that Jesus isn’t picking one sister over the other, that Mary of contemplation and prayer is not better than Martha of service. But Jesus does declare that although Martha is doing everything right she is missing one thing - one essential thing. And I suspect that one thing is presence. She is not present in the moment.
(This idea comes from a Catholic priest, Richard Rohr, in his book The Naked Now.) Martha, we know, in the midst of doing a disciple’s act of service is worried and distracted about many things. She is not present to herself and her feelings of resentment towards her sister, she is not present in any healing way to her guests, and she is not certainly not present to her God who is right there in her midst. What Mary is doing as she sits at Jesus’ feet isn’t better or worse than what Martha is doing, but the critical difference is that Mary has chosen to be present, aware, in tune with the moment while Martha remains distracted.
What Jesus offers Martha as she engages in acts of service is an invitation to be present, to be aware, to be fully in the now of this moment in her life. Jesus offers us the same invitation.
How many of us are sitting here in church doing the “right” thing, but are worried and distracted about many other things? Perhaps you’re thinking, “When is Kathleen going to wrap this up so I can get out of here and onto the next part of my day?” Or maybe you are distracted with worry over the health and well-being of a family member or friend. Or you may be worried about the state of the world which seems full of hate and violence. There are a lot of good reasons to be worried and distracted, but that is not what this moment, right now is all about. Right now we are in church worshiping God, praying to God, trying somehow to connect with and be renewed by God. Later we will likely be engaged in different occupations. And whatever the rest of the day brings, acts of service or contemplation or even the daily chores of living we are always invited to choose the better part, the one thing – presence. Be present in this moment. Be present to your life. Be present to the now regardless of what you are engaged in. For as we seek to be present in this moment, we say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to choose the better part and open ourselves up even more fully to the holy, life-giving, powerful Presence – God in our midst.
Since we know the greater context of this story, we know that Jesus isn’t picking one sister over the other, that Mary of contemplation and prayer is not better than Martha of service. But Jesus does declare that although Martha is doing everything right she is missing one thing - one essential thing. And I suspect that one thing is presence. She is not present in the moment.
(This idea comes from a Catholic priest, Richard Rohr, in his book The Naked Now.) Martha, we know, in the midst of doing a disciple’s act of service is worried and distracted about many things. She is not present to herself and her feelings of resentment towards her sister, she is not present in any healing way to her guests, and she is not certainly not present to her God who is right there in her midst. What Mary is doing as she sits at Jesus’ feet isn’t better or worse than what Martha is doing, but the critical difference is that Mary has chosen to be present, aware, in tune with the moment while Martha remains distracted.
What Jesus offers Martha as she engages in acts of service is an invitation to be present, to be aware, to be fully in the now of this moment in her life. Jesus offers us the same invitation.
How many of us are sitting here in church doing the “right” thing, but are worried and distracted about many other things? Perhaps you’re thinking, “When is Kathleen going to wrap this up so I can get out of here and onto the next part of my day?” Or maybe you are distracted with worry over the health and well-being of a family member or friend. Or you may be worried about the state of the world which seems full of hate and violence. There are a lot of good reasons to be worried and distracted, but that is not what this moment, right now is all about. Right now we are in church worshiping God, praying to God, trying somehow to connect with and be renewed by God. Later we will likely be engaged in different occupations. And whatever the rest of the day brings, acts of service or contemplation or even the daily chores of living we are always invited to choose the better part, the one thing – presence. Be present in this moment. Be present to your life. Be present to the now regardless of what you are engaged in. For as we seek to be present in this moment, we say “yes” to Jesus’ invitation to choose the better part and open ourselves up even more fully to the holy, life-giving, powerful Presence – God in our midst.
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