Striking a Balance
Colossians 1: 15-28; Luke 10: 38-42
On his way to
“This has gone on long enough”, Martha must have thought. “I like having Jesus as a guest in our home. It’s not just my home, but Mary’s home too. She needs to help me host. I deserve and, most of all, Jesus, our guest, deserves nothing less from her. I’m not going to allow her to continue sitting there, doing nothing.”
We reasonably might have expected Martha to give Mary a piece of her mind. But instead she turns to Jesus, “Lord, I’m up to my elbows in dishes and pots and pans; don’t you care that my sister has left me with all the work?” “You say something to her, something that will get her on her feet working.”
Surely Jesus will sympathize with Martha. At the very least, he will say, “I understand your feelings, Martha. It isn’t fair that you should have to do all the work.”
But Jesus sides with Mary. He turns to Martha and says “Martha, Martha…” The repetition of Martha’s name implies a reprimand. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part.”
Tom Long and
others have said that Jesus’ response is the key to understanding this text.[1] Why would Jesus favor Mary’s sitting over
Martha’s working? Why would Jesus label
Mary’s inaction, not Martha’s action, as the better part?
Some think
Luke has a hidden agenda as he records this story. Luke, according to some, is trying to
restrict the role of women in the church.
They argue that Luke doesn’t think there is a place in the church for
women who voice their opinions and fill leadership roles. So, here Luke presents Jesus reprimanding the
active and opinionated Martha and praising the quieter and reserved Mary. But, if that is Luke’s intent, why would he
include in his gospel the story of the widow whose persuasiveness and
assertiveness cause a powerful judge to change his mind? Or, why would Luke depict Mary in this story
in the role of a disciple, sitting at the feet of Jesus? After all, in the ancient world, most of the
known disciples were men.[2]
Let’s not wager too much that it was the author’s intent to keep women silent and “in their place”.
What is Luke saying to the church? Why would Jesus praise the idle Mary and reprimand the active Martha?
Immediately preceding today’s text is the story of the Good Samaritan. Through that story, Jesus reminds the church of the importance of doing love, of demonstrating love for God through love for one’s neighbor. Through her hospitality towards Jesus Martha is showing love for God.
“Every church needs a Martha,” Max Lucado has written. “Change that. Every church needs a hundred Marthas. Sleeves rolled up and ready, they keep the pace for the church. Because of Marthas the church budgets get balanced, church buildings get repaired and babies get bounced on loving knees in the nursery. You don't appreciate Marthas until a Martha is missing and all the Marys of the church start scrambling to find the keys to lock doors, turn off the lights and turn off the fans. Yes, the Marthas are the Energizer Bunnies of the church. They keep going and going and going."[3]
Every church needs some Marthas and some Good Samaritans, too. Every church needs people who show love for God by helping strangers in need; every church needs people who show hospitality to guests, people who take a turn teaching the children in Sunday school, who visit in hospitals and bring canned foods for the hungry.
Can you imagine Jesus deeming such acts unnecessary?
Why does Jesus reprimand Martha and praise Mary?
Martha is so busy serving that she fails to see the importance of listening. She is so engrossed in the servant role that she neglects the role of disciple. Mary has chosen the better part. The better part-, listening to Jesus, focusing on him, not being distracted by the activities of life-empowers that important part of Christian life called service.
I was in the pulpit of the Hillsville Presbyterian Church, standing before Abingdon Presbytery seeking to become a candidate for ordained ministry. I had just presented reasons why I should be considered for candidacy. Looking at the members of presbytery, I remember seeing several elderly men looking at me over the top of their wire rim glasses. Then I shifted my vision towards a very familiar face. My father, who is also a Presbyterian minister and was then a member of that Presbytery, stood on his feet and gave me a charge. I shall never forget what he said:
“David, always remember that your devotional life is the bedrock of your ministry.”
As far back as I can remember Dad rose early
in the morning-5:30 or
Remember that your devotional life forms the bedrock of your ministry.
Mary has chosen the better part. It will not be taken from her.
How smooth is the binding on your bible? When was the last time you sat at Jesus’ feet and listened?
© 2007 First Presbyterian Church
Phone: (910)
892-4121 FAX: (910) 892-8312
[1] Tom
Long, Mary and Martha (preached on
Day 1,
[2] Frances
Taylor Gench, Back to the Well, (Westminster/John
Knox Press,
[3] Max Lucado, A Gentle Thunder, (Word Publishing, 1995), p 127.
[4] Long
© 2007 First Presbyterian Church
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Phone: (910) 892-4121 FAX: (910) 892-8312