+My parents were great entertainers. Together they had terrific parties, elegant dinners always opening our house to any number of social gatherings. Hospitality was and is very important in the Dempesy-Sims family.
But, there was a downside to all that entertaining. As the day of the party got closer, my mom became increasingly stressed—the house had to be spotless, the food perfect, the table settings, exquisite. Mom became anxious, irritable, and distracted. A lot like Martha in today’s gospel.
This is a familiar story and one that causes strong reactions in people. Because of the way it’s been interpreted over the years, many women struggle with this Gospel. For some, their role behind the scenes at church, on Altar Guilds, as members of the Daughters of the King or ECW appears to be disregarded and belittled by Jesus. For others, this Gospel is irritating because it seems to pit two women against one another.
Before setting ourselves firmly in one of those camps, I invite us to pause because this story is actually quite nuanced. With these four verses, Luke shows us that there are a number of ways to serve God, and that how we serve God doesn’t matter nearly as much as the fact that we do serve God--- at all times and in all places.
But still it does seem that Jesus is siding with Mary doesn’t it?
That somehow Martha was insulting Jesus while Mary was honoring him.
I don’t think Jesus meant to suggest that Mary’s way was the only way, nor was he suggesting that Martha’s way was the wrong way….I think Jesus was using that moment—when Martha’s anxiety had taken firm hold—as a teachable moment.
This scene immediately follows what we heard last week—the parable of the Good Samaritan---a story in which Jesus implores his followers to be do-ers of the Word not just hear-ers. In that parable the inaction of the priest and the Levite—both bound by Jewish law to not go to the man’s aid— are criticized by Jesus, while the hospitality—the tangible action of the Samaritan— is honored. Last week, Jesus said, “Go and do like wise.” Go and be do-ers of the Word.
But then this week Jesus appears to contradict himself, praising the seeming inaction of Mary who sits at his feet to receive his word, while condemning the action of Martha who’s offering the culturally expected hospitality —Jesus praises the hearer of the word, while condemning the do-er. What’s up with that?
But neither Jesus nor Luke is being contradictory. Instead they’re using these two different stories to illuminate how a community of Christians need both do-ers and hear-ers. Both receivers and givers.
We, over the years, have applied our own bias to the story. Somehow we’ve decided that doing all the behind the scenes work—the altar guild, the ECW, the hospitality committees, the coffee hour, is somehow “Less Than.” Less than studying the Bible, learning about liturgy, debating the polity of the church. Somehow we’ve made the hearers of the Word more glamorous than the do ers of the word. What a mistake.
Both Mary and Martha are acting as disciples in this story.
Both Mary and Martha are loving and serving the Lord.
Both Mary and Martha are loving their God with all their heart, all their soul and all their mind, and
BOTH of them are loving their neighbor.
Mary and Martha are two halves of what is needed to make a household work: their household in Bethany and the household of God. They are two halves of what makes God’s Kingdom hum.
There’s no problem with Mary hearing the Word and Martha doing the Word. BUT, there is a problem afflicting Martha, a problem familiar to my Mom, a problem familiar to many of us as we navigate our lives:
anxiety, worry and distraction. Through Martha’s effort to love her neighbor as herself, she’s become anxious and distracted.
While focusing on her tasks, she’s lost sight of the goal.
The tasks of hospitality have gotten in the way of being hospitable. When the details of hospitality, the serving of food, the setting of the table [the liturgies, music and preaching] become more important than the welcome and love of neighbor, then we’ve all missed the mark.
In today’s Gospel Jesus was saying to Martha,” what you’ve done is enough, thank you. Now stop and let us be in fellowship.”
Martha and Mary isn’t an “either or” proposition, it’s a “Yes and” proposition.
To Love and Serve the Lord requires giving AND receiving. To love and serve the Lord requires both speaking and listening. Both busyness and stillness.
Hospitality isn’t the issue.
Discipleship isn’t the issue.
Attentiveness is.
The Holy and Undivided Trinity: One God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, asks one thing of us: that we’re open enough, willing enough and aware enough to receive the Love of God in all that we do. And that we, in turn, give that Love to others. Everywhere and always.
My friends we are both——two halves of one glorious whole—-it takes many Marthas and many Marys to bring the dream of God to fruition here on earth.
In many ways this gospel passage is the first public service announcement promoting work-life balance! Let us give with all our attention, let us receive with all our attention and let us strive to strike a grace-filled balance between the two. For in doing so, we are doing the .org we’ve been given to do. And what a good, holy and oh so necessary work it is.
Amen. +
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