Better than Best - Mary and Martha

Ninth Sunday after Pentecost (Ordinary Time/UM Kingdomtide), C

July 21, 2013

Luke 10:38-42

An Orthodox icon with St. Lazarus, Jesus, St. Mary of Bethany, and St. Martha. (Art courtesy of EasternGiftshop.Com)

 I have not been able to post any “Pray” posts for the past month owning to my busyness at my new school. Also for this year, I was not given a church appointment (my teaching job being my “appointment”) so I have moved from the pulpit and Table to the pew. I was not even able to publish my last few sermons, which I delivered during the first three weeks of June (I pitched in for a colleague who was coming from Davao City for her training). I will not be preaching regularly, but I will still be posting my exegetical notes on the Sunday Gospel readings. Owning to illness, I was able to snatch some time away from work and write a few notes. Somehow, the Gospel reading today is most apt for my situation at present.

Introduction

Today’s Gospel reading, the visit of Jesus to the home of Martha and Mary in Bethany (Luke 10:38-42), immediately follows the Parable of the Good Samaritan. A “certain scribe” asked Jesus on how to inherit eternal life. He answered his own question: To love God and to love one’s neighbor (v. 27). Apparently, the scribe had no problem of “loving” God but he had a problem of loving his neighbor: “But he willing to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?” In his characteristic fashion, Jesus answers with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. When Jesus asked who was the one who was neighborly to the person in need, the scribe could not even say the “S” word!

The story of the visit of Jesus to the home of the sisters Martha and Mary may be thus seen in the context on who loved Jesus more.

I. Martha: Being encumbered with much serving

The Gospel reading describes Martha as being “incumbered with much serving” (v. 40). The Greek word used for “incumbered” is περισπαω, perispaō, which means ‘to walk around’ or (according to Thayer) metaphorically, ‘to be driven about mentally, to be distracted’, or ‘to be over-occupied, too busy about a thing’. John Wesley notes that the word “properly signifies to be drawn in different ways at the same time, and admirably expresses the situation of a mind, surrounded (as Martha’s then was) with so many objects of care, that it hardly knows which to attend first.

Because of this, Martha came to Jesus and said, “Lord, dost thou not care” “that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me” (v. 40). (In our time, Martha would have said, “Lord, don’t you care? Mary has let me to serve alone. Tell her to help me.”)

Jesus did not censure Martha. “Martha, Martha”—there is a tenderness in the repetition of the name. John Wesley notes, “There is a peculiar spirit and tenderness in the repetition of the word”. Jesus used two words: “Careful”, which in Greek is μεριμναω, merimnaō which does not mean ‘to exercise great care’ but (according to Thayer) ‘to be anxious’, or ‘to be troubled with cares’. Inwardly, Martha was full of cares! The other word is “hurried” (John Wesley New Testament) or “troubled” (KJV), which in Greek is τυρβάζω, turbazō, which means ‘to be troubled in mind, disquieted’ (from this word we get the English words to make turbid and turbulence). Outwardly, she was hurried. She was in stark contrast to Mary, who was “sitting at the feet of Jesus” (v. 40).

II. Mary: Sitting at the feet of Jesus

While Martha was “incumbered with much serving”, Mary was “sitting at the feet of Jesus…[hearing] his discourse” (v. 40). This is the posture of a disciple, which was unusual for a woman at this time. As it is said in the Mishnah,

Yossei the son of Yoezer of Tzreidah would say: Let your home be a meeting place for the wise; dust yourself in the soil of their feet, and drink thirstily of their words. (Pirkei Avot 1:4)

Women of the time were thought of as serving in the kitchen, just like Martha; and not listening to the discourse of a teacher, just like what Mary was doing.

Martha apparently thought the Mary was doing something useless and asked Jesus to bid Mary to help her in the kitchen. Martha was tenderly rebuked by Jesus (v. 41) and said,

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen the good part, which shall not be taken from her. (v. 42)

Jesus did not rebuke Martha for being busy per se, but in her busyness she has neglected him, their Guest. Mary has chosen the good (or shall we say, “better”) part, and it “shall not be taken away from her”. Mary (according to John Wesley), was concerned with the salvation of her soul so she sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to his teaching. “Reader, hast thou?”

Conclusion

Serving the Lord through work is commendable. There are many people who serve the Lord with their labor: teaching children, watching over the church parking lot, cooking in the soup kitchens, cleaning the church sanctuary, being in solidarity with the poor, advocating social justice, & c. But sometimes we can be so full of care and trouble with our work that we lose focus of Jesus himself. How many pastors—me included—have been so busy with the work of ministry that we don’t have time anymore to pray and read the Bible? We need to assume the posture of Mary of Bethany, sit at the feet of Jesus, listen to his teaching, and simply just be with him.

For another sermon contrasting the busyness of Martha and the worship of Mary, refer to my sermon “Mary or Judas?” on this blog.