One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her

 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

- Luke 10:38-42

 Yesterday we read that a certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."  And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."  Mary and Martha are the sisters of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead by Jesus (see John 11:1-44).  All the stories of these sisters and brother reveal a family to whom Jesus was very close, even a deep and personal love between all of them.  Moreover, the stories that involve these sisters all reveal consistent and distinct characteristics belonging to each one.  In both John's Gospel and here in Luke, Martha is the one concerned with the duties of hospitality, while Mary is the more contemplative, paying attention to duties of spiritual devotion.  My study bible says that Martha is not rebuked for serving, but rather for complaining and for being distracted, worried, and troubled.   In following Christ, it notes, we serve in order to facilitate the spread of the gospel (see Acts 6:1-4).

Martha and Mary give us two distinct "types."  Both are close to Jesus, and beloved of Jesus.  Even in the narrative of Lazarus' death and resurrection (John 11:1-44), it is Martha who goes out to meet Christ as He is approaching their home, while Mary remains seated inside, the proper position for mourning.  This story here in Luke gives us a picture of another time, when Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem, and stays in their home.  The stories of Martha and Mary, and Jesus' evident deep connection to them (John tells us that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus; see John 11:5) give us a picture of women's roles within Jesus' ministry.  Although women played mostly supportive roles, and were not given the role of apostle, their presence in Jesus' ministry and in the early Church is exceptional and notable.  Also in John's Gospel, it is Mary Magdalene to whom Christ first reveals Himself as risen Lord (John 20:11-18).  She is called the Apostle to the Apostles, a title of the greatest honor.  Moreover, the Gospels make it clear that not only were there always women traveling with Christ throughout His ministry, and supporting that ministry (see, for example, Mark 15:40-41), but also the Epistles of St. Paul teach us the prominent place of women in the early Church.  When Paul sends loving greetings with each letter, the majority of these are directed to women in the Churches, indicating their important role.  Indeed, in the Roman Empire, when the Church was a growing and persecuted sect, one of the most common criticisms of Christianity was that it was a religion of "women and slaves."  Many of the greatest early Church Fathers were children of pagan fathers and Christian mothers.  From these historical facts we can conclude that this story of Martha and Mary is a perfect example of the organic workings of Christianity and its growth.  Jesus' intimate moments with these women reveal a closeness and tenderness that is all about this beautiful spiritual gift that was precious to women, just as Mary's role here in this particular story reveals the soul of a woman every bit as important and essential to God through Christ as any man's.  When Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her, it is a clear statement of approval, and filled with meaning for each one of us.  It teaches us about Mary's good judgment, her deep desire for the wisdom and truth He teaches, and a soul whose true longing must be accounted as good.   In the stories of the early Christian martyrs, we find as many -- if not more -- stories of women as men, many of them young women who, rather than be married and play a traditional prominent role as matron, prefer death for their faith to life without it.  These are stories not only of devotion and extraordinary faith, but they are also stories of powerful choices made by women.  It is these women, as much as any other factor, who were responsible for the spread of Christianity within the Roman Empire.  At heart is the capacity for being like Mary -- choosing that good part, which would not be taken away from them.  We have perhaps lost the thread of understanding of what it means to possess and choose for one's own soul that good part, and the powerful role women were offered through Christianity.  But let us never lose sight of what Christ brings to us,  His love and true friendship for both of these sisters, and the powerful choice for that good part that feeds our souls remains on offer to all of us.   The results of such a choice will always be extraordinary, even as the historical times shift and change.  It's important to note that throughout the Middle East, hospitality is of the utmost importance, and therefore the honor due to Martha that is understood here.  But Jesus offers us what He calls that good part, which shall not be taken away from us.