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

 

 

Saints Martha and Mary - late Russian icon - found at this site

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."   My study bible reminds us that Mary and Martha are the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead (see John 11).  Martha is not rebuked for serving, but for complaining and for being distracted, worried, and troubled.  In following Christ, my study bible says, we serve in order to facilitate the spread of the Gospel (see Acts 6:1-4).

The struggle between these two sisters of quite different temperaments is rather typical, and can easily be recognized by anyone who has ever dealt with such dynamics.  The two sisters' characters are quite consistent across the Gospels, but perhaps most clearly delineated in their difference in today's reading.  In the various stories we have of them, Martha is the one concerned with hospitality, with the social customs of how one treats and welcomes guests.  Mary is the more retiring sister.  In the story of the raising of Lazarus, in John 11, it is Mary who observes the Jewish customs of mourning, sitting in the house, and Martha who goes out to meet Christ as He approaches their home.  But this story, included in Luke's Gospel, not only tells us about this distinction regarding the two sisters, it tells us something important about the women followers and friends of Jesus.  This family is clearly special to Jesus.  They are His good friends, and that includes all three siblings:  Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  The inclusion of this story of the sisters, first of all, tells us something about Jesus' women followers, and that they are significant in His ministry.  If women were not important to this ministry, this story would not be in the Gospels.  Martha's complaint, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me" is a familiar one to me.  It is typical of home life, but also important within Church life.  So often the roles for women within the Church have tended to be those of hospitality, mirroring traditional roles in society.  But Mary shows us a spiritual depth that is not necessarily typical, for either men or women.  It shows us a focus on an internal life of the heart and soul that disrupts -- in this particular sense in today's reading -- the normal social life and the customs of the period, of her time and place.  I personally do not see a challenge here between different personality types in these sisters, normal enough in any time and place.  But what makes Mary distinctive is her focus on the word of God, and that this takes precedence for her over everything else.  Let us note that Jesus' emphasis, in His reply to Martha, isn't on her concerns and efforts of hospitality and serving per se.  These are always worthy and reflective of notions of charity and grace.  But what Jesus does focus on is her anxiety, and that she is worried and troubled about many things.  Once again, this focus on anxiety and worry is not a strange theme in the Gospels, but one that Jesus has touched upon already in His preaching.  He did so in a very beautifully illustrated and elaborate sermon in this reading, in which He taught to "seek the kingdom of God."  We might want to take a look at Mary and notice that her singular focus -- that is, her prioritized focus -- is solely on what Jesus calls "that good part."  Martha is focused on many things, but Mary has placed her attention on the "one thing" that is  "needed."  Both of these women love Jesus and both are His dear friends.  But Mary is focused on the one thing that is necessary, and Jesus will not deprive her of that good part.  Possibly we can infer into the text that Mary reflects a type of deep confidence which comes from this dwelling in her faith.  This is not the kind of thing normally referred to as "confidence" in the social world, but rather it is something that anchors us within a framework of belief, of taking confidence within that good part of seeking the Kingdom, something much greater than ourselves.  And it is there that Mary is anchored, even to the point of breaking social custom by sitting at Jesus' feet and hearing His word, even while her sister is distracted with much serving.  Let us look to the sisters and remember this depth of the heart, a focus on faith despite distractions and worries and troubles about many things.  It is the place from which we may draw a quiet confidence, a strength, and a priority on that good part, which shall not be taken away from us.  Mary and Martha were both essential to Jesus' ministry as good friends of Christ.  There is a beautiful story from the Desert Monks about two men who devoted themselves to Christ, each very wealthy.  One gave away all his wealth and became a monk, living in dedicated contemplation and prayer, fasting and silence.  The other decided to build a monastery where he could receive all who came and feed and clothe and minister to them.  An elder was asked which one chose the better way, the one who gave away all hus possessions or the one who kept his wealth?  The elder replied that both were equal and full of merit, as the whole conduct of each was to God, and all they did was done for God, with upright intention.  Therefore since the aim of each was the same, each way was of equal merit before God.  It is the "good part" which must be our focus, and from there God places us as God has gifted us to serve with grace.