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.

 

 

Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known.

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."

- Matthew 10:24-33

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His talk with the Twelve Apostles before sending them out on their first mission:   "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves.  Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.  But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues.  You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.  But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak.  For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.  Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death.  And you will be hated by all for My name's sake.  But he who endures to the end will be saved.  When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.  For assuredly, I say to you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes."

 "A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.  It is enough for a disciple that he be like his teacher, and a servant like his master.  If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they call those of his household!  Therefore do not fear them.  For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known."  In Friday's reading, we read that Jesus cast out a demon from a man who was mute, and the Pharisees accused Him of casting out demons by the ruler of demons.   When Jesus says, "Do not fear them," He is speaking generally of the persecutors of the disciples He's warning them about.  In today's text, "Do not fear" is repeated three times.  My study bible says it's to embolden the witness of the gospel in the face of adversity.  A note says, "Christian believers, then and today, must neither be intimidated by persecution nor fail in their mission to preach." 

"Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."   My study bible tells us that this passage teaches us about the immortality of the soul, which is ours by grace.  There is no need for them to fear the killing of the soul by the ones who persecute.   It also explains that Fear Him is a command to fear God because only God has the power to judge the soul.  This command is for an appropriate awe and respect, a true correct response to awesome, unknowable power.  (See Proverbs 9:10; Luke 1:50, 23:40; Acts 10:2, Colossians 3:22, 1 Peter 2:17.)    Christian followers are instructed to resist the devil (James 4:7), but not to fear him.   That again goes to Jesus' important teaching here on humility; to be humble to God only is to resist the devil.  Hell here is literally "Gehenna."  In Jewish history this is the Valley of Hinnom, which became a place of forbidden religious practices (2 Chronicles 28:3, Jeremiah 32:35).  King Josiah put an end to these practices (2 Kings 23:10).  By Christ's time, this valley had become a garbage dump, smouldering ceaselessly, my study bible tells us.  Because of these association, Gehenna acquired the connotation of eternal punishment in the afterlife, where all that is "refuse" is burned away.

"Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin?  And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will.  But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.  Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.  But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven."  This is a statement of the essential importance of each disciple to God.  To confess Christ before men is to be in relationship, in covenant;  He will in turn confess that person before the Father.  This conveys an incalculable worth to the one who knows the tiny sparrows and numbers even each hair on our head.  But this covenant works both ways; the deniers will also be denied this bond.

We have one thing that we know, no matter what else may be happening around us.  There's this truth of the gospel message, that the "kingdom of heaven is at hand," and that we've been taught by Christ what that means.  His great emphasis on humility, throughout the message of His sermons (such as the Sermon on the Mount -- which began in Matthew's chapter 5, with the Beatitudes), teaches us about what we put first, what we serve. This is emphasized in His exhortation that they must remember the power of God as something much more to be in awe of than the power of those who will seek to persecute the apostles.  It tells us about the one thing necessary.  And what that means, really, is that no matter what else we are concerned with or troubled about or dealing with, there's one thing that remains constant, our own focus on what we serve.  It becomes the pole point, the lodestar, around which we can focus and process whatever else is happening.  I think that particularly at times of high stress, complicated surroundings, and confusing messages, this becomes a key way to center and to release fear that paralyzes us and blinds us.  It becomes a form of practicing dispassion, a way to let go and see how things may regroup in our own vision of our lives.  That is the one thing needful, and humility becomes the real key to achieving it.  We live in times in which things may change very fast.   We have challenges that come at us in ways that are not easy to decipher.  Let us remember the one thing Jesus teaches us to truly "fear," or to hold in reverence, awe, respect.  It's the thing that is truly beyond what we can contain, that calls us to mystery, to admit we don't know it all, but that reaches deep into every single one of our hearts.   For even the Spirit of the Father can speak through us, as Jesus said in yesterday's reading.  Today He reminds us that even the hairs of our head are numbered by the Father, and that even two sparrows are essential to God.  God's awareness of us is acute, down to the minute details we ourselves aren't aware of.  That's the bond of love that's truly necessary to remember. 

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

 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

In yesterday's reading, we were told 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.   My study bible tells us that "Martha and Mary are the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 11:1)."  As borne out as well in chapter 11 of John's Gospel, we can see the different "roles" of the sisters at home.  Martha is the one concerned with hospitality; she welcomes Jesus.  Mary is more devout in her actions.  In the passage from John's Gospel, we're reminded that she wiped Jesus' feet with fragrant oil and her hair (John 12:1-7), and we read of her sitting in mourning in their home, while Martha welcomes Jesus.  In today's reading, Martha -- true to character -- is the one who welcomes Jesus, while Mary sit at His feet and hears 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."  My study bible says, "Martha was distracted and troubled about many things in providing hospitality for Jesus.  But the one thing needed was for her to listen to Christ, to hear His words -- a priority which certainly does not exclude serving Him."  Let's note the language:  she's distracted.  It tells us she's not focused on the target, not centered.  The word in Greek (periespato/περιεσπᾶτο) is literally to "step around" or "draw around" -- in this sense she's distracted from the real thing, the true event.  It comes from language for military maneuvers, as in creating a diversion.

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."  What is the one thing needed here?  It's the focus on hearing His word.

What things distract us, and draw our attention away from what is truly needful?  We forget the "one thing necessary" when we are distracted by many things.  Elsewhere in Luke's Gospel, we read Jesus' teachings on anxiety:  " Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing"  and "Seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you"  (see Consider the lilies, how they grow).  There are ways in which the world and its demands will come to interfere with our main focus, the one thing truly necessary and needful, the real mark or bullseye of our aim, and that is our Teacher.  In Matthew chapter 23, Jesus tells the disciples:  "Do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ."  In our lives we will find many teachers, many people who wish to tell us what is what -- to give us theories, and philosophies, and ideas about how things should be done.  Popular customs of our own times and places will also fill in for "teacher."  But there's really one Teacher for all of us who call ourselves Christian, and who follow Christ.  That person-to-person contact, and listening, comes in one place, and it is the place of the heart.  We find it in prayer, we can find it in worship with other believers.  But it is the foundation of the Kingdom and its spread in the world.  It is to focus on that one thing that is needed, to hear the word of the Lord, to receive the teachings of the Teacher, to "sit at His feet and hear."  At the Transfiguration, we are told that the voice of the Father said, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  So we are to do likewise, like Mary.  Before all things, our Teacher comes first, to orientate us to life, to help us make our decisions, to teach us how to view our problems.  Nothing else should get in the way of what is truly needful, what it is that comes first.  We can be worried and troubled about many things, and there is no doubt the worries and troubles will come, if your life is anything like mine.  Let us focus on the one thing which is needed, the good part, first before all else, when we find ourselves in such conditions.  It is the Teacher who leads us to where we truly need to be, especially when we are challenged by life.   All the "shoulds" and other  distractions the world would seek to teach us need the Teacher's perspective, first.

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

 In yesterday's reading, Jesus was tested by a lawyer, who stood up and asked, "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."  See The Parable of the Good Samaritan.

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.   Martha and Mary are the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead.   This is Bethany, and this family are very close to Jesus; John's gospel speaks of their great love.

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."   Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, form some of the most interesting characters in the Gospels.  As sisters, we're given (especially in this story) their differences in personality.  This story also gives highlights to the events, for example, in the raising of Lazarus, where the sisters fulfill different duties -- Martha the one responsible for hospitality and greeting Jesus when He comes to them, while Mary is formally mourning in the house with those who've come to mourn with them.  Here, Martha's persona is exemplified for us in her complaint to Jesus; she's the one who's welcomed Him and is now "distracted" with much serving.  Mary is sitting with the other disciples, listening to Jesus talk. 

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."  Martha's life is made up of many household concerns; she's preoccupied and anxious.  In choosing the "good part" Mary has chosen a "portion" for herself, like taking a particular serving of a dish at a meal, and Jesus declares it will not be taken away from her.  Mary has made a good choice for herself.

I think there are several ways we can look at this story.  First of all it's about women, and the concerns of women.  Luke's focus gives us an idea of the women who also make up the support of this ministry, and Jesus' inner circle of loving friends.  But, of course, it's not just women who are preoccupied with affairs of the home, the household, hospitality, etc.  It's not just women who are anxious about what there is to do and to keep up and to prepare.  Jesus' words give us the impression that Martha's mind is filled and distracted with these things:  she's troubled and also anxious.  Now there's a picture of modern life, in my opinion.  We're no strangers to anxiety, distraction, and panic (which is what Jesus' words express about Martha in the Greek).  Yes, the text seems to say, we will always be anxious about many things we're concerned with in our lives.  But there is another portion available to us.  There's something which our anxiety and concerns shouldn't obscure  -- and for those who choose this good portion in life, it shouldn't be taken away from them.  Mary sits listening to every word from Christ.  It's a kind of example or parallel to the great commandments we read in yesterday's reading:  "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."  It's an illustration of the "good part" that Mary has put first.  I think it's important that we see that Jesus isn't necessarily putting down Martha, nor her concerns -- but He is defending Mary, and He won't allow her sister to take that good portion away from her.  Despite all the social demands of hospitality, the pressures of serving with which Martha is distracted and anxious, Mary's good part still won't be taken away from her.  This particular value trumps all else.  It's an act of love and devotion to what comes first, the good portion.  Mary's act, we can see, may seem selfish and self-centered in a certain context.  But in another context, it's a great act of love for what is truly good.  It is, in fact, the one thing necessary, the great need under these circumstances.  Let us be wise enough to practice the discernment of the love of what is truly good, to embrace the grace that may sit before us and value it as our true necessity. Let us not be so lost in our good works that we neglect the one thing needed, the good portion.

You are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed.

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

In yesterday's reading, we read the parable of the Good Samaritan. We understand it to be Jesus' answer to the question, "Who is my neighbor?" The Good Samaritan is nominally an enemy of the Jews - who stops to help a Jewish man attacked by robbers. (This was after a priest and a Levite had already passed the man by.) Not only did he care for the victim, but he also took him to an inn, and paid the innkeeper to provide whatever else was necessary for his healing. This Samaritan then, is the neighbor - the one who acts as a neighbor. There is much to read into this parable for our understanding. See 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. My study bible notes that "Martha and Mary are the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead (John 11:1)." Martha, Mary and Lazarus are important figures in the Gospels and in Jesus' life. They are His friends. Indeed, it is in John's Gospel that we read the shortest and one of the most profound sentences in the Gospels: "Jesus wept." This is at the death of Lazarus and the sorrow of Lazarus' sisters. The stories concerning Martha, Mary and Lazarus are quite special in that they give us a glimpse of the personal life of Jesus among beloved friends, and His emotional ties to them. We are also given to understand from the stories in other Gospels about Martha's role concerning hospitality, and Mary's more spiritual emphasis - noticeably in the story from John's Gospel about the raising of Lazarus (see the readings here, here and here).

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 notes, "Martha was distracted (v. 40) and troubled about many things (v. 41) in providing hospitality for Jesus. But the one thing (v. 42) needed was for her to listen to Christ, to hear His words -- a priority which certain does not exclude serving Him." I find a particular kind of parallel and counterpart in the context of the Gospel and the fact that preceding this story is the parable of the Good Samaritan. In that parable, Jesus gives the example of a person (the Samaritan) who is going about his business, along this treacherous road where people were prey to robbers. The Samaritan takes time from his schedule and whatever his business was to tend to the need of the hurt man, to help him to heal, to take him to an inn, and to leave him there with money for the innkeeper to complete the man's care, and a promise of more to come if necessary on his way back. It's like a picture of a businessman traveling for his work who comes upon an unfortunate victim, and does what he needs to do to show compassion. My study bible had a great note on this parable in which it expressed the idea that we show our love for God when we care for one another. Coming immediately after that parable, we find Mary doing the "one thing needed," "the good part." Her sister Martha is busy with the usual women's business - the duties of hospitality. But it is Mary who is taking time out to sit at the feet of Jesus, and to listen. So, like the Good Samaritan, she's taking the time out from her usual work, her business, to do the thing that is needed. She is showing, in effect, her love for God. It's not that serving and hospitality are bad or wrong things - but the emphasis is there again. We need to take the time out from our worldly lives and do what is needful.

The story in yesterday's reading of the Good Samaritan teaches us about taking time out to do what is needful - to act as neighbor, to help, and to heal. Today's story also teaches us about taking time out from our busy lives for what is truly needed, and that is giving time to listen to our Lord. We express love for neighbor by helping, healing. But the normal rule of hospitality - at least as written here - is something different, business as usual in some sense. We need to take the time out from the things we think are necessary (and of course, work is necessary for our lives) for what is needed. And what is needed is our compassion for those who need our mercy for healing, and also our time for our own healing as we listen to God, perhaps in worship, or in prayer, in study of Scripture, etc. So we take time out for what is needed. And that is marked by a kingdom of relationships of love.

What do you need to make room and time for in your life? Is there something needed from you? Today's story tells us about time for listening to the Lord, for that primary spiritual relationship. There's a great contrast to my mind between the things that are needed and the things that constitute obligation here in this story and in the story of the Good Samaritan. What is needed is the opportunity that God has somehow presented us with: someone who needs our help, an act of mercy - or the Lord's presence to us in whatever form that may take. Both cases are a kind of "breaking in" upon us of the kingdom coming near. Both cases are construed of relationships of compassion and love. Both cases take us out of business as usual, the things we usually think are necessary for our lives, the obligations we bear. Consider then the difference between what is necessary, and what is needed. What is needed from you today? What is needed by you today? The key here is mercy and love, and the reality of that kingdom and our relatedness to it and in it. What will you do for that relatedness today? How may it call you out of your own daily life? This is a priority that takes precedence before all else, it is "that good part" and it "will not be taken away" from you.