Jesus Visits Martha and Mary
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
~ Luke 10:38-42 (NRSVUE)
Friends, I wonder, did today’s scripture reading frustrate or even anger any of you? Well, before we jump into anything else this morning, I want to be very clear about something. During the season of Lent here in Oldtown, we are taking time to talk about the extremes of life and what happens in the in-between spaces and the messy middles.
Today, we heard a wonderful story about two sisters, Mary and Martha, who welcomed Jesus into their home. But unfortunately, without many of us realizing it, modern society has stepped into the story, and as it normally does, it’s got us judging one another, questioning ourselves, and picking extreme sides. Now, for generations, when people have heard this story, they immediately ask, “Are you a Mary or a Martha?” which causes us to fit ourselves painfully into one box or the other. And then, when Jesus comes right out and tells us that “Mary has chosen the better part,” those who tend to be drawn to service and compassion feel like failures.
Have no fear, my friends! Because if we look all the way back to the Greek translation of the scriptures, we find out that Jesus did not try to cause a rift between these two sisters or between generations of faithful followers. And He did not actually say, “Mary has chosen the better part.” What he said was that Mary had chosen “a good portion,” and he refers to Martha’s “tasks” as diakonia, which in Greek means service or ministry.
Once we understand that, it is clearer to us that Mary represents our faith and our desire to know God more intimately. Martha represents our good works, the way we live out our faith, with a desire to transform the world. It’s not a one or the other. It’s not good or bad. Both are important, both are needed, and both produce blessings upon blessings.
Folks, as people of faith, there are times when all of us work on building our relationship with God: spending time in prayer, reading scripture, worshiping, journalling, or thinking about life’s big questions. But there are other times when we live out our faith, loving and serving others. Folks, there is no one perfect way to be a follower of Jesus. Personally, I think that is great news! Because we don’t need to follow a certain plan or fit in a pre-constructed box. We don’t need to dress or look like other followers of Jesus. We don’t need to stand on the street corner and quote scripture or offer to pray for people.
I’ll be honest, I meet lots of wonderful people at church who want to talk about their faith. But some of the most sacred faith conversations that I have ever had have happened in much messier places than this with people who would never imagine stepping foot in a church. And usually, they have no idea what I do for work because they never would have started a conversation with me had they known.
Friends, this morning we also heard a storybook titled The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be,” and the storybook reinforces the fact that we are all unique and that God created each one of us to be one of a kind with our own gifts, passions, and talents to share. That’s why it is so exciting for me, week after week, to look out at our congregation to see the beauty of God’s creation because our congregation is made up of so many personalities and passions, abilities and talents, people of all sizes and shapes, with their own special stories and gifts to share.
And today, we were doubly blessed to baptize little Blair, welcoming her into the family of God, like we have her cousins Teagan, Shay, Brooks, and Tate! And now, all we can do is imagine with utter joy the amazing person that Blair will grow up to be. And the gifts and talents that she will share with the world!
Friends, I know that there is a lot going on in our country and in the world right now. We can choose to spend our time focusing on the extremes, but when we do, it only causes us to judge, fight, and take sides. So, what if we took some time this week not to worry about the extremes, which tend to fill us with anxiety and fear, but instead to spend some time in the “messy middle” where we can be ourselves and use the gifts we’ve got for good? What if we learned to balance not only our faith and works but also the way that we look at the world around us? Because I think when we finally do, we might be able to get a glimpse of the wonderful world that we live in.
So, brothers and sisters in Christ, as you go out into your busy week ahead, look for the beauty that is all around you. Watch for the bulbs that are starting to break through the frozen earth. Create or build something, or share a story from your heart. Remember that the world needs who you were made to be. And it’s when all of us work together in our own unique way that we begin to see what a wonderful world we are blessed to be a part of.
My friends, may it be so. Thanks be to God, Amen!
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