July 29th, 2020
/Wednesday Words 7-29-20
Psalm 72 Judges 3: 12 – 30 Acts 1: 1 – 14
Psalm 119: 73 – 96 Matthew 27 45 – 54 BCP page 977 bottom
The Feast Day honoring Mary and Martha of Bethany
Sisters of Lazarus who was raised from the dead
Welcomed and sheltered Jesus and the Apostles in their home
Wherever there are Christians, the stories of Mary and Martha and Lazarus are always told and retold. The three stalwart lessons learned from their stories are:
Martha chose kitchen chores over time with Jesus
Mary chose time with Jesus over kitchen chores
Lazarus got sick and died, but Jesus raised him from dead proving that Jesus had power over death
All these things are true, but it seems to me that this is merely the surface of the interaction between Jesus and these three siblings.
The name “Martha” is used only here in the Scriptures, but “Mary” was a common name in this era. Mary is a form of Miriam, the name of the sister of Moses. We remember Mariam from the story of the Exodus and her song of jubilation when the Israelites safely crossed the Red Sea as they fled from Egypt and slavery.
It is probable that the two sisters and their brother were unmarried and were wealthy – or at least independent since neither parents nor vocation is ascribed to them. Their home was large enough to host Jesus and all twelve Apostles, and their budget large enough to feed thirteen hungry men who dropped by unannounced. All of that was unusual among households in that time. Most Israelites married in their late teens – especially the girls. For three siblings to be sharing a house and all three to be single is not the norm, but we are given no further information in the Gospels.
The most familiar story about them is the time Jesus and the Apostles all arrived for a visit. Think about that – thirteen hungry, dusty, tired men show up at your door. That is a lot of work for any household! Which moves us to the next level.
Martha begins to do the kitchen work that it takes to feed all her guests. Even with a bevy of servants – though Scripture does not say that the household had servants – Martha was needed to see that all things were done well. What Martha did was to fulfill the customs of hospitality in her culture. Hospitality was not a nicety; it was a matter of life and death. There was not a Motel 6 or a McDonald’s on every corner. If travelers were not taken in, fed and protected, they could die. Martha knew what was required of her and she acted like a good hostess to her friends.
Mary, however, did not begin the hostess tasks that were needed. Mary sat down to listen to Jesus. This was unusual. Women did not sit in the presence of visiting men and women were not taught by rabbis in the company of men. Mary ignored the customs of her culture to follow her heart and her mind. Mary’s behavior put Martha in a difficult position.
Martha is often portrayed as a nag, a shrew, a woman concerned only with getting the roast out of the oven at the right time. That is not fair to her. Martha faced 13 men who expected dinner at the usual time and Martha did not have a take-out restaurant nearby that could deliver pizza. Martha legitimately needed her sister’s help.
Mary is described as the sister with the proper spiritual nature. She put listening to Jesus above dinner and, as we all know, spiritual things are always important. Yes, that is true. But. Most of us cannot listen well if our stomachs are growling and our throats are parched. Our physical needs are also important. Neglecting our health and well-being is not automatically a holy thing.
Many interpretations of this story present Martha as being wrong and getting a scolding from Jesus, while Mary is the princess who chooses the right thing. Jesus does say to Martha that she is FRETTING over less important things, but Jesus did not condemn her. Jesus did commend Mary for choosing the “better” part and declared that her choice would not be taken from her. Mary, a woman, was praised for using her brain in a scholarly way even if that was not the custom of her community.
It seems to me that what Jesus was saying to us is that this tension is a reality for us and always will be. There is not always and everywhere right answer. We do have to eat and clean our bodies and wear clothes. The physical side of our being is an honorable part of our lives and should not be neglected. The spiritual part of our being is the eternal part of us, the image of God that is planted in us so that we can respond to God with love and obedience. That part of our life also must be honored.
Jesus wants us to eat for our health and worship for our well-being. Not one or the other – both. God calls us to manage our lives so that we include the nurture of our spiritual and physical life – deliberate nurture of both.
The last 5 months we have all been in crisis mode. All our routines have been interrupted, our expectations disappointed. I think Mary and Martha offer us a challenge. They ask us to evaluate our choices, to make room for Jesus to share a meal with us and to teach us about living in the love of God. God is closer to us than even the air we breathe. God desires our love and our laughter, our prayers and our tears. God wants all of us to belong to God and all our paths to be guided by the Holy Spirit. God is a both/and God, leaving no part of us out.
Blessed be the name of God and the love of Christ Jesus.
