Jesus entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Luke 10:38–39
It’s interesting that it was Martha who welcomed Jesus,
but it was Mary who sat at His feet listening to Him. As the story goes on, we
discover that Martha took her responsibility of hospitality seriously; she was
very busy preparing a meal. But it appears that Mary needed a different form of
hospitality from our Lord Himself. As Martha prepared to feed Jesus so as to
care for His physical hunger, Mary sought to be fed by our Lord so as to feed
her spiritual hunger. And interestingly, it was the generosity of Martha who
was diligent in preparing the meal that made it possible for her sister to
receive the spiritual food she longed for.
When we read this story, we can easily become critical of
Martha because she complained to Jesus about her sister. It is easy to see
Martha’s frustration in her words, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has
left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” And though Martha
may have been a little impatient, Jesus’ response to her was gentle and
corrective. “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not
be taken from her.” What was that “better part?” It was Mary’s prayerful
attentiveness to Jesus. She was hungry for His teaching, and Jesus offered it
to her in a very personal and loving way. And though this image of Mary before
Jesus is a beautiful image to ponder and to use as a model of our own prayer,
there is also something important to be said about Martha’s role in making
Mary’s prayer possible.
Because Martha was diligent in taking care of the duties
of hospitality, Mary felt the freedom to sit at Jesus’ feet. Perhaps the ideal
response from Martha would have been to notice that Mary was being spiritually
fed by our Lord and to rejoice in that fact, giving her the continued freedom
to sit at Jesus’ feet. If Martha would have realized this, then she would have
continued working in the background so that her sister could continue listening
to Jesus. But even though Martha did interrupt this sacred moment for her
sister, the fact remains that her initial diligence in taking care of preparing
the meal did give Mary some time alone with Jesus.
In a similar way, we will all be given various
opportunities in life to take care of the daily mundane tasks that are needed
within a family or community. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that
unless everyone does their equal part, then things are not fair. But being
“fair” should not be our focus. True charity, especially within the family,
means that, first and foremost, we look for opportunities to better the lives
of those around us. For example, spending extra time cleaning a home so that others
can enjoy it more adds much to family life. Or spending hours preparing a nice
meal for family or friends may afford everyone the opportunity of time well
spent together. These are only a couple of the countless ways that our
diligence and generosity toward others is fruitful, especially within family
life.
Reflect, today, upon these two women and the unique
calling they each were given at the time of Jesus’ visit to their house. One
was called to be fed by our Lord as she sat at His feet. The other was called
to work hard so as to make it easier for her sister to receive that spiritual
nourishment. Know that both of these callings are important. For that reason,
if God calls you to be more like Martha at times, rejoice in that fact and work
hard at serving in many ways. If God calls you to be more like Mary at times,
then rejoice in those moments and sit prayerfully at the feet of our Lord,
being fed by His holy Words.
My gentle Lord, when You came to the home of Martha and Mary, You fed Mary with Your Word and fed Martha by your gentle correction. I thank You for these two women and the roles they both play in teaching me how to love and to serve. May I always be diligent in my service to others, and may I always embrace every moment that You invite me to sit at Your feet in prayer. Jesus, I trust in You.
