On my retreat two weeks ago, the program centered around reading scripture in a way that includes the use of our imagination.  This is something we might be familiar with as we read certain stories.  For example, in the scripture text we may know as the Good Samaritan, describing an injured man ignored by neighbors and only finally being helped by someone who was outside the community, a Samaritan man, we may ask ourselves which character we would be.  Would we be like those who passed by, or would be like the Samaritan man who stopped to help?  We have two choices – the Samaritan or everyone else.  Or in the parable about the prodigal son.  Would we be like the son who left and took his inheritance with him and then lost everything and returned home?  Or would we be like the son who stayed at home to work?  We ask ourselves which character we would be.  We have two choices, son number one and son number two.  I don't know about you, but I usually find a way to become whichever character is behaving the best!  

If you are familiar with today's text, you may have asked yourself whether you are a Mary or a Martha.  We might clearly want to be Mary because Jesus says to her that what she is doing is the better part.  Since Jesus used the word “better” then I'm going to hope that I am Mary.  Again, there are two choices – Mary or Martha.

These binary approaches to most Bible stories are simplistic and have often led to long standing approaches to life as Church that set groups at odds with one another.  This text where Jesus rebukes the one doing the table preparations shows its presence often within churches that prefer hierarchy.  If it's the church pastor that sets the tone, then the hierarchy puts the pastor at the top, treasurer, session, somewhere in the middle, and the deacons at the bottom.  This shows up in society in general as we witness how society disrespects, discounts, disregards the food service industry workers who do the unglamorous work of setting up, lifting and pulling, carrying, cleaning up, throwing out the trash, mopping the sticky floor.  As a society work in the trades, at a factory, with your hands, physical work is seen as less than compared to people who make their living in ways that don't involve physical labor.  This has led to preference of study over service, thinking over doing,

The physical work of Martha and the contemplative or intellectual actions of Mary are not the only items that are assigned value by some interpretations.  We know from the gospel of John that when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead Jesus had interactions with his sisters Mary and Martha.  But in each of the other three gospels, this text is the only text that mentions Mary and Martha.  The lack of mention of Lazarus in the interaction described in today's text has led feminist theology to highlight that ministry was available to women as well as men.  

The Bible is a living Bible precisely because the lessons from the Bible apply as times change and society changes.  Here in 2022 in the Bay Area bubble where we live we are mostly distant from the limiting binary approach to choices and decisions and labels, but not fully.  So if the text today is not necessarily about men or women – gender roles; not about actions – tasks or listening; not about setting Mary and Martha's roles against one another, let's take a closer look to see what else the text has to offer.

In a certain village Martha welcomes Jesus into her home.  Martha sets about the tasks of hospitality and table preparation as would be expected from one who invited another in, and also expected from the women in any household.  The value placed on her actions doesn't come from the text or from Jesus.  Martha herself introduces the inequity herself, as she came to Jesus and complained.  Martha didn't go to Mary and say “come help me” she went to the guest and put him on the spot.  Calling him “Lord” Martha recognizes that maybe a word from Jesus to Mary will mean more than a word from herself.  The word used for Martha's table preparation work is diakoinia, which is where we get our word deacon.  Jesus himself does not put less value on diakoinia as we see later in the Book of Acts where Jesus sets up an entire ministry dedicated to table service discipleship.  In Acts, chapter 6 we read,

Acts 6:3-6

“… select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.”

Our ministry of deacons as well as the Stephen's Ministry training are inspired by this scripture from Acts.  So the actions of Mary and Martha were never set against each other.  One commentator reminds us that both ministries are necessary, saying, “Some are destined to live out their discipleship in the details of the common life; preparing meals, counting money, caring for the homebound, organizing outreach to the poor.  Others are disciples in service to the word: study and prayer, worship and preaching, evangelism and teaching.”1  

So why the rebuke by Jesus?  Commentator James Wallace says, “Jesus wasn't going after Busy Martha.  He was going after Worried and Distracted Martha.”  He suggests that Jesus was reminding Martha that hospitality was not primarily about the food, but more important was the focus.  Martha was being very diligent about necessary service of providing for her guest and household.  That too is a form of discipleship.  Jesus wasn't rebuking her for that.  Jesus was reminding her that the primary focus was the relationship and interactions with the guest, in this case Jesus.  This text isn't about being Mary or Martha.  This text is about being Mary and Martha.  Actions and deeds are just as important as study and contemplation.  

“Activism without contemplation ends in aimless “doing” that usually aggravates existing difficulties.”3 “What is needed is the sensitivity to recognize when it is Martha, and when it is Mary, who ought to be reminded of the dangers implicit in her posture.  New occasions teach new duties.”2

A few of us had a potluck outdoor meal here on the patio yesterday.  As I looked forward to driving over here, I laughed as I thought to myself, Gee, I wonder if anyone will sit at my feet?!  Thankfully, that never came up!  With this text on my mind, I observed that of the three roles, Mary, Martha and Jesus, each of us was all three.  All of us were Martha as we set up, served, and cleaned up.  All of us were Jesus as we offered our friendship, love and shared our thoughts.  And all of us were Mary, devotedly listening to the one sharing, sitting at one another's feet.

I invite us to take a few moments to consider where our strengths are.  Are you a disciple like Mary doing the valuable boots on the ground work of discipleship?  Are you a disciple like Mary doing the valuable work of really considering Jesus' words to us?  Let's take a moment.

Being a disciple is not a binary consideration.  We are each living out our discipleship in many different ways.  We should celebrate that!  I'd like to close with this poem called “To Each Her Own” by Emily Rose Procter

Martha knows the dinner will not cook itself.

Mary feels the moment swiftly passing.

Martha knows each thing has its place.

Mary notices how each thing changes with the light.

Martha knows a word from him would change things.

Mary turns the words like honeyed almonds in her mouth.

Martha knows the kitchen turned temple,

The pot of stew a thurible, filling every empty space.

Mary listens with a thirst that frightens her

For something that makes no sound.

Amen.

_____________________________

1 Cynthia A. Jarvis, Feasting on the Word Commentary, Year C, Volume 3, p.266

2 Douglas John Hall, Feasting on the Word Commentary, Year C, Volume 3, p.264

3  James A. Wallace, C.SS.R., Feasting on the Word Commentary, Year C, Volume 3, p.267

"Non-Binary"

Reverend Debra McGuire

July 17, 2022

Scripture/links