Lectionary: Proper 11(C)
Text: Luke 10:38-42
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| Martha reproving her sister Mary Gentileschi, Orazio, 1563-1638? |
Jesus gave instructions to those that were sent out. Part of
the instructions included, “5 Whenever you enter a house, first
say, ‘May peace be on this house.’ 6 If anyone there shares God’s
peace, then your peace will rest on that person. If not, your blessing will
return to you. 7 Remain in this house, eating and drinking whatever
they set before you, for workers deserve their pay. Don’t move from house to
house.” (Luke 10:5-7 CEB)
Returning to where we took a detour, Jesus enters a village,
and he is welcomed by a woman named Martha. She invites him to her home and
offers him hospitality. So far, the narrative is going according to Jesus’
instructions for his own disciples and how to identify people who are willing
to support his ministry.
We learn next that Martha has a sister named Mary. In Luke’s
gospel account, this is their only appearance. John’s gospel names two sisters
Martha and Mary who appear together with a brother, Lazarus, in a village named
Bethany. These two sets of siblings are probably the same, and most biblical
scholars agree.
Therefore, it is worth pausing here to note that in Luke’s
account, Lazarus is not mentioned. In fact, the home to where Jesus is invited
is identified as “home of Martha”. It is also worth noting that neither Martha or
Mary is identified as a widow nor are their parents mentioned. Since most women
in the ancient Middle East were expected to live under either a father or a
husband, it is no small thing that Martha owns a home. One of the only ways
such a thing could happen is if they were sufficiently wealthy so that they
could be independent and probably run their own business.
This goes along with whom Luke identifies as major financial
sponsors of Jesus’ ministry. At the beginning of chapter 8, Luke writes, “1 Soon afterward,
Jesus traveled through the cities and villages, preaching and proclaiming the
good news of God’s kingdom. The Twelve were with him, 2 along with
some women who had been healed of evil spirits and sicknesses. Among them were
Mary Magdalene (from whom seven demons had been thrown out), 3
Joanna (the wife of Herod’s servant Chuza), Susanna, and many others who
provided for them out of their resources.” (Luke 8:1-3)
I should point out that Mary, the Greek form of Miriam, was
a very common name. So there is little reason to equate Mary of Bethany with
Mary Magdalene, although there is also no evidence that they couldn’t be the
same. The real point here is that women of means were vital to supporting Jesus’
ministry.
Returning to today’s narrative, we encounter trouble when
Martha sees Mary, “who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. 40
By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their
meal. So Martha came to him and said, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has
left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.’” (Luke 10:39b-40)
Hearing this Jesus answered, “Martha, Martha, you are
worried and distracted by many things. 42 One thing is necessary.
Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.” (Luke
10:41-42)
There are many interpretations given as to what Jesus meant by
this and why Luke included it. Some are better than others and a few are simply
bad.
One of the worst is where this episode is interpreted to
mean that women are welcome to spiritual learning as long as they sit quietly
and keep quiet.
Another poor interpretation is one that can be made only by
ignoring the rest of the New Testament. This interpretation prioritizes the
life on contemplation as better than the life of service. After all, doesn’t
Jesus rebuke Martha for trying to be hospitable and serve while praising Mary
for sitting quietly and learning?
There are several reasons why this line of interpretation
cannot be sustained. First, Jesus himself says that he came to serve. A second
reason is that looking back to the sending out of the seventy, it was expected
that recipients of ministry would reciprocate through service. And the third
reason is that in Luke’s next volume, the Acts of the Apostles, one of the
first things the group of believers do is appoint deacons so that service work
can be delegated to them while the apostles could continue the preaching and
teaching ministry. Both ministries are equally vital and valued in that
episode.
A related point to note here is that “to serve” is diakoinen
in Greek. Our English word deacon comes from this Greek term. It should also
be noted that in Acts, it is not just women who serve, but men serve and are
called deacons. Tasks which culturally likely belonged to women, in the
Christian community, were shared regardless of gender.
A better
interpretation keys in on the word “distracted.” Martha was distracted. In
order to be distracted, she has to be distracted from something, and in
this case, it seems to be Jesus himself. Martha seems to be so busy making sure
the work of hospitality is done perfectly she has no time for the guest.
However, this too,
faces some problems. If everyone sat down to listen, what would happen to the
hospitality. Now it could be said that the hospitality Jesus wants isn’t about
food and drink but sitting with him and learning from him. Or it could be that
Jesus is saying, “Martha, you’ve already done enough. It doesn’t have to be
‘perfect’ as you want to see it.”
It is true that
many of us can become so focused on doing things to maintain the structures of
ministry that we have no time for listening to Christ. Our liturgy for this
morning emphasizes this line of interpretation.
This interpretation
isn’t bad or wrong, but there is another alternative that I think makes even
more sense.
When Mary sits down
at the feet of Jesus, Luke is describing the posture of a disciple learning
from their master.
When Luke notes
disciples and the women accompanying Jesus in chapter 8, the women are
described as supporting and serving him. But they don’t seem to have the role
of disciples at that point. James F. McGrath, in What Jesus Learned from Women,
suggests that when Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, it is the very first time
that a woman has taken the position of a disciple. It is not only unprecedented
but also catches Jesus by surprise.[1] How
Jesus responds will make all the difference. Jesus may not have even noticed
Mary there until Martha points it out.
What is Martha’s
real complaint and question? Would Mary have been so imperceptive to leave
Martha with all the household work? What if Mary could see that Martha had
everything under control? What if Mary recalled how Jesus talked about women in
prior months and thought maybe she could be allowed to learn from him, too?
The complaint from
Martha then becomes not of immediate need, but a veiled accusation against both
Jesus and Mary of violating cultural traditions and demanding that Jesus do
something about it.[2]
Martha may have been worried about how the impropriety of Mary filling the role
of a man might reflect on them. How could Mary find a husband when she was
usurping a man’s role? What might the talk of the village be? Perhaps she was
worried about what people might say about Jesus for permitting a woman to be
one of his disciples. Jesus was already ruffling powerful feathers. Perhaps
Martha had a desire to protect Jesus.
Are these things
the “distractions” Jesus is thinking about when he responds to Martha? If so,
it fits better with the overall progression of Luke’s narrative.
First, Jesus is
defending Mary’s right to become his disciple. Just as the separation of Jew
and Samaritan was erased in the parable of the merciful Samaritan, here Jesus
erases gender boundaries that kept men and women in their separate spheres. As
I mentioned a few minutes ago, the early Christians allowed ministry roles to
anyone who was gifted to do the necessary work, and men learned that serving
was not beneath them.
Second, Jesus may
be noting to Martha an irony in her words, “Martha, you called me ‘Lord,’ but
you are now demanding that I do something. Am I ‘Lord’ or am I not?”
Is Jesus asking the
same questions of us today? “What are you worried about and distracting you?”
Yes, we worry about
being seen as respectable in our families and communities. We worry about how
far to push the boundaries of change vs. tradition. We worry about maintaining
the physical and social structures of church and denomination. We are worried
about how our personal politics might offend a friend or a neighbor. We are
worried that if we drop our facades to reveal our true selves, we will be
rejected. We are worried about how things outside of our control might impact
us. We are distracted by all these things.
“Am I Lord or not?”
We confess you as
Lord, but too often we invoke your name wanting you to bless our own desires
and plans. We too often place you in boxes and boundaries that make us feel
comfortable.
Jesus says, “Turn
your ears and eyes toward me. Let go of your worries and distractions. Instead,
focus on my teachings and my doings. Do mercy to whomever I send you to.”
In the name of God
who is boundless,
In the name of God
who broke boundaries,
And in the name of
God who discomforts our boundary-making, Amen.
References
Bailey, K. E. (2008). Jesus Through Middle
Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels. Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press.
Jarvis, C. A., & Johnson, E. E. (2014). Feasting
on the Gospels: Luke, Volume 1 (Chapter 1-11). Louisville, KY:
Westminster John Knox Press.
McGrath, J. F. (2021). What Jesus Learned from
Women. Eugene, OR: Cascade Books.
