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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.
Image: Johannes Vermeer, Public domain, via Wikimedia
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