SIXTEENTH SUNDAY ORDINARY TIME 2019
In almost every discussion of the Gospel reading from Luke about Mary and Martha, Martha is disparaged for her acts when compared to Mary’s attentiveness to Jesus. Jesus’ words, when taken literally, seem very harsh and in discord with his merciful acts. Jesus says to Martha, “Martha, Martha you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it will not be taken from her.” Jesus’ words imply that Martha should immediately stop what she is doing and sit at Jesus’ feet and like Mary listen to him. Unless one looks deeper into his meaning, Jesus appears callous and unappreciative of Martha’s efforts. What did Martha do wrong, when Mary appears to have little regard for addressing the needs of her guests?
Mary’s focus on Jesus and his words, as he says, is “the better part” for she has chosen to direct her attention to him above anything else. Mary does this because of her love for him. Mary is in quiet contemplative awe as she listening to his words in absorbing them into her being. She realizes that his words bring the everlasting truth that is too valuable to ignore. Jesus is telling us that likewise our hearts must be in quiet reflection, for he speaks of our everlasting salvation. Unless we turn to his words and hold deep them in our hearts we will be easily distracted by the devil with his showy and sparkling objects that tempt us to disregard our real desire of eternity with Jesus in heaven.
But what about Martha; why is she in the wrong? She too loves Jesus as much as Mary for she bustles about the kitchen preparing a meal for Jesus and his disciplines. The efforts of hospitality are a cornerstone of the Jewish tradition. In the first reading today, Abraham takes great effort to show hospitality to three strangers who are passing by. God, in recognizing his generosity, promises Abraham a son. This promise coming at the end of the meal indicates pleasure of Abraham’s devotion to love of neighbor. Is not the act of opening one’s house and kitchen to care for others an example of such love, one that Jesus commands of us? Martha in her work certainly was saintly and was also much loved by the Lord. In welcoming Jesus into her home she is asking Jesus to make her home his home. Martha stresses need for service to the Jesus and others as she move about preparing a meal.
Then what wrong has Martha done that she was admonished by Jesus? St. Augustine, in several of his sermons, interprets Jesus words to Martha that she acting in the present where Mary is looking at the things to come. St. Augustine reflects that Mary has chosen the better part. Not that Martha made a bad choice, but Mary a better. In time, the burdens of these necessary worldly duties will be taken from Martha when she enters heaven. Then the toils of this world will be in the past for she then can join Mary in experiencing the sweetness of the truth that is everlasting.
This Gospel story is not meant to set one sister against the other. Each demonstrates her complete love for Jesus but in a different way. Mary shows the value of continual contemplation of Christ in our lives. Martha demonstrates the qualities of self gift her service to the Lord. The sisters symbolize side-by-side realities are meant to be in harmony. Therefore, although Christian history is fond of playing Martha and Mary against each other, the real task is to discover the proper relationship in our lives of service and reflection.
If one lives only a reflective life, then daily activities come to a standstill. A housewife, who only thinks about washing the sinkful of dishes throughout the day, will still have dishes to wash at the end of the day. The farmer, who stands leaning against a fencepost contemplating whether to disc a field, will still have a weedy field tomorrow. The student who reflects on the story that needs to written for class, still needs to type the words on the page, before it can be submitted. Contemplation without action can be a block to reaching the goals one desires.
Similarly, the workaholic who never stops to reflect on his or her relationship with others is focused more on the action than on the reason why the act is done. For these people they find themselves on a hamster wheel running and running not know that there is more to experience that busyness. Jesus does not dismissing the importance of hospitality in his words to Martha; he only asks her to discover more than can be found looking out the kitchen window.
The achievement of balance between a life service and contemplation is necessary in every aspect of our lives. For example, some individuals who come to Mass direct all of their attention solely on the word of God which is a holy act. In becoming so focused on prayer, however, one loses sight of the importance of the community that desires to develop a relationship with such a faith-filled person. Other parishioners volunteer regularly for ministries such as ushers, greeters, extra-ordinary ministers, cantors and instrumentalists, lectors, altar servers, and sacristans find it difficult to set time aside in the Mass for prayer because of their duties. The quality of contemplation is compromised one never learns to pray from the heart. The two ministries are complementary.
What is this means is that our parish community suffers when we are exclusively a Mary or a Martha. It is not appropriate to set the two sisters and their acts against each other. In the ministry of caring for our neighbor, we learn the expansive nature God’s love that cannot be kept to oneself. In the ministry of contemplation, we discover the depth God’s love in our hearts. Thus there is a balance to be achieved in our lives between Mary and Martha.
Deacon Dan Gilbert