Martha and Mary
Preacher: Marcia C. Wilkinson

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Luke 10:38-42

How many times in the midst of busyness and schedules, years of developing your career, living life right to the brim of your time and resources--or in the pits of disappointment--has that small inner voice asked the question, “Is this all there is?  Have I reached this point in my life only to feel that something is missing?  Certainly there is something more!”

Then we ignore the voice, pack the thought away or bury it deeper with more busyness and determination to get over it.  Yet the voice comes back, and the words haunt us once again.

Today’s gospel in Luke is about listening, about being consciously attentive to that still small voice of God.  The familiar story of two sisters and Jesus has been interpreted in various ways.  Martha is seen as the one who provided hospitality for their friend and guest.  She put all of her focus on preparing the meal, while Mary focused her attention on being with Jesus.  Obviously, Martha was frustrated by the lack of assistance from her sister, and complained to Jesus that Mary should share the responsibility.  Jesus answered.  You have so many distractions that you are not really living fully in the moment.  Instead you are anxious, so that you’re not enjoying what you’re doing for me.  Mary desires to sit with me and I am not going to take that away from her.  What is obvious here is Mary has made a conscious decision.  She is focused on Jesus and she won’t miss being in his company.

Some would say this scene shows the tension between the contemplative life and the active life of service:  Faith versus works.  Being versus doing. Another interpretation says that Mary’s sitting at Jesus’ feet as a pupil was breaking the contemporary social taboo.  Women didn’t study with Rabbis.  If Mary was radically breaking from tradition, then Martha was doing what was expected of her--fulfilling the role of Jewish custom.

Yet, if Mary broke a taboo by being at Jesus’ feet, then Martha did also because she broke a primary rule of mid eastern hospitality.  She neglected to really care for her guest.  Notice Jesus didn’t reject what she offered.  He chided her because she was so too pre-occupied doing her thing, that she missed the important part of the visit.  He wanted her to want his company.

When good things become an end in themselves--when they point away from what is really important--they have the adverse effect.  In this case, prime time was not given for developing a deeper friendship.  Mary, on the other hand had set her sights on the one essential thing she needed and wanted- to be with Jesus.  Mary was completely sold out to Jesus.

Martha settled for too little.  Jesus knew that she was frustrated because her deepest yearnings had not been satisfied.  She needed him.  And he wanted to awaken her spirit to set her free.  And, he desired to give her rest.  Just put the towel away Martha and sit, and see wonderful things happen.

Theologian Soren Kierkegaard gave us a good word:
“Purity of heart is to will one thing: our Father in heaven!”
We may know a great many things and have accumulated a vast amount, but if we do not know God personally we have only a chipped fragment of what life can be.  If all our striving could encompass a world, it is but a half finished work if we do not know God (Kierkegaard).  To have a heart bent towards God is primary.

The Jews understood the heart as the center of our being:  body, mind, the soul, or inner working of the spirit.  The heart was the true essence of what it meant to be human. And, although the heart is complex, we do know it is deceptive, changeable, provocative, and vulnerable.   Think about heart expressions common to all of us.
            A person without compassion is heartless, so we say, "Have a heart."
            Deepest hurts we call heartaches.
            Rejected lovers are brokenhearted.
            Courageous soldiers are brave hearts.
            Saints have hearts of gold.
            Two in intimate conversations speak heart to heart.
            Two professing and sharing their love, love with all their heart.
            When we lose our zest for life we say our heart is just not in it.

Losing our zest for life can stem from various hurtful addictions, affairs, failures, and trial after trial without end in sight.  But constant busyness, being driven in our goals, work, competition, and daily challenges affect us too.  We feel restless, are sometimes fatigued, depressed and vulnerable to feelings of inadequacy.  Even though we admit to brokenness, we’re often just too weary- or too busy to even realize the depth of our lack of heart.  A life that is so over burdened is settling for too little.

I believe this was Martha’s story.  She put all of her energy, her whole self into action for one she loved but because of all the fuss and stress she wasn’t really enjoying what she was doing, and there was nothing left for Jesus.  Martha had pushed him aside.  She was not in tune with him.  How could Jesus possibly give her what she wanted if she wasn’t even listening and present to him?   She needed to be awakened.  So Jesus confronted Martha.

A.W. Tozer says:  “Thirsty hearts are those whose longings have been wakened by the touch of God within them.”  They are thirsty because once touched by the living God they want more of God.  And I would add; thirsty hearts are also those hearts barely beating in parched and dreary land where there is no water.  They need to be touched even though they do not realize the need.

I have learned that a daily relationship with Jesus puts everything in its right perspective.  For example, no matter how stretched All Saints’ is right now with a reduced staff, when we allow God to be first in ministry he puts everything in good order, and nothing important is left undone.  I have seen this repeatedly and believe it.  And, when I forget like Martha, and keep pushing to complete deadlines, he reminds me to come and quietly sit with him.  What can we expect when we share time together?
-His voice that comforts, and teaches us who we are in him
-His words that remind us what he done for us in the past and wants to do for us now
-His word that points us beyond ourselves to be with others in need
-His face that holds good humor and laughter, amazing stories about people he loves, and those who have turned on him because they just don’t know any better
-His eyes that look deep into our own with such love and care that we know we belong to him.  We are awed that we are looking into the face of God who has saved us and gives us new life.

We need the kind of relationship Jesus offers.  Especially when our jammed pack lives would tell us otherwise.  Invited, Jesus will take residence in us to secure that relationship. Then he brings a sense of order to our disordered lives. The questions for us this morning are basic.  Are we like Martha--restless with activity yet too busy to be with Jesus one to one?  Or are we confident like Mary because we have the made the conscious decision to be near him, and have discovered Jesus’ presence is more valuable than anything else?