A Martha World

A Martha World
Luke 10:38-42
This Scripture reading contains a story about two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha was probably the older sister, the first-born. She was a take charge person and probably a natural leader. Today we would say that she was a Type A personality and task-oriented. If you wanted something done, Martha was the one to get to do it. Mary was probably the younger sister, and a follower. She was quiet, reflective, rather bookish, and shy. Mary would sit by herself for hours, and think, and dream. So here are the two sisters, one a worker, the other a dreamer; one is a leader, the other a follower.

Martha and Mary were friends of Jesus. And one day Martha invited Jesus to dinner. Martha did the inviting and made the arrangements, but of course, Mary thought it was a good idea. Jesus accepted the invitation, and came to their house for dinner.

When Jesus arrived at their home, the two sisters did what they tended to do. Martha was in the kitchen preparing dinner, and Mary was in the living room listening to Jesus. Now Martha was working extra hard to make this a special dinner, because Jesus was a special person. She was in the kitchen cooking fried chicken, green beans, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls, and apple pie. (I have been a little creative with the menu.) Remember that there were no microwaves in those days, and no KFC. Everything is almost ready. The chicken is frying, the potatoes are boiling, the beans are cooking, and the rolls and the pie are almost ready to come out of the oven. Martha is on overload when she hears Mary laughing in the living room. And she can’t take any more. Martha bursts into the living room and says, ”Lord, doesn’t it bother you that I am having to do all the work, while Mary just sits there? Tell her to get in here and help me.” We have all heard of road rage. This was kitchen rage.

We can all identify with Martha’s frustration. Sometimes it feels like we are the only ones who are working, and no one else is doing anything to help us. But listen to what Jesus says to Martha: “Martha, Martha! “ He says her name twice – maybe to make sure he has her attention, or to try to calm her? “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What was Jesus saying? Was he saying that Martha shouldn’t be preparing dinner? But Martha had invited him to dinner, and they certainly need to have food to eat. And wasn’t Jesus the one who had taught that people should help one another?

Jesus was saying that the problem with Martha was not that she worked, but that she worried too much. Preparing dinner for Jesus was the most important thing for Martha at the time, but Jesus was saying that dinner was not the most important thing. He said that listening to him was the most important thing, and that Mary had chosen to do that instead of prepare the dinner. Now we can all admit that there are times when preparing dinner is the most important thing, but this was not one of those times.

We live in a Martha world. If we are not careful, we can be worried and upset about things that aren’t really that important. The Martha world is one that measures our value by how much we can produce and how fast we can produce it. In the Martha world more is better, faster is essential, it won’t get done if we don’t do it, and shame on those people who don’t work as hard as we do. And in the Martha world, sitting and listening is a waste of time. There are too many other things that have to be done.

Jesus said that Martha was worried and upset about many things, but that only one thing really mattered. Martha worried about the dinner, and was upset that she had to do it all by herself, while Mary sat in the living room and listened to Jesus. But Mary had made the best choice. She had her priorities in order. She chose to spend the time with Jesus.

We don’t know how the story ends. Perhaps Martha realized that she was too concerned about the dinner preparation, and she may have calmed down and focused upon Jesus, rather than the food. That is a good reminder for us as well. If we are worried and concerned about many things, then maybe we need to spend some time in the living room, listening to Jesus.