Musings on Martha and Mary

Our parish church has finally started a house group, so I went along to see what it was like, and liked my first impression. We are using some ancient Scripture Union material entitled Serendipity, which just sounds dated, but it was OK.

Last night we looked at Luke 10:38-42, when Jesus dropped in on Martha and Mary and Martha got in a tizz trying to impress Jesus and his mates, or maybe it was making dinner for 15 people or more than got her fussing and fretting, but anyway she thought Jesus shouldn't have encouraged her sister Mary to sit there listening to him while she, Martha, had so much work to do? Or did she?

Jesus' answer could seem a bit strange. He tells her,
"Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Now, when people dropped by on you for lunch or dinner in those days, it was important that you gave them a drink, maybe washed their dusty feet, and fed them. Of course this was the women's job. A lot of women like to show they care by feeding people well, and maybe this is what Martha was trying to do, but Jesus sees her as worried and distracted, so there seems to be more going on. I don't think Jesus would have minded Martha wanting to be hospitable and I don't see this as suggesting spiritual nourishment is more important than feeding the body. Jesus was a man who embraced all that it meant to be human, after all. So I think Martha must have been running around in unnecessary small circles and Jesus was reminding her to stop fussing, stop feeling she hadn't already done enough, perhaps, and sit down, relax and listen to him.

This strikes me as the eternal message we all need to hear. Stop striving, when you've done all that is really needed for the day, for the event, or whatever. Stop worrying over what might, or might not,happen and things you cannot change. Relax and take time to sit with friends and family, chatting with them and listening to what they have to say. More than that, take time during the week to listen to Jesus, God or your inner promptings to check your life is on the right course for you, and that your life is balanced and you've got your priorities sorted.