Jesus, Mary amd Martha

 

 

The Story of Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42) occurs as Jesus "set his face to go to Jerusalem" and dispatches the seventy disciples ahead with no provisions; instructs them to waste no time; to travel lightly and to depend on the hospitality of anyone who would welcome them on their journey. Likewise, immediately preceding the visit to the home of Martha and Mary, Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, which reveals an example of extraordinary compassion for a complete stranger in need and leaves no doubt as to “who is my neighbor.”

So, in the context of these preceding stories, are we not just a little taken aback with Jesus admonishing Martha and siding with Mary as to Mary’s not helping in the kitchen? Our initial instincts tell us that Jesus should not take sides as he affirms Mary’s choice to join the disciples and not be distracted with less important matters. After all what is Mary doing in the living room with men? Shouldn’t she be in the kitchen in keeping with her gender’s “pre-ordained” role? A few weeks ago Jesus took Simon to task for being less than attentive to the needs of his “honored” guest (Luke 7:36). His affirmation of Mary and his criticism of Simon seems inconsistent.

So, how can we explain his behavior? We certainly can relate to Martha wanting the meal to go well, especially since we can assume that both sisters were well aware of Jesus’ notoriety as an important religious teacher and they were honored to be able to host him…why else would they risk breaking the law by having a man in the house without the presence of a male relative? After all, isn’t Martha doing what is expected of her as a good hostess? 

Last week Jesus took the lawyer’s bait and did not equivocate regarding the question, “who is my neighbor,” and now in this reading, he is likewise resolute as to the kingdom of God as our first priority with no earthly tasks getting in the way.

Like the lawyer and Martha, we sometimes need to have our expectations challenged in order to hear…really hear… what Jesus is trying to tell us.