Revisiting Mary and Martha

What might the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38 - 42 mean to Christians today? I suppose we often find attached to this story such applications: we should get our priority right; we should put hearing and learning the word of God first; we should never neglect reading the Bible and our devotion time when we are busy. While these applications are not inappropriate, I often wonder if there are fresh ways of articulating the significance of Luke 10:38 – 42 for today.  


Martha and Mary by Heqi


Let me begin with a story. Imagine a family gathering. Members of the family have not seen one another for some time and everyone is having fun catching up with one another. This special moment is suddenly interrupted by mother who has just emerged from the kitchen. "Lunch time is almost upon us", she exclaims. "Could a few of you come into the kitchen now and help me," she continues. One of her daughters says, "We are having such a good time, we haven't seen one another for some time, come join us, forget about preparing lunch. We’ll go out somewhere for lunch later." "No! I am half way through preparation. I need help now," she retorts and walks back into the kitchen. The moment comes to an end abruptly. I suppose preparing lunch is necessary. But could it not be sacrificed for the sake of what is a rare and special moment, a moment which perhaps could not be replicated or captured easily again? Mother's preoccupation and determination to get lunch ready is commendable. But her insistence has also done something to her. It has blinded her from seeing the moment as unique and special. Worse is that it has hindered her from being part of the moment. Mother failed to see that the moment was also potentially nourishing to her and her family – nourishing in ways that lunch could not be.

The story of Mary and Martha comes after the Transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:28 - 36) where the glory of Jesus was revealed to Peter, John and James on a mountain top. There they also heard the divine voice from heaven: "This is my Son whom I have chosen listen to him." Mary was not with the disciples at the Mount of Transfiguration but Luke writes that she "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said." This is as if Luke is saying Mary though not with Peter, John and James at the Mount of Transfiguration is here listening to Jesus as instructed by the divine voice. It is a special moment that Mary somehow recognises. And indeed, it is more than a special moment – it is a sacramental moment because the Son of God, God the Son, God in the person of Jesus is in the house! This significant moment Mary recognises but Martha does not! Martha's preoccupation distracts her from discerning the deeper significance of the presence of Jesus in her house. Martha is just too busy with preparation. Preparation is necessary but for this one special and sacramental moment could it not be put aside?
 
What might the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38 - 42 mean to Christians today? I am quite sure that this passage could be appropriated in different ways. But here's one of my thoughts. Churches today are busy with programmes and activities. We highlight, among other things, this: "The harvest is plentiful but workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Activism takes over our churches. We seem to be doing this and that, and more and more all the time. In the midst of our programmes and activities, have we missed special and significant moments? I know that God is everywhere but he is also somewhere in special ways sometimes (Matthew 25:31 - 46). Have we failed to discern and so terminated such special and sacramental moments in the name of our church programmes and activities. Programmes and activities are necessary; but there are also moments in the company of believers that may nourish our churches more than our activities and programmes could. God is in the house! Could we discern that? Could it be that our concerns are in the way.