Martha and Mary and what is truly important

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.


Now as I was reading todays Gospel, I entered into a certain passage where a woman named Martha beckoned me deeper.

I love readings about Martha, Mary and Lazarus. They always have something to say about our strengths and weaknesses. They talk about how we are different. They talk about what it means to be human.


Last time we met Martha we were late in Lent and we were reading from the Gospel of John. Both today’s story and the one from John are almost certainly based on the same earlier source. In both stories Martha is serving dinner and Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet. But our two writers use this beginning to tell us something very different about ourselves.


During Lent we talked about how Martha was the organizer and doer, Mary was the visionary, and Lazarus was the one willing to die so that Jesus could work through him.

In today’s story, we only have Martha and Mary. Lazarus stays well out of the picture. Martha’s part in this story is very similar. She is rushing around trying to make everything ready for supper. She is distracted and she has too much to do. And all the while she is rushing around, Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to him talk.

When Martha starts complaining about Mary just sitting there while Martha is doing all the work, I find myself identifying with Martha. I can put myself in her sandals very easily. Especially right now, with Victoria away, I find myself rushing around trying to get everything done. I find myself torn between wanting Rosa and Paul to help me get things done and wanting them to sit and watch some TV so they won’t get in the way and make everything take longer. There is always something that needs to be done and never enough time to do it.


So what is Jesus’ response to Martha’s complaint? He says to 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.”


Well, what does that mean for us? Does it mean that we should all drop everything we are doing and sit listening for what Jesus has to say for us?

No – or at least not all of the time. Jesus did not tell Martha that she should drop what she was doing and join Mary. He told her not to stop Mary from what she was doing.

What Jesus was telling Martha is that what we think is necessary is not the same thing as what really is necessary. All of the work that Martha was doing was important and was worthy of being done, but in the big picture of the Kingdom of God, none of it was necessary. The only thing that is truly necessary from that point of view is our relationship with God. What Mary was doing was the most important. She was taking Sabbath time. She was listening to God.

That reminds me …. How is everyone doing in my challenge? -- I didn’t do so well this past week. I think I managed about three out of seven days, maybe four. I hope to be able to report a better result next week.

Remember, the challenge is to take time once each day to do something for God which doesn’t directly benefit you. This can’t be something you already do. It should be something new. Just spend at least ten minutes each day to show God that we remember that we have dedicated our lives to God.

Last week we read “Thou shalt love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” I think that should include one more bit.

Thou shalt love the Lord your God with at least a little bit of your time!


I give thanks to God for his infinite patience. I pray that God will help be to be less distracted by my business and to find the time to sit back and listen to what God has to say.