Martha, Martha

Pots bubbling. Bread to bake. Water to fetch. Guests to feed, and more arriving at the door. And in the middle of it all, one woman with flour on her hands, wondering why she's the only one working.

Jesus and his disciples are on the long road to Jerusalem. They come to a village, and a woman named Martha opens her home to them. That's no small thing. Jesus doesn't travel alone. There are disciples with him, a whole group of hungry, dusty travellers, and in that part of the world, hospitality matters. You give guests your best: water to wash, a good meal, a place to rest. Martha has a sister called Mary. John's Gospel tells us they lived in Bethany, not far from Jerusalem, and that they had a brother called Lazarus. Jesus loved all three of them.

So Martha gets to work. And there's a lot of it. The fire needs tending. The bread needs kneading. The lentils need stirring. Somebody needs to go and fetch more water from the well. Martha is everywhere at once, back and forth, back and forth. Luke says she was distracted by all the preparations, literally pulled in many directions. It's all good work. It's all for Jesus. But it's piling up.

And where is Mary? Mary is sitting on the floor at Jesus' feet, listening to what he's saying. She isn't stirring the pot. She isn't fetching the water. She's simply there, close to Jesus, taking in every word, while the noise of the kitchen carries on behind her.

Finally, Martha has had enough. She comes in, perhaps wiping her hands, and she speaks not to Mary but to Jesus. “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving on my own? Tell her to come and help me!” It's a fair question, isn't it? Most of us have felt exactly what Martha felt. Everyone in the room goes quiet, waiting to hear what Jesus will say.

Jesus answers kindly. He says her name twice, the way you might speak to someone you love. “Martha, Martha. You are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it won't be taken away from her.” Jesus doesn't scold Martha for serving. He doesn't say her work is worthless. He sees that she's anxious and pulled apart, and his words seem to make room for her to sit down too, to receive before she gives. Luke doesn't tell us what Martha did next. The door is left open, for her and for us.

To sit at someone's feet was a way of saying you were their student. In the book of Acts, Paul describes his own training in Jerusalem by saying he was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel, a famous teacher of the law. So when Mary sits at Jesus' feet, she is taking the place of a disciple, learning from the master. Jesus doesn't send her back to the kitchen. He says the place she has chosen is hers to keep.

Martha, Martha. You'll find it in Luke chapter 10, verses 38 to 42. Martha loved Jesus by serving him. Mary loved Jesus by listening to him. Jesus wanted both of them close. So here's a question to carry with you. What would it look like for you to stop, sit down, and listen to Jesus this week?