Memorial of Saint Martha
I keep telling my husband that the world feels like it’s on fire. Two weeks ago, I wrote about Israel, and it seems things have only gotten worse. Today’s reading from Jeremiah is another lament that seems all too appropriate for the strife of the Holy Land: “Let my eyes stream with tears, day and night, without rest, Over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound.” But today’s gospel reading brings the pain and strife expressed by Jeremiah’s words down to the level of one family. Martha and Mary have lost their brother, Lazarus. Martha, the woman whose memorial we celebrate today, greets Jesus with both brutal honesty and earnest faith. She tells Jesus that if he has been there, Lazarus would not have died. On the one hand, she is scolding him through her tears of grief. On the other, she is expressing her deep faith in the God she finds incarnate in Jesus himself. Martha also expresses her faith in the resurrection of the dead, saying to Jesus, ““I know [Lazarus] will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” The story cuts off before the climax, which is when Jesus rises his friend from the grave.
The lectionary also gives us the earlier story of Martha and Mary, who have Jesus over for dinner. Martha scolds Mary in the story by asking Jesus to tell her sister to help her. Jesus calls Martha “anxious” and “worried,” and says that “Mary has chosen the better part” by sitting at Jesus’ feet for instruction.
In both stories, Martha does not come off very well. In one, she seems to lack full faith in Jesus’ power, and in the other, she seems to have missed the point by cleaning dishes. But it is important to remember that Martha is doing holy things. The part she chooses in both stories is a steadfast, hardworking faith. She is a holy and honest woman, and a saint worth remembering and honoring. She is also, like Peter (who is the rock on which the church itself is built), an incredibly human and relatable character.
In both stories, Martha stands in for us. For the most part, we are trying. We are trying to be good parents and spouses, trying to be good priests and friends, trying to be good students and teachers…on and on. So what should we learn from Martha? I think the answer is surprise. Even when we are doing what is good and right, we should always remember that God is ready to surprise us by calling us to even deeper self-giving and love. Martha was waiting for the final resurrection, and Jesus rises Lazarus that very day. Martha was serving the Lord to the best of her ability, and Jesus calls her to rest in his presence and know love. May we always ready for the surprise.
- Katherine Schmidt