Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
The gospel account of Jesus at Martha and Mary house (Lk 10:38-42) is one of the most intriguing but also perhaps the most misunderstood gospel passage. It seems simple but it also raises questions. Is this passage meant to contrast prayer and service? Is this about domestic dispute or sibling rivalry? Also, perhaps like many of you, my sympathy lies with Martha, but Jesus said that it was Mary who “chose the better part” (Lk 10:42). What was Jesus really saying? A cursory reading can be confusing and lead us to the wrong conclusions. To understand the real meaning of the passage we must delve both into the context of the passage and the meaning of the Greek words. I would like to do an exegesis of this passage and then draw some practical implications.
“Martha welcomed him”
I find Luke’s conclusion to the story rather ironic because even though Martha is seemingly rebuked by Jesus, she was the one who welcomed Jesus into her home in the first place (LK 10:38). Luke does not tell us of any prior acquaintance Jesus and Martha may have had, but once inside the house, Mary is introduced to the reader as Martha’s sister. Mary’s primary gesture is that of sitting at the feet of Jesus and “listening to him speak” (Lk 10:39). But Martha is the one who is credited with the initial hospitality.
“Burdened with much serving”
The word perispaō used for “burdened” has the sense of being distracted. By using pollen diakonian for “with much serving,” Luke was saying that the reality was that there was much to do. He was not saying that Martha was an obsessive-compulsive person but that her distraction was the result of having much left to be done.
“Lord, do you not care?”
Luke has used this phrase another time. It was when Jesus was in the boat with the disciples and a storm almost sunk them. The disciples had cried out, “Lord, do you not care that we are perishing? (Lk 8:24). Martha asked Jesus the same question, “Do you not care?” But Martha’s complaint was more pointedly against her sister – “My sister has left me by myself to do the serving. Tell her to help me” (Lk 10:40). In one sense, Jesus was being asked to intervene is a domestic dispute, perhaps a sibling rivalry.
“You are anxious and worried about many things.”
The word used for anxious is Merimnaō but by using along with thorubazomai the meaning is that Martha was creating an uproar. Jesus saying to her, “You are putting yourself in an uproar.” Can you imagine Martha’s face? I won’t be surprised if she felt deflated. She is the one who welcomed him in. She was the one who was serving Jesus. She was the one left with “much to do.” And now Jesus tells her that she was putting herself in an uproar.
“There is need for only one thing”
Scripture scholars tell us that the translators have messed this up. It could mean that Jesus was saying, “make fewer dishes.” A better translation is “there is need of few things, or of just one thing.” The larger message is “that the essential thing about hospitality is to pay attention to the guest.”
“Mary has chosen the good part.”
The words for chose, agathos instead of kalos indicates a moral dimension to her choice. Even though Martha is the one who welcomed Jesus into the house, it was Mary who welcomed him as a prophet. By sitting at Jesus’ feet and her listening to Him she has received Jesus like a Prophet should be received. A prophet is defined by his logos or words. Jesus was not just another visitor. He was a prophet who spoke the “word of God,” and Mary’s gesture was more appropriate for a prophet.
Here are my three practical implications:
To Receive A Prophet
To understand the passage correctly, we need one more thing – the context in which Luke places Jesus’ visit with Martha and Mary. Luke begins Chapter 10 with Jesus sending out his disciples two-by-two to on a mission to proclaim the reign of God. He sent them with no money bag, no sack, no sandals (Lk 10:4). They were to stay in whatever house that welcomed them. But he also prepared them for inhospitality both in homes and cities. Following this, Jesus pronounced woes on unrepentant and inhospitable cities like Chorazin and Bethsaida. In the same chapter we have the story of the Good Samaritan. Unlike the priest or the Levite, it was the Good Samaritan who treated even an enemy with mercy, compassion, and genuine hospitality. The story of Martha and Mary comes right after the story of the Good Samaritan.
Taking the context into account, the story of Martha and Mary is not about the popular themes of prayer, service, or the relationship between the two. We often hear people say, sitting at Jesus feet in prayer is more important than the service because Mary chose the better part. That is not Luke’s message. Neither is the passage about sibling rivalry.
Luke’s message is that Jesus came to proclaim God’s reign on the earth. Martha welcomed him into the house, but it was Mary who welcomed Jesus for who he really is – a prophet. (As an aside, they could not have welcomed him as a Messiah because that would only be revealed later). In other words, this passage does not contrast prayer and service, rather, it tells us how Jesus and those who bear God’s word must be truly received.
To Listen to Him Speak
Whereas the purpose of this passage is not to contrast prayer and service, Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him speak does invite us to reflect on the words of Jesus we hear in the gospels. To welcome the ‘Word’ like Martha is to welcome Jesus. To sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary is to listen to his logos. These are two sides of the same coin, and both are necessary. Martha teaches us that first we must open our lives, our homes, our world to the Word. Mary teaches us that we must do so without being distracted. Today’s first reading has a similar message. Abraham’s hospitality in today’s first reading (Gen 18:1-10a) becomes a blessing for him, and it could for us too.
Disciples without Distraction
Mary’s gesture of sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to him speak is the most appropriate stance of a disciple. Martha cared for Jesus as deeply as Mary did, but on that day, she was burdened with distractions.
What distracts us from the Gospel message? What takes us away from the reign of God that Jesus came to proclaim? For example, In Luke 10, Jesus teaches us that we must love God with all of heart, mind, being, and strength. Are we distracted or are we listening to Jesus? In the same chapter, Jesus teaches us through the parable of the Good Samaritan to be merciful, to show compassion, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and to show true hospitality. Are we distracted by our selfishness, our politics, or our ideologies or are we listening to the Prophet? Jesus teaches us that we cannot serve God and mammon. Do we get distracted? Jesus teaches us to love even our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Do we listen or are we distracted? Jesus teaches us to be poor in spirit, be meek, be humble, be clean of heart, and be peacemakers. What distracts us? Jesus teaches us whatever we do to the least of our brothers and sisters we do it to him. Are we listening like Mary listened?
We will go home today after Mass with Jesus in our hearts. May Jesus feel welcome in our home. Let him not feel left out of our daily lives. Often this week, may we sit at his feet and listen. Let the Messiah be received like he must be received.
- Fr. Satish Joseph