Oct

18

2011

Mary, Mathra, and how we miss the point

While Jesus and his disciples were traveling, Jesus entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his message. By contrast, Martha was preoccupied with getting everything ready for their meal.

So Martha came to him and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to prepare the table all by myself? Tell her to help me.”

The Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things. One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part. It won’t be taken away from her.”

- Luke 10:38-42 (Common English Bible).

Its quite common these days to hear Christians talking about Mary and Martha. "I don't want to be a Martha, only worried about what I do. I want to be like Mari who choose the better option to simply be with Jesus. After-all, I'm a human being, not a human doing." Now, I do understand what people are getting at - it is easy to become so concerned with doing stuff for God that our 'first love' for him gets left behind somewhere (Rev. 2:2-5).

However, Dean Sherman is right to challenge an extreme form of this idea. If we start making too much of a distinction between what we do and what we be, and if we act as if it is more important for us to be than it is for us to do, then we risk never doing anything! Unfortunately, this teaching can actually make otherwise missional people become passive and never get off their butts to do anything. Its as if we've forgotten just how much Jesus and Scripture actually encourages us to do: love neighbors, go into all nations, love mercy, take care of widows and orphans... Yes, it is absolutely essential that we learn to rest in God's presence, to be with him, to seek him, to sit at his feet. But it is a false idea to say that it is more important to be that it is to do. As Dean says, "I am a being do-er and a doing be-er."

So, I think this Mary VS Martha notion is often taken too far. Its amazing how much we read our culture into the Bible. In this case, we're so used to living within a culture where women are treated with respect and dignity, and are generally seen as being socially equal to me. Why was it amazing that Mary acted as she did in Jesus' day? Because she was a woman! In that culture only the men could sit around the feet of the Rabbi and listen to his teaching. Only men were dignified enough to learn the truths of God. A  famous Rabbinic prayer from around that time went as far as saying, "God, thank you that you did not make me a Gentile or a woman."

Mary saw that Jesus had broken down the barriers that separate women from participating in such things; Martha didn't. Mary recognized that Jesus saw her as a true human being. Mary recognized that she was worthy to sit at the feet of her Rabbi and learn about God. She realized that in the Kingdom of God that Jesus was bringing, there was a place for her. No longer did she have to remain within the "woman's world" of the kitchen while the men were able to listen to God's truth.

A friend of mine, who has just taken a new position in leadership, was worried that she is doing so much that she is being a Martha and not a Mary. In the business of being in leadership had she forgotten to be instead of just do? Is the business of leadership a distraction from the more important task of simply being with God? Maybe this passage challenges my friend to stop doing so much so that she can just be with Jesus... Well, I don't think this is the point of the Mary VS Martha story at all! My friend is recognizing that she does have a place in leadership despite her limitations (and despite that some still argue that women have no place in ministry). She is not a Martha; she's a Mary! Its not about doing VS being (a silly dichotomy); its about knowing that Jesus considers you worthy to have you follow him and call hin Lord!

So, may we learn to receive God's dignifying, affirming love as we seek to serve him in how we live our lives. As we do our lives for Jesus, let's also learn to be accepted by him. May we realize that Jesus considers us worthy to sit at his feet and learn from him, not matter how unworthy we may feel. And, may we realize that it gives God glory and joy when we realize how openly he receives us; if he calls us worthy to sit at his feet, who am I to remain hidden in the kitchen?