Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, July 20, 2025: Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42
Today’s gospel brings us the story of Mary and Martha. It’s a familiar story, and there’s not much new to say about it. Jesus comes to the house, and Mary sits and listens to him. Martha fusses with her “many tasks”. When Martha wants Mary to help her, Jesus rebukes her and says that Mary has chosen the better part. It is vital to take time to listen.
I am a lifelong Martha (as are many church ladies I’ve known) and I’ve been in many conversations about Mary and Martha. I know that we all have inclinations to be one or the other, but we are humans who can learn. So I’ve started to think that this discussion has not been framed properly. Instead, how do we find ways to be both Mary and Martha?
For those of us who are inclined to the Martha role, stepping in to help make things happen at every opportunity, how do we make sure we stop to listen, to reflect? How do we learn to just be, without doing? When I have stepped back, I have learned that others can do things too. And I have learned to enjoy the way they did them!
On the other hand, if we are used to sitting and daydreaming, maybe while other people take care of the various tasks at hand, how do we push ourselves to help? How do we learn that the things we enjoy do not just appear miraculously?
And if we do this, what do we learn? When Martha sits still, how will her experience of doing all the tasks shape her reflection? When Mary pitches in, what does she bring from her listening and reflecting?
When Jesus tells Martha off, he has it at least partly wrong. He seems to suggest that those doing the “many tasks” are making the wrong choice, and those sitting and listening are doing it right. But Martha is doing the work needed to make the household function. In Jesus’ world, that was the work of drawing water from wells, washing feet, and preparing meals. In the modern world, that may be preparing a meal at home, hosting a coffee hour at church, or making sure the break room at work does not become a home for various pests and insects. All this is important, and we all rely on the Marthas of this world for such things. We need to value the necessary work of life.
If we believe we are all equal before God, we cannot require some people to do work we see as less holy so we can be more holy. All work is holy. So is listening to the word. If we are to escape the hierarchical view of one way of living being “better”, we all need to learn to be both Mary and Martha.
Leave a Reply