ANOTHER RADICAL CHALLENGE

Only Luke tells this story of Jesus staying in Bethany with Martha and Mary. There is no mention of their brother Lazarus in this Gospel. Luke seems more aware than the other Gospel writers of the stories featuring women: Elizabeth encouraging the pregnant Mary (1:39–56), Anna the prophet greeting the infant Jesus (2:36–38), financial support for Jesus’ travels from prominent women (8:1–3) and women there to support him on his way to die (23:27–29). He includes parables not in the other Gospels—the woman and the lost coin (15:8–10) and the widow pestering a judge for her rights (18:1–8).

This story is a small human incident, understandable in any age, with a message for everyone! Martha was not simply saying she needed more help in the kitchen. As N. T. Wright puts it, “The real problem was that Mary was behaving as if she were a man.” She had crossed a boundary line—sitting at the feet of a teacher, a student learning from a master, as Paul described himself (Acts 22:3).

For us reading this story in the twenty-first century, there are several ways in which it challenges us. Some of us would rather bustle than sit and listen and learn. Some of us would like others to see that we are doing most of the work and hope that they feel guilty. Jesus’ reply to Martha is exemplary. He recognizes her anxious worrying, tells her to settle for a “few things” (water and some bread and cheese!), or, perhaps, just one—join Mary at his feet. I hope it was these two women, in the afterglow of their brother brought back to life from the grave and their Lord and Savior’s resurrection, who told this story to Luke, perhaps laughing at themselves as they did so.

There is a place for both service and contemplation, but let us act out of a heart that has sat with and learned from Jesus.