In Defense of Martha

"Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed--or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:41

The scene is all to familiar to us: Martha in the kitchen while her sister Mary sits listening to Jesus. Martha, Martha, we say, why are you such a workaholic? Why don't you take a seat and listen with your sister? We know that is what we would do. If Jesus shows up to eat in our house, you'd better believe we'd be feasting on the words of Life before us. Sitting, listening, learning, watching, drinking deeply from the Living Water. Oh Martha, Martha - dinner can wait, the dishes can wait - would you turn off the vacuum cleaner? It's just that it makes it a little difficult to hear the Son of God speaking - in our living room. Do you really have to do the wash now Martha? Just settle down, kick your feet back, enjoy life for a while. We all know the scene, many of us have heard the sermons - "quit being a busybody, because Jesus is the only thing you need". But I think Martha may get a little more flack than she deserves. And maybe we should be careful not to read our own, crazy, North American, work-a-holic tendencies on her too quickly.

My family spent last Thanksgiving at my Uncle and Aunt's house in Canton, TX. My Uncle preaches for a church up there and so when Wednesday Night rolled around, although he did not have any set responsibilities, we loaded the family into all available mini-vans and went to the pre-Thanksgiving devotional. It was what you would expect - Thanksgiving is a good to time to be thankful and be with family, etc... The thing that struck me this time was when the gentleman leading the devotional talked about Thanksgiving how relaxing Thanksgiving could be, my Mother, being in one of her unusually saucier moods, leaned over and whispered to my Father, "Relaxing unless you're a woman!"

The questions of gender politics aside, she had a point. In our family, most of the men sit around, play games, watch football, and...well, relax. On the other hand, those in charge of preparing and serving the meal are busily and hurriedly rushing back and forth from stove top to oven to refrigerator, a pile of dirty dishes rapidly stacking in the sink, the whole house filling with delicious aromas as wonderful, steaming dishes are laid upon the layer of pot-holders that have been placed in the center of the table. And as the heat rises out of the kitchen, so often can the frustration. Especially in between the loud cheers that rise from the Lazy-Boys and sofa recliners as some team that none of us truly care about scores on some other team that none of us truly care about. And, sensing the frustration during commercial breaks, we say, "Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things... Why don't you come take a break, enjoy yourself, be with your family who loves you. Don't be worried and frazzled, just relax."

And if we're not careful, we can trick ourselves into thinking that this is great advice. But what if we were taken seriously? Well, I would imagine that it would be a good idea for a while - the whole family together, enjoying each other. But around 3:15, when un-lunched stomaches began to make themselves known audibly...well then we'd get a real taste of family togetherness, if you know what I'm saying.

It's here that I'm reminded: Luke describes Martha as being distracted by all the preparations, the service or ministry, that had to be done. The work is not bad. The service, the ministry, is not bad. No, on the contrary it is necessary. The in breaking of Kingdom of God is not a leisure activity, a hobby or pastime. It takes work! It takes dedication. It means being a good neighbor, it means preaching the gospel even when your rejected. The cost of discipleship is high, and it requires your very life and all you do. So be careful what you say about Martha, because the ministry she does is important.

But neither should we be hard on Mary, because the work is never as important as the Lord who gives it. Sometimes I am guilty of treating the work of Christ like a hobby or a service project, and I need Martha to show me that the work is necessary. But sometimes in the midst of that important work, of that ministry, when my mind is consumed by the dishes that need washing, the meals that need to be prepared, the money that needs to be earned, the families that need to be provided for, the ministry and service that need to be done -- sometimes in the midst of it all, I lose sight of Jesus, and I can't hear what needs to be said. And even worse, I try to distract those who are learning and listening to the still, small voice. I tell them that the work I am doing is more important, I tell them that they are lazy, and I pray to God to send me some help for the good work I am doing. But I am forgetting, I am only a participant in the work that HE is doing. And when this is the case, I would do well to ask Mary, "Is the seat next to you taken?"