Meditations on the Sunday Scriptures
July 18, 2010
Genesis 18:1-10a
Colossians 1:24-28
Luke 10:38-42
If there were one story in Scripture that has bothered me a bit, it is the story of Martha and Mary. We have these two sisters. Martha takes the opportunity to welcome Jesus into their home. Mary wastes no time to sit at the feet of Jesus and just hang out on His every word.
So what is active Martha to do? She could sit down and let the dinner boil over? If she settles down at the feet of Jesus, who will take care of serving? Who will take care of the meal? Nothing will get done.
Then Jesus sets everything straight. He tells her that she frets and bothers about too many things. Oh, and your sister, Mary, has chosen the better part. She just sits around doing nothing.
Wouldn't you like to have been a mouse in that house?
How would Martha have answered?
Maybe she said, "I'm tired. You two set the table and cook the dinner. I'm just exhausted and unappreciated." But Jesus sees it all developing and notices the "woe is me" in Martha.
He picks out her resentment. He sees how her little ego is tweeked.
He is able to notice how we sometimes have a "binocular look" at how little others seem to accomplish while we are "slaving over a hot stove."
The real story of Martha and Mary is not about the value of work, but about the way we work.
Actually, there is a Martha in all of us. And don't forget there is a Mary too. The challenge, for all of us, is letting them get along. When we sit down before God, we must learn to rejoice. And when we go about our daily chores of life, we must work with a certain joy of the moment.+ + +
Pray for the Canonization of William Joseph Chaminade
Pray for the Canonization of William Joseph Chaminade
Blessed William Joseph Chaminade
