Thoughts going in, Sun Jul 18th

Luke 10:38 While they were traveling, He entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet and was listening to what He said. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, and she came up and asked, "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand." 41 The Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her." (HCS)

The main characters (besides Jesus) who appear in this text appear to be the same Mary & Martha who are sisters of Lazarus that we hear of in John’s Gospel.

When I read this brief story, the phrase that comes to my mind is “work life balance.” That seems to be one of the new ‘buzz phrases’ in the American workplace. Ironically, as more and more middle class Americans are seeing the disappearance of the forty hour work week, weekends and holidays off, and the ability to take vacation, their companies are talking about “work life balance.” According to wiki: “work life balance is a broad concept including proper prioritization between ‘work’ (career and ambition) on one hand and ‘life’ (pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development) on the other.”

Even though this is a modern concept, using it as a lens to explore this text could be helpful. In the story hospitality is at issue. Jesus AND THE DISCIPLES have dropped in. Feeding them and making them comfortable—as would be the duty of any host/hostess of the era—is of paramount importance. Mary & Martha are not rich; someone has to prepare the meal(s) and they have no servants. Martha was tending to a necessity. But Mary was taking advantage of a privilege that was rare; the Lord was in HER HOUSE. What to do? Where is the work life balance? The words of Jesus are informative: "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice.”

There **is** a time to work FOR the Lord, both for Mary and Martha (and for us too). Sooner or later that evening a meal would have to be prepared. But there is also a time to sit and LISTEN to the Lord. Too often this passage is used to enquire if one is a “Mary” **OR** a “Martha?” Are you more like Martha…finding fulfillment in busy service and acts of kindness in the name of Jesus? Or are you more like Mary finding fulfillment in sitting at the Lord’s feet; soaking up his word in the form of worship services and/or bible studies? But that’s not a very sound application of this text. In the original story Jesus seemed to be encouraging Martha to pull up a stool and join them; and in the original story sooner or later Mary should roll up her sleeves and help out in the kitchen. The point is that in our life of discipleship we are called to be **BOTH** Marys and Marthas, but with the spiritual discernment as to how and when either example applies.

cheers, TM