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MAY 26
MARTHA, MARTHA!
“…A woman named Martha welcomed him (Jesus) into her home. She had
a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he
was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to
him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all
the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ But the Lord answered her,
‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but one
thing is needful. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken
away from her.’” (Lk 10: 38-42)
What always surprises me in this passage is not Martha’s frustration with
her sister (I’ll admit I quite understand that part). What surprises me is
Martha’s unabashed frustration with Christ. “Lord, do you not care,” she
practically snaps at Him, “that my sister has left me to do all the work
by myself?” And then she tells Him what he needs to do: “Tell her then
to help me.” The Lord, in His turn, lovingly replies, “Martha, Martha…” –
and defends Mary. We don’t hear anything about Martha’s reaction to this
reply, because the chapter ends here. Perhaps she dropped everything
and joined Mary at the Lord’s feet. Or perhaps she stomped off in a huff.
In any event, Martha, one of the women closest to our Lord, who was
to be one of the Myrrh-Bearing Women, doesn’t hesitate to speak to the
Lord so openly, in her frustration. I note this today, reminding myself that
our Lord chose and befriended, among His closest followers, not only the
timid, quiet “types.” And among the earliest female followers of Christ we
don’t see women who just tip-toe around Him, like mice. We see women
who tell Him what they think, like Martha and like the Samaritan woman.
They were, simply, themselves, with their gifts and flaws, as were the
Apostles.
Today let me gratefully recognize that my Lord has a large variety of
followers, both male and female, both shy and outgoing, contemplative
and active, or something in between. Glory be to Him, Who calls me to
follow Him, whatever my particular flaws and gifts may be.
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