“Martha, Martha, where are you? Are you in the kitchen? What are you doing in there? Don’t you know that we’re all out here?”
This is the second in a series of twelve reflections on the story of Mary and Martha, found in Luke 10.38-42. If you’d like to read the whole series, start with “the first post”:/news/2014/the-conversation-visiting-with-mary-and-martha-part-1/ , where they are listed in full at the end of the piece.
As always, let’s begin with the text:
bq. Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him 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; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” — Luke 10.38-42 (NRSV)
h3. Did she know?
“Martha was distracted by her many tasks,” the text tells us. Did she know she was distracted? Did she experience an internal struggle while stirring her soup, wrestling with her parallel longings to lavish her guests with creature comforts while also wondering if it would be better to go sit with Jesus? Or did she never even consider abandoning her domestic duties?
I often experience this struggle, even with plenty of self-awareness and foresight. When we have guests over, I do my darnedest to plan carefully and work ahead so that I don’t have to frantically finish chopping vegetables while our guests twiddle their thumbs in the living room. I vibrate with excitement over creating a beautiful, delicious meal that will replenish our guests in body, mind, and soul.
But my plans have an uncanny ability to expand and become more elaborate than even I (with the help of Jon and our daughters) can reasonably handle. I think I succeeded once in executing all of my hospitality plans, and that was when the guest arrived (thankfully!) later than expected. Most of the time it’s not a big deal, and we just invite the guests into our tiny kitchen where I’ll occasionally enlist their help with a paring knife and some strawberries. Sometimes, however, I need to just let it go, trusting that what we have prepared is enough — but *it is so, so hard to release my vision and go sit with Jesus out there.* (That’s who is sitting out there, isn’t it?)
I experience this Martha struggle in my daily life as well, albeit in a more abstract way. My days often begin with calm and order: I wake up, enjoy a quiet prayer time, resolve to listen to the voice of Jesus throughout the day… and then suddenly find that I have sailed through multiple hours and landed at dinnertime without much conscious thought. What happened? Even as I write this, I am working on our blog (is this where Jesus is?) while our children play in the next room (or is that where Jesus is?). Where should I be, anyway? And has anyone started supper yet? I think this may be why people “pray the hours”:http://annarborvineyard.org/tdh/tdh.cfm. We need lots reminders. We need lots of help. We need spiritual wisdom to clarify and remember what is important.
_I have trouble paying attention. I need help. Is Jesus in the next room? Can he help me?_
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