Thought For The Week 12 July 2022

Are you a Mary or a Martha? In Luke 10:38-42 we see Jesus invited to Martha’s house but there is tension between Martha and her sister Mary  because Mary has opted to ‘sit at the feet of Jesus’ instead of helping her sister with the numerous tasks associated with providing hospitality. But Jesus sides with Mary, saying she has chosen the better thing and Martha should stop fussing and worrying about all the details!

I’m sure many of us have sympathy for Martha; Mary seemed to take the easy option while she did all the menial work. You may have experienced this first hand, perhaps getting ready for a social occasion while a member of the family ‘entertains’ the guests, leaving you to do most of the preparations. But what Mary did was far from easy. She smashed the cultural expectations of her time by becoming a learner or disciple, something which was reserved only for men. She needed to endure the sideways looks form the male disciples and the great ire of her sister in order to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from him.

The Church is full of Martha’s and where would we be without them? These are the folk who serve, volunteer, do numerous tasks often unseen and unrecognised. But the lesson from this story is that all Christian service needs to be in response to the words of Jesus. We serve because we have heard Jesus speak to us. It is not about taking the easier or more glamorous path but instead being equipped by the word of God for the purposes of God.

May we hear Jesus in our songs, prayers, reflection and fellowship as we gather today.

Nga mihi,

Brent