12.11.11 Just One Thing

Imagine you are part of the serving staff for a powerful congressman. He is having a dinner party for the presidential candidate of his party and you and your fellow serving staff members are responsible for the dinner. All of the guests have gathered and are enjoying pre-dinner martinis when the presidential candidate begins to speak. The room is suddenly silent as the words of the candidate hang in the air like dew. The attention of the group is fixated as he begins to speak of foreign policy, the economy, the direction of the country, and social issues. Everyone is mesmerized by his words. All of the sudden, you notice that a fellow member of the serving staff is no longer serving but has sat down and is listening to the presidential candidate. You are annoyed and indignant with her not only because there is so much work to do, but because she does not belong there. She belongs in the kitchen with the other servers. You are also feeling a pang of jealousy because you want to sit and listen as well.

Something like this is happening in the home of Martha and Mary, two sisters that are much loved by Jesus. On his way through Jerusalem to Perea, Jesus and his disciples stop for a meal at their home. As Martha is busily preparing for Jesus and his disciples (presumably the Twelve), she becomes annoyed at her sister who has ceased her labor and has sat down with the men to listen to Jesus. Although much has been made of contrasting the busyness of Martha with the posture of worship of Mary, it is more likely that Martha is annoyed with Mary's presumption of sitting with the men. This was not the place for a woman in first century Jewish culture. Their place was in the kitchen preparing food not sitting at the feet of a famous rabbi and learning from him.

But Jesus came to set the captives free and this included women who were captives in their own culture. Martha does not recognize this and she objects to the presumption of Mary. She asks Jesus to "tell her to help me!" Jesus gently rebukes saying, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her."

You see, Mary understood that she had been set free and that she was no longer a slave. Perhaps she had heard of the previous account of Jesus telling the Pharisees, "So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" and she was claiming that freedom for herself. It's a lesson that Martha needed to learn. It's a lesson each of us needs to learn. It's the one thing needed. Mary got it. Do you?

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• Jim
• Powell
• 12.11.11
• Cross
• Point
• Church