Why You Should Be More Like Martha.

Don’t get me wrong I could totally learn how to sit at the feet of Jesus more often. Actually come to think of it, it probably wouldn't hurt if I could learn to sit still more often in general. If you haven’t noticed yet, I’m a bit fidgety and I kind of have a short attention span. Oh well. Anyways, we all know that Martha has come to negatively represent the busyness and distractions of the world, while Mary is praised over and over for choosing the “better thing.” I don’t need to tell you that we should all be more like Mary and less like Martha in that manner. If you've been a Christian for any significant amount of time you've already heard a hundred sermons telling you the same thing. And while they are not necessarily wrong in their theology, I mean it certainly isn't a bad thing to want to be content and still before God. I still can’t help but feel bad for Martha, she’s kind of gotten a bad rap in it all.

Those sermons come from this popular passage in Luke 10.

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lords feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Then tell her to help me” But the Lord answered her “Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary Mary Has chosen the good portion and it shall not be taken away from her” Luke 10:38-42 [Emphasis added]

Think about it for a minute. Do you really think it was a cultural norm for a woman to take a break from her hostessing duties, and not only directly address the Guest of Honor but also insist that he have a word with one of the households family members about their behavior? (Not to mention the fact that she clearly said loud enough for at least one witness to hear it well enough to write a story about it.) I’m going to say no, it wasn't.

Here’s what tends to get misunderstood about my pal Martha. She’s a strong woman. Not a rebellious one.

She welcomes Jesus into her home, addresses him directly and rather candidly, with out fear of reproach and then get this, He answers her with love, and respect not with rebuke.

Put that in your “women should be silent" pipe and smoke it.

(Relax, it's a joke.)

The story in Luke 10 wasn't even like a one time slip up for Martha. Later on when her brother, Lazarus dies we are told she gets up, leaves her home and all those who came to mourn only to track Jesus down and confront him with these words "Lord, if you would have been here my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask from God will be given to you." (John 11:21)

If you ask me, that is one of the most complete statements of faith in all the Gospels. And again, you see Martha stepping out and speaking up and Mary staying back. Yet neither of them are corrected for their response.

I think most people would probably be more like Mary in this situation. Quietly crying on the sidelines, completely undone by grief. I know I used to think that would be my reaction. But after reading this story again with a new found respect for Martha, I can‘t really deny that I see more of myself in the way she responds to tragedy. She was frustrated with Jesus’ delay, while struggling not only with the concept of resurrection but also with who she believed Jesus to be. Then we see her  hesitant to open a tomb because of the smell. Um, that has me written all over it. Doubt, Frustration and a strong disdain to anything smelly.

As much as I’d like to think that in response to hearing that Jesus is coming I would be somewhere patiently awaiting for him to come to me, I have to admit that realistically I’d be the one who marches out to see Him, especially if I had something to say to him.

Yes it’s true Martha is easily distracted with her work, and that’s not a trait any body longs for. However I don’t think she gets enough credit, if any for that matter, for her boldness to ignore the cultural norms and break the mold for gender expectations. So I will try to sit at the feet of Jesus more often, but I won’t totally neglect my inner Martha, because I’m actually quite fond of her.