Learning From Martha

In a book I was reading recently I introduced to a new perspective on the Mary and Martha story found in the bible and thought I'd share. As we know this story has been used to teach an endless array of lessons but this one I had never considered. Let me quickly set up the scene:

Martha is in the kitchen preparing a meal for a what could possibly be a large number of people. The Savior has come to visit and she is excited to serve Him and make Him feel comfortable and welcome in her home. Mary, on the other hand, appears less concerned with food preparation and more concerned with feasting on the "Bread of Life". Martha, frustrated, asks the Savior to tell Mary to come help her. The Savior then tells her that Mary hath chosen the better part.

The lessons here are obvious and many, but before we go on with those, the author points out that it's critical to remember that Martha was a great woman. She was impeccable in her discipleship. She followed the Savior with faith. She was solid and her testimony was sure. But she needed to learn some important lessons here:

How often to we let doing "good" things distract us from doing the "vital" things? How many good things, that are not sin, are we doing that keep us distracted from the Savior. It was as though he was saying, Martha I appreciate all the good things you're doing for me, but if it's going to keep you away from me, how about a casserole instead? What good is it to be in your home if I don't get to spend any time with you?

Again, these lessons are the more obvious, but there is another that is very subtle that really made me stop and think. This lesson concerns how we view each other as brothers and sisters. Perhaps you've heard this before, but it's a new spin on it to me. I'll quote directly from the book:

"Those of us with more Martha than Mary in us have long felt that Jesus' rebuke is unjust. While we do not doubt the overriding importance of listening to the Lord, does the listening have to be done during dinner preparations? Would it have hurt Mary to have joined us in serving, then we could all sit down and hear the Lord together?

And furthermore, what about the value of work in the world? If it weren't for us Martha's cleaning whatever we see and fussing over meals, there would be a lot of dirty, hungry people in the world. We may not live by bread alone, but I've never known anyone to live without it. Why, oh, why couldn't the Lord have said, "You're absolutely right Martha. What are we thinking of to let you do all this work alone? We'll all help, and by the way, that centerpiece looks lovely?

What Jesus did say is difficult to bear, but perhaps somewhat less difficult if we examine its context. The Lord did not go into the kitchen and tell Martha to stop cooking and come listen. Apparently He was happy to let her serve him however she cared to, that is until she judged another person's service: "Lord, doest thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me".

Martha's self absorption and self importance, expressed through her judgment of her sister, is what occasioned the Lord's rebuke, not her preparation of the meal.

How often do we, without thinking, judge other people or their service according to our own standard? Or how often do we compare our strengths with another's weakness in order to make ourselves feel better or more important?

I loved discovering this subtle but poignant message inside the message. A good reminder for me!