This week we are praying with the “Mary and Martha” gospel story. Martha welcomes Jesus into her home and Mary receives Jesus’ welcome of her to stay at his feet while she listens and learns from him. This text can evoke a wide range of feelings within us as we listen. We might be feeling shame or shamed for asking for help or being busy with the necessities of life. We might be feeling irritation at how Jesus responded to Martha’s request. We might be feeling our own longing to linger and keep company with Jesus, snuggling up against him, feeling safe and secure.
Perhaps another feeling arises in you as you linger in the text. You are invited to welcome whatever feelings come. Simply observe them, noticing their nuance and texture. Linger with them just as they are in the company of Jesus. Maybe talk with him about them as they really are. May all that is within you receive a warm and wide welcome.
On a side note, I want to share something I heard this week about this particular text and specifically what Martha may have been very worried about. It is possible that what she was most worried about was the reputation of her sister and therefore the reputation of her and her family. Martha may have considered Mary’s choice to be in a room of men, sitting so close to Jesus and thinking it was appropriate to learn from a Rabbi in this intimate setting to be a brazen disregard of cultural values and norms. Asking for Mary to be sent to the kitchen could have been a practical way to preserve her reputation. Something to wonder about.
May there be a warm welcome from Jesus as you settle in to pray with the text this day.
Luke 10:38-42 (The Message)
As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. “Master, don’t you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.”
The Master said, “Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.”
Luke 10:38-42 NLT
As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”
But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”
For Reflection and Prayer:
As you listened to the text, was there a word, phrase or image which caught your attention? Gently repeat the word or phrase, giving it room to settle deeply in your heart.
Reflect on what you heard. Relish the words. Notice how the word or words affected you. Which emotions stirred within you? You might choose to journal about what you heard.
Respond to what you heard and reflected on in your prayer with God. Is there a prayer that rises within you?
Rest in God as you simply be and entrust yourself to God in the quiet.
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