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“Martha Dynamo or Mary Devotion?”
Amos 8:1-12; Psalms 52, 25, 27;
Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time - 8th
Sunday after Pentecost
July 22, 2007
Please pray with me: O God, as we listen and
try to interpret your Word for us, send your Spirit to help us not be
distracted on other things, that we might better understand your teachings
and your necessary things to make us more like you, day by day. Amen.
It seemed to me early on, that Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian church wanted
a pastor that was busy, not only in the church but in the community. When the
search committee was looking at and visiting with candidates, they had a plan,
and contacted me for my first visit more than a year ago now. Among lots of
inquiries about me, I remember them asking of my activities in previous
churches, travel to seminary, a second career for me, and what my interests were
besides being involved at church. I felt like I had to help them know of my
spirit as a person who took initiative for things to happen, that I liked, no
loved children, not having raised them, and that my desire was like many pastors
in promoting church growth, especially for young families.
But my real intent was for them to know that I worked hard, loved being in
companionship with people of faith and knowing their wishes, and that we could
‘together’ get things done. And deep down, mostly, I wanted them to know I had
other life interests and activities with my husband, family, and friends,
besides theology and sermons, Christological themes and adult education, or
authoritative administration with committee meetings until no one had any rest.
Yes, I felt obliged to give them a picture of my ‘busy-ness’, but I also wanted
them to know that if I was busy, I wanted and hoped they, as a congregation,
were too. Well, you know the rest of the story! I have, this first year, given a
monthly written report to our Session of my community and church activities.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my participation in both areas of our church and
community relationships together; I also realize every, every day, how busy and
accepting you all are of my role and your role here at church, the Body of
Christ, and in our Cambridge community.
In pondering our text today in Luke, Martha and Mary were busy too. Martha
wanted the Lord to know of her ‘busy-ness’ for sure, in her words. The Lord
answers, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there
is need of only one thing.” This phrase just kept jumping out at me as I, and
other pastors in church congregations move in haste to accomplish so much in so
little time; or, some might ask, do we? And Paul, as theologian in his letter to
the Colossians, is giving a kind of a Christological hymn of praise to his
people, those worshipping the greatness of Christ’ work. Today’s texts are
consistent with our theme in post-Pentecost of a loving God who tells us the
truth and in all of God’s honesty wishes us to listen and to allow the Holy
Spirit to change us. It seems Jesus has always gotten to the point of God’s
truth with his followers, hasn’t he? It’s just that sometimes we may not know
the intent of Jesus’ words, or that of God’s will for us, or even the impact of
the Holy Spirit upon us.
Paul is praising these early followers of Christ, in their recognition of
the image of Christ in the fullness of God and in God’s grace in their lives.
Paul wants them to know Christ is in first place in their lives. He says, “All
things have been created through God and for God.” Paul wants them
to continue to be steadfast in their faith. And Paul might be telling these
faithful, why would the God who so much loved them/us and cherished them, leave
them be to their own accord? God will continually judge, even condemn their
actions, and punish them if they/we are not faithful in their/our being called
to be all God intends us to be and become.
Last week our story in Luke of the Good Samaritan was of God’s desires of
our knowing and practicing the great commandment, specifically, loving our
neighbor. This week though, Jesus turns the tables on us a bit and kind of
reverses the great commandment; from loving neighbor, to loving God. We are
still in the same chapter (Ch. 10),
same sequence of Jesus’ teachings on the road to Jerusalem, but Martha and Mary,
those steadfast disciples, are learning in Jesus’ presence, in his dwelling
place, their home, about loving God. Jesus teaches Martha, and us, that we are
not all alike, and that for now, Mary can be quiet and listen to what he has to
say. She is being his disciple, it seems to me; it is not a male or female thing
at all.
I often wonder about accepting Jesus’ comments in this text of sisters
greeting and being with Jesus. He sounds critical of Martha, doesn’t Jesus? In
fact, Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away
from her.” Jesus sides with Mary; and Mary hasn’t said a word, but is at his
feet, searching blindly for sustenance at every word Jesus speaks. Martha is
incensed nearby, as she hastens to get accomplished what she thinks is
important—’all the work’ done!
Jesus is invited to their home as a guest of their hospitality; Martha
‘welcomed him into her home.’ But Jesus, was honest in telling her to take time
to listen; it seems to be constructive criticism, in today’s world. Martha might
be valued as the identifiable ‘dynamo’, a typical ‘hostess with the mostest.’
She might be described as a type ‘A’ personality—wanting every piece of
furniture in its place, every item of food prepared with expertise, as they
break bread together. Now, granted, there is no mention here of eating food in
our text. But, can you imagine Martha not offering her guests, especially Jesus,
the Christ, a bit of food? Martha was, in the early Christian culture of the
day, an extremely energetic person—perhaps in constant motion around her own
house. I bet the dust was flying in her preparation for Jesus’ visit!
Mary is the passive, contemplative sister who listens while the dust
settles from Martha’s madness, and she is the Mary of Bethany who realizes there
is need of only one thing; her devotion to and her love of God. She poured
expensive ointment on Jesus’ feet in another story in John’s Gospel
(Ch. 11-12). She gave the Lord her
undivided attention at every chance she had. It was an important need for her to
absorb and reflect upon her faith with every word spoken by Jesus. She believed
that Jesus, born in the image of God, believed all things, hoped all things, and
endured all things, even to his death on the cross. Mary’s kind of love was in
her every breath, in her close relationship with Jesus Christ, and in her every
move, her existence, all in the name of God.
Sue Monk Kidd, a fav author of mine, who some of you know, wrote not long
ago, “The Secret Life of Bees” about women and their love for one another, but
in an earlier book, “God’s Joyful Surprise” (HarperSanFrancisco,
1989) says that knowing God loves us is
the most important part of us loving others. She said, ‘The joyful experience of
being loved by God makes it impossible for us to separate loving God from loving
others (p. 242).”
She is insightful in her wisdom of us realizing that as we love others, God will
enhance and increase God’s presence in our lives. For me in this story of
sisters, perhaps the best part is that when we are the closest to and are
comfortable being connected to God, then all the more we can love and be
comfortable in loving others. I like to think it’s the adage; ‘the more you take
part in something, the more you like doing it.’ Maybe, it’s the more you learn
to like something/one, the more you can learn to love it/them.
Martha and Mary liked having Jesus visit them; the Bible tells us they knew
him intimately and well. Jesus raised their brother, Lazarus from the dead
(John 11:38-44).They
were different in personality as sisters, but there was need of only one thing.
They realized, in their faithfulness, that God’s love for them in their
differences didn’t change. In Martha’s dynamo ‘doing’ Jesus cautioned her to be
like Mary and listen to what Jesus’ words were for them. And Mary, in her
devotion to Christ and her thinking upon God, can relate to Martha’s ‘busy-ness’
and reflect upon her own actions, whenever and wherever they are. You see, Jesus
accepts all of us for who we are, and asks us to in turn, accept others as they
are. It’s the love of God and the love of neighbor, isn’t it?
God is at work inside of us as thinking Mary the devoted, and God is
outside of us as Martha the acting dynamo. We might ask, ‘Who are we?’ In either
person, as Martha or Mary, we are rooted and grounded in the love of God and
finding that in our thinking and actions we are rooted and grounded in love of
our neighbor as well. Let it be so.
Thanks be to God. AMEN.
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