February 23, 2021
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:41-42
The journey with Jesus towards Jerusalem and the cross is a full show of Jesus teaching us the life of the follower, of the true disciple. It is during this time Jesus ministry is less focused on the crowds and more focused on those who will continue his faith teaching once he is gone. Fr. Richard Rohr calls this part of Jesus ministry the “seminary of life.” It is a time that the disciples learned the wisdom of Jesus by drawing closer to him.
In the familiar scene above, we find one of those disciples, Mary, whose sister Martha is doing what is expected, attending to her house guests, preparing food, and doing all the chores of a good servant, while her sister Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening, clinging to his every word.
The scene, as well as Jesus teaching in this moment shows us the stark contrast between doing what keeps one busy doing what is expected of them, and letting go of responsibility to be with Jesus, deepening our faith. Jesus informs Martha that Mary “has chosen the better part,” however, I think that the key word of Jesus teaching is “part.” I believe this scene reminds us that in the midst of the busy requirements of life, doing what is expected ,that we need to take time to be still, to listen to the words of Jesus and receive the wisdom of his teaching. This is part of a balanced, full life in the faith, we must also do the part of working, and doing, especially in loving our neighbor.
Like many of you, I’ve had moments this past year, that I didn’t have anything to do, as well as moments when I had too much to do. Yet, as we seek to find life on the other side of the pandemic, I, as we all, need to remember to find the balance. Following in the path of Jesus and his wisdom means finding time to be still, and in doing so, finding the purpose of the work that is ahead to actively participate in growing the kingdom of heaven.
Grace & Peace,
Sam