“Truly counter-cultural”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Friday, October 25, 2024

Luke 10: 38-42 (Forward, p. 88) CEV p. 1074

Biblical sociologist John Pilch explains how the situation described in today’s passage was truly counter-cultural for its place and time. Men and women had separate spaces within the family home and normally the two genders stuck to their assigned spaces. Entertaining was taken care of by the male of the household—in this case, Lazarus, though elsewhere we discover that he is ailing. (See Genesis 18:1-15, for an example of someone filling this role, in this case, Abraham). Women were generally behind the scenes, preparing the food and enabling the male to concentrate on his culturally assigned role of providing hospitality and entertaining his guests. It was only when there was no male ready and able to occupy this role, that a woman stepped in—usually an older, unmarried woman. (Martha would then, seemingly, fit this role admirably.)

As for Mary, fully occupying space in what was considered the male domain, this was counter cultural as well. According to the culture of the times, she should not have been there. She should have been in the female quarters or in the kitchen preparing the food. And, as for sitting there, listening to Jesus’ words, this too was frowned upon. Some more conservative rabbis even forbid the teaching of the Torah to women. To them, it was preferable to throw it to the dogs than expose it to a woman.

And, to think that Jesus was ‘allowing’ this, and seemingly, even promoting it.

Now, look for a moment at the ensuing dialogue and its dynamics. Martha was ‘worried about all that had to be done.’ Now, were these things that had to be done—or were they, as sometimes happens, things ‘over the top’, extras, things that weren’t absolutely necessary? It is quite possible that she had, on her own, ‘assigned’ things, extra things, to the list of things to be done. Anyway, Martha was bothered that all this work had been left to her and worried, presumably, that it is might not all get done. And so she went to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”

This is most interesting, for she is blaming Jesus for the problem and trying to shame Him into doing something, into interfering with her family dynamics, her relations with her sister. Here, however, her plea to Jesus backfires: Jesus takes her sister’s side in this sisterly dispute. “Martha, Martha! You are worried and upset about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is bet, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Here it where it gets even more interesting, depending upon the translation used and the point of view of the commentator. Some have suggested, for instance, that Jesus is affirming, exulting, the contemplative lifestyle over the active lifestyle. Others, feeling uneasy with the idea that the importance of action is thereby being questioned, suggest that Martha has laid on extra food, extra dishes, where only one dish, a simple meal is really needed. However, that isn’t what the text says. It suggests that what is preferable is what Mary has chosen—which is to be with Jesus, to sit at His feet and learn from Him. Martha, in all her distraction, has allowed herself to be distant from Him, which is to be avoided at all costs. And so, it is with each of us as well.

Forward notes: “There is need of only one thing” (verse 42a).

“Schedules and budgets are moral documents because they reveal our priorities. Someone said that if Satan can’t make you bad, he’ll make you busy doing things that don’t matter. This phrase stung when I heard it. When things get out of control because of my poor planning, I focus on what’s urgent rather than what’s important.

“What’s the difference? Urgent is when my car dies because I haven’t changed the oil for a year. Important is maintaining that car.

“In this passage, we see Martha distracted by the urgent while Mary chooses what is important.

“The best teachers, parents, clergy, and people I know aren’t the best because they do more things but because they do more of what matters the most. They say no to certain things so that they can say yes to the important things.

“Choosing is a deeply spiritual act. We choose how we perceive things; we choose the kind of world we create and live in; we choose what matters the most to us.”

Moving Forward: “The hard truth is we have time for what we choose to have time for. How will you choose?”