16th Sunday Ordinary Time –
Cycle C
Genesis 18: 1-10a;
Colassians 1: 24-28;
Luke 10: 38-42
Martha
gets kind of a bad reputation from this Gospel passage. There is a
tendency to believe that Jesus is chastising her while praising Mary.
But listen again to the words: “Martha, you are anxious and
worried about many things. Mary has chosen the better part and it
will not be taken from her.” Jesus is not scolding Martha. He is
simply pointing out that there is another way – a different
possibility.
This
encounter with Christ opened Martha's eyes. She began to see things
differently. She began to change her life and the lives of those
around her. Scripture doesn't specifically tell us, but I get the
feeling that this is not the first time that Jesus has visited their
home. Jesus was familiar to Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus.
Scripture only tells us of two occasions, but Martha is so vastly
changed in the second, that it is reasonable to assume that there
were other visits as well. By the time that Jesus encountered her
again in the scriptures, Martha's faith and love for Jesus have
blossomed.
Do
you recall that second meeting? It occurs in John's Gospel, Chapter
11. Lazarus has died and Jesus goes to pay his respects to the
family. Martha hears that the Lord is coming and goes out to meet
him. She says “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not
have died. But even now, I know that whatever you ask of God, God
will give you.”
Jesus
replies, “I am the resurrection and the life: whoever believes in
me … will live. … Do you believe this?” And Martha answers
“Yes Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son
of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
Wow!
Talk about a transformation! Martha has gone from a woman who is
too busy to have time for Jesus, to a person who leaves her home and
her guests behind to go and speak with the Master. She is only the
second person is the Gospels to verbally proclaim that Jesus is the
Son of God before his
death and resurrection. It's easy to understand why her name is
included in the church litany’s throughout the ages. But how did
she come to this glorious testament of faith?
In
today's gospel, Martha abides by the societal rules of her day. She
welcomes Jesus into her home and serves Him and the disciples by
cooking and cleaning, but she is frustrated. She wants more. She
may not even know what it is exactly that she wants and she lashes
out at Mary. She senses that deeper relationship Mary seems to have
with Jesus. She doesn't dare to ask for it. Perhaps because she is
unsure about how to get it. Perhaps because she doesn't feel that
she deserves it. Perhaps because she fears the consequences of such
a bold action. We don't really know.
But
Jesus' reaction to her and Mary today – recognizing Martha's
frustration, yet not scolding her; accepting her for the person she
is right now without demanding that she become someone or something
else; and finally placing before her the suggestion that perhaps
Mary's priority to sit at the feet of Jesus was the better part.
I
believe that that moment with Christ had a small but profound impact
on Martha. She began to seek a different sort of relationship with
Him. She had a shift in her priorities. She took a chance that
perhaps she could venture out from the expectations society placed
upon her, that she could step out of the kitchen, set aside the
chores, and be present with Christ.
I
admire Martha. Of the two sisters, I identify more closely with her.
For Mary, spirituality and a desire to be closer to God seems so
easy. For me, as with Martha, that desire requires some effort. I
can't tell you how many times I've looked back at the end of the day
and realized that I hadn't made any effort to be closer to God. I
hadn't prayed. I hadn't helped the homeless man I passed on the
street. I had been short-tempered with the telemarketer who called
at the wrong time. My mind had been too preoccupied with work and
other day-to-day distractions to focus, even for a moment, on God.
Martha
allowed her relationship with Jesus to change her. Do we? We
encounter Christ daily in our lives – through the scriptures,
through the Eucharist and through our interactions with others. Do
we allow these moments to influence us – to change us – or do we
remain unaware of God's intimate presence within our lives?
I
have a friend I see from time to time. She has told me on many
occasions that she'd like to lose some weight. She has great
intentions, but quickly becomes overwhelmed at the thought of making
so many life-style changes – what she eats, when she eats, why she
eats, how to schedule time to exercise, and what to do when a
celebration comes along featuring lots of fattening food? So, one
day, she decided to take one small step towards a healthier choice.
She decided to give up soft drinks and drink only water. She didn't
change her eating habits or add exercise to the routine because she
felt she'd have a better chance at sticking to one small change. And
it worked! After a few short weeks there was a noticeable weight
loss. With her added confidence, she felt ready to gradually add
more changes.
I
wonder if we don't feel overwhelmed by what we perceive as an
impossible task, to deepen our relationship with Christ as Martha
did. Perhaps we don't know where to begin. But I have a thought.
After receiving communion today, in that few minutes of silent prayer
before the closing rite, perhaps we can commit to something that will
deepen or strengthen our relationship with God. It doesn't need to
be a major life-altering commitment – just something small and easy
to accomplish. Give it some time and re-evaluate. The results may
shock you.
We
have a model from today's Gospel to get us started. We are
surrounded by fellow Christians who are all striving to follow in the
footsteps of Christ. Do we see them? Do we recognize Christ within
them? Can we allow our encounters with the Christ in our midst to
transform us?
I'm
going to make the effort this week. Would you like to join me?
Deacon Darryl J. Diemer
16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
July 16, 2016
Painting: Johannes Vremeer, Christ in the House of Martha and Mary (1654-1655)
