I first heard the story of Mary and Martha, from the Gospel of Luke, when I was a child. Back then I was pretty confident Jesus was telling Martha that she was on the wrong track, and that Mary, as the Bible story indicates, had “chosen what is best” (Revised English Bible, Luke 10:42).” But in the last few years I’ve wondered, is Jesus really telling Martha she needs to abandon all her meal preparations and just sit down at his feet and listen, as Mary was doing? After all, these were different times. Martha couldn’t exactly call out for a pizza to be delivered. And having lived without running water and electricity myself for a period of years, I know she wasn’t microwaving anything or fixing a prepackaged casserole, either. No, she was probably involved in extensive preparations—from scratch.
Conversely, was Jesus telling Mary to stay put and not help Martha? “That’s OK, don’t lend a helping hand, because you made the better choice and everyone else will just have to cope!” I don’t think so! Rather, I think this is a story about dynamic balance. Looking back on my own development of Mary and Martha qualities over the years, I’ve become convinced that an understanding of how these two work together can empower one’s prayer and service for the community.
When I was a very young woman, I took this story literally for years, thinking that Jesus was giving kudos to Mary for sitting at his feet, and chiding Martha for working so hard. As a result, I felt that I was best serving when I was immersed in some form of prayer, maybe even forest wanderings, admiring the beauties of nature, or reading poetry.
