“A woman named Martha…had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what He was saying….‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken from her’” (Luke 10:38,41).
St. Luke, who had a gift for observing and recording human nature, capturing idiosyncrasies for his readers, offers us the contrasting characteristics of these sisters—Martha the extrovert, Mary the introvert. Jesus uses their differences to teach a lesson of values.
Martha has a point. The house is filled with guests, the honored One being Jesus Himself. There’s much to do in order to prepare the evening meal. “Tell her, Lord,” Martha is saying, “She’ll obey You. I need her to set the table, not to idly sit and listen to Your discourse.” Jesus responds by placing the moment in perspective. It’s not a matter of right or wrong, but of good and better. Of course it was proper at that moment to see that the table would be set and food prepared; however, as He told the young man waiting for his father to die to follow Christ (Matthew 8:22)—seize the moment. That would be Mary’s last opportunity to hear the sacred words of the Lord.
He’s telling us: Yes, you must build and maintain the house of the Lord. You must also take pains to make the experience rewarding, sacred and lovely for all who take part in the supper you are imitating at the holy liturgy. Nothing less than your very best is worthy of the Holy Trinity. Your singing must reflect the faith, hope, love and joy in your hearts. The servants at the Table must know what they are about, or they will call attention to themselves. Clergy and acolytes are mere catalysts of prayer offered to the Lord. Their function is to transport the people of God to the Lord, and the Lord to the people of God. It is the Lord Almighty, not they who are the center and focus of worship.
A prayer is offered for the proper understanding of the sacred word of the Lord: “That we may be granted the grace to hear the word of God, let us pray to the Lord.” May the Holy Spirit clutch the hearts of all those present, that they be filled with insight. Let them not just hear, but understand the inner meaning of what Christ is conveying to those prepared to grasp His teaching. May they be inspired with a comprehension unlike anything they knew before that moment. More, may they be touched in their hearts and transfigured with emotion, taking the word with them and applying it to their lives beyond the church’s boundaries. Think of St. Anthony the Great, a young man arriving late to the liturgy, entering at the moment when he heard from the gospel: “Sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven” (Mark 10:21). That word changed his life.
The rest of Martha’s lesson: The good part “will not be taken away.” When we sort out what lasts from what we leave behind as we pass through this lifetime, we’ll discover that the word of the Lord will remain with us and nourish our souls beyond the grave. Christ’s words heard, affirmed and accepted, are planted like spiritual seeds in the fruitful hearts of those who have weeded out sin, watered the good earth with tears, and fertilized with prayer.