[Our reading today is part of the story of the announcement of Isaac’s birth to Abraham and Sarah. Abraham is very special to Jews, Muslims and to Christians. In Eucharistic Prayer 1 we call him ‘our father in faith’. At the beginning of the story, the narrator has told us that God appears to Abraham in the guise of the three men. We do not know if Abraham recognises them at first, later, or at all. At the end of the text, one of the men promises to return in one year. Sarah, until now thought to be barren, will have given birth to a son by that time. Notice how welcoming Abraham is to the strangers – the gospel story is also about hospitality.]
The Lord appeared to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre while he was sitting by the entrance of the tent during the hottest part of the day. He looked up, and there he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them he ran from the entrance of the tent to meet them, and bowed to the ground. My lord, he said, I beg you, if I find favour with you, kindly do not pass your servant by. A little water shall be brought; you shall wash your feet and lie down under the tree. Let me fetch a little bread and you shall refresh yourselves before going further. That is why you have come in your servants direction. They replied, Do as you say.
Abraham hastened to the tent to find Sarah. Hurry, he said, knead three bushels of flour and make loaves. Then running to the cattle Abraham took a fine and tender calf and gave it to the servant, who hurried to prepare it. Then taking cream, milk and the calf he had prepared, he laid all before them, and they ate while he remained standing near them under the tree.
Where is your wife Sarah? They asked him. She is in the tent, he replied. Then his guest said, I shall visit you again next year without fail, and your wife will then have a son.
[Paul speaks of a mystery hidden for centuries that has now been revealed. Paul often speaks of mystery. In scripture mystery means revealed, yet still hidden. The mysterious reality of God transcends human understanding.
Last week’s reading from Colossians told us that Christ has already reconciled the whole world to God: “and through him to reconcile all things for him.” So when we read today, “It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now and in my own body to do what I can to make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church” he is not suggesting that Jesus’ redemptive acts were incomplete or unfinished. Rather he is teaching that ministers of Christ, who carry on Jesus’ ministry, also participate in his suffering. ]
It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now and in my own body to do what I can to make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church. I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God's message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God's purpose to reveal it to them and to show all the rich glory of this mystery to pagans. The mystery is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we proclaim, this is the wisdom in which we thoroughly train everyone and instruct everyone, to make them all perfect in Christ.
[How do we welcome people? What is important? Is it by fussing about and being busy? Martha is told that the one thing necessary is the person of Jesus and the word which he imparts. Mary, who sat listen to him, has chosen the good portion. It would be wrong to read into the story a contrast between ‘contemplative’ and ‘active’ life
Jesus came to a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord's feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, 'Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.' But the Lord answered: 'Martha, Martha,' he said, 'you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.'
A
1. What word or phrase stands out for you? Why?
2. With whom in the readings do you most identify? Why
3. Do you feel attracted to anything in today’s readings? Do you feel
resistant to anything? Do you know why?
4. In what way do these readings affirm you?
5. In what way do these readings challenge you?
6. What can you do to respond to this challenge?
B
1. How do you provide hospitality, and to whom?
2. What kind of hospitality do you appreciate most? When and where have you received it?
3. What do you have to do to become more attentive to Jesus?
4. Who are you most like, Mary or Martha? Tell of an experience of your life to show this. How can you develop the other side of yourself?
5. What are the contributions of women to your community/ parish?
6. Like to mention any other verse/ thought coming from the readings.
Today we read a story that has annoyed many a housewife. However, when we look at the story carefully, we will see that Jesus has not criticised those who work hard to offer others the gift of hospitality. Rather, Jesus has refused to criticise, at another’s request, a person who considers listening to his word more important than anything else.
Jesus enters a village an accepts the hospitality of a woman named Martha. In doing this Jesus is not following convention. It would be unusual for an itinerant preacher to accept the hospitality of a woman in her home. More than any other Gospel Luke makes a point of picturing Jesus in people’s homes and accepting their hospitality, just as he instructed his disciples to do (Luke 9:4). By the time Luke is writing his Gospel, around AD 85, Christian churches are meeting in homes, and many women are offering them hospitality. Perhaps there will be a message for such women in today’s Gospel.
Martha’s sister, Mary, also acts unconventionally. She would be expected to busy herself with serving, not simply sitting at the feet of the teacher and listening to him. Luke tells us that Martha is “burdened with much serving.” Martha wants everything to be perfect for her guest, and so she doesn’t have time to be with her guest. She complains about Mary to Jesus. “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.”
There is no instance in Luke’s Gospel where Jesus criticises one person at the invitation of another. Whenever one person finds fault with another Jesus tries to get that person to look at his or her own faults. Jesus has earlier taught the crowd, “why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,’ when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own?” (Luke 6:41-42a). Martha has found fault with her sister, but has not found any fault with herself.
Jesus treats both sisters lovingly and accepts each person’s gift as that person has offered it. Martha’s gift is her hospitality. Jesus accepts that gift. Mary’s gift is her presence and attention. Jesus accepts that gift. However, when Martha criticises Mary, Jesus points out to Martha that it is her behaviour, not Mary’s that is lessening the gift of hospitality that Martha wants to offer. We can hear affection in Jesus’ tone as he says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her. “ Jesus is not being ungrateful for Martha’s hard work. He is just pointing out that Martha’s serving seems to have become more important than her guest.
Family responsibilities, work responsibilities, hospitality responsibilities: all of these are important and good. However, none of these is more important than spending time with Jesus and listening to his word.
1. How do you feel for Martha? I always feel she got a raw deal (but I feel the same way for the prodigal son’s stay at home brother, and for the labourers in the vineyard working all day and get the same pay as the 11th hour gang!)
2 We can sympathise with her and even admire her. Jesus comes to her house (not Mary’s) and she immediately gets busy preparing a meal for him. She's busy - we can understand her frustrations with her sister who is sitting there relaxing! Jesus words seem so unfair to the practical hostess, who welcomes him and then prepares a meal for him. At first glance it certainly seems as if Jesus' words are a reprimand.
3 Just imagine you go to a friend’s house and you are troubled, worried, and want to unburden yourself. If you friend busies herself/ himself with preparing food (what she/he sees as important for you) and you want to talk (your need). I sometimes imagine this gospel scene in this way.
4 This gospel is a continuation of last week’s gospel. It was the story of the Good Samaritan in answer to the question “what is the most important commandment?” Love God and love of neighbour – and both are intertwined. The parable of the Good Samaritan emphasised the important place of loving service. Today’s gospel follows on that story and tells us that Martha got her priorities wrong. It is not that she was too busy but that she “anxious”, “troubled”, distracted” – she had made herself too busy.
5 What do we make of this story? Perhaps Luke’s Jesus is telling us that even the Good Samaritan must take time off like Mary to sit at the master's feet and take in his word so that he/she may have proper perspective. It is important to know when to receive and when to give.
6 Christian is not called to follow the Martha way or the Mary way. The true follower is the one who can like Mary, and Jesus take time off to be alone with the Father, and like Martha and like Jesus - go about doing good for others
• Imitate Mary by quiet sitting in the presence of Christ.
• Prayerfully reflect on how “unanswered” prayers have often been answered in surprising ways.
• Reflect on how the practice of prayer has opened you to God’s Spirit.