Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time-C
Christians will instantly recognize today’s Gospel reading. It is the story of Jesus visiting Martha and Mary’s home. Trying to be a good hostess, Martha busied herself with what was needed to welcome a guest into her home. But more than just a welcome among friends, Martha honored the long-standing Jewish tradition of welcoming a guest or stranger. The custom was probably initiated by Abraham when he welcomed men jorneying by feeding them.
Burdened with preparation, Martha remarked to Jesus that her sister Mary was doing nothing but sitting at his feet and listening. “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” Jesus replied, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is a need for only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her.”
Medieval theologians and commentators saw this story as a contrast between the active and contemplative Christian life. They believed the higher calling was the one Mary took by concentrating on the spiritual life over the physical. Although there is much to agree with, the fact remains that not every person can be a contemplative, and the physical needs of human beings must be met. When there is a rejection of “proof texting” (meaning taking only one scripture passage in isolation to prove a point), the reply of Jesus in context with his other teachings might reveal a different interpretation for a different reason.
For example, it is more nuanced when we contrast last week’s parable about the Good Samaritan with today’s lesson. The actions of the foreign Samaritan answered the question, ‘Who is my neighbor? ‘The priests and the Levites passed by the one in need for various reasons, but they did not stop to help a victim of violence. Their reasons were legitimate given Jewish law, but in reality, the observance of the law kept them from a higher calling of helping one in need and fulfilling the second Commandment about loving one’s neighbor.
Martha seems to have fallen into a similar trap. In attempting to have the most hospitable welcome, Martha spent all her time on incidentals, with little or no time for Jesus—her distraction with the physical needs left little room for the moment of grace, which she missed. Grace was before her, yet she let the moment pass because of other concerns.
So, what should we make of what has been said? We often live life partially blind to the spiritual life. Modern living has so many things keeping us busy and feeling exhausted. The things that need to be done daily, and too much time spent on our phones, blind us to the opportunities of grace. God intends and places his moments of grace before us, which are often ignored.
It might be visiting the sick. Too often, we think this is a great sacrifice because of the time it takes us away from doing other things. Here is a moment of grace, or the better part, when we engage in the spiritual through compassion and presence to our neighbor in need. Our sacrifice is returned by God’s grace, which far surpasses our gift of our visit.
Perhaps we have a relative or friend who needs human contact, but we know that calling them will take at least an hour. You know how much can be accomplished in an hour? Does the task we have planned equal the amount of good we do by loving our neighbor by giving them our time? There are many examples, but I think you get the point.
As Christians, we must balance our physical and spiritual needs. This balance isn’t easy, but one way to manage it is to remember there will be moments of grace afforded to us. All we need to do is recognize it. Knowing this lets us better discern what needs to be done and when we must put that aside and express love to our neighbor.