A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost at

The Episcopal Church of the Holy Spirit

in Greensboro, North Carolina.

There is an old saying in Latin, “The corruption of the best is the worst.” It seems sad to apply it to Sacred Scripture, but the truth is that over two millennia, Christians have done some horrible things with Scripture. More often than not, the problem arises when certain texts are taken out of their proper context. We call this “proof-texting,” or sometimes “cherry picking.” Disconnected from a context that gives meaning and nuance, such texts are used to justify almost anything. How sad it is to see something beautiful and constructive—created to give life, hope, and courage-used to tear down, destroy, and diminish others.

I can not think of a single text which has been more horribly misused that the passage from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Luke giving the account of the conversation which we heard today between Jesus and Martha.

What is the proper context?

The first thing to take into consideration is that Jesus and Martha know each other well. If Jesus actually had a “home away from home,” it would be the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in Bethany. When he is with them, he is not a guest, he is family.

They have been so loving, so gracious, and so welcoming, that they have provided Jesus with a refuge-with a place to rest, recover, and heal from the unceasing demands placed on him.

With these beloved friends, he is able to be himself, and he does not have to worry about what anyone is going to think or say about him. What an amazing and rare thing in his life. What an incredible blessing they have given to him!

Over a period of years, the four have come to know each other very well. As a result, they are open, honest, and vulnerable to each other. They are so comfortable that they do not mince words. They say exactly what they think and feel. There is no pretense. As in most families, they have no doubt shared the same thought, or opinion more than once! Thus, I doubt that Martha said anything to Jesus in this conversation that he had not heard more than once, perhaps many times, perhaps hundreds of times.

In my own reflection on this passage, over many years, I have come to imagine that there is a clear birth order. Martha comes across to me as the oldest child, Mary, as the often-forgotten middle child. Lazarus, I think, must be the baby. Only son of the family, he has two older Sisters. I can relate to that. And thus, thinking of my own family, I can see what that means.

The oldest child so often has an exaggerated sense of responsibility. They sometimes struggle with perfectionism. They want everything to have a kind of order, to be done in a certain way, and to not have any loose ends.

Normally, this is a quite good thing. It inspires them to take the extra step, to go out of their way, and to do things rather than asking anyone else for help, because they have learned that “if you want something done right, you do it yourself.”

The eldest child often takes on a quasi-parental role, and sometimes becomes a second mother, or father. It is not so much about control as it is a desire to have the younger siblings do what is right, what is just, what is fitting. They want to be proud of their siblings, and have others be proud of them too!

So, I would not be at all surprised if Martha had often complained about Mary as being “irresponsible,” “out of touch with reality,” and a “dreamer.” She does not like that Mary does not listen to her, proves to be independent and autonomous, and “just does what she wants.”

I am not even going to start on how both Martha and Mary view the baby of the family! Poor Lazarus—drowned with love and with expectation at the same time.

This conversation is different, though, from many others. In listening to Martha—and Jesus is a very good listener—he realizes that Martha is not in a good place. Words that may have previously been made with humor are now spoken harshly. Martha is angry and unhappy. She feels overwhelmed, unappreciated, and discouraged. Jesus gets it and says to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.”

Jesus acknowledges her hurt, her confusion, and the out-of-control feeling that she has. He takes her seriously. So seriously that it is as if asks her, “what is really going on here?” “What is this really all about.”

But then Jesus goes a step further by suggesting that Martha is making a mistake focusing outside herself. Rather than worrying about Mary, or Lazarus, or about supper, he invites her to understand just what it is that has caused he to reach this boiling point.

That is the only way for her to move forward.  If she wants peace in her own life, in her own mind, in her own heart, she will have to do the hard work of examining her own conscience. What does Martha need? I suspect that is something which she has never been asked before. I imagine that she is taken by surprise. And yet, what amazing possibilities emerge from this invitation.

I personally think that this passage only makes sense when I see what happens in the Eleventh Chapter of John. The account of the “Raising of Lazarus” provides a fascinating bookend. Here we encounter a more mature, more thoughtful, and more insightful Martha. It concludes with one of the greatest affirmations of faith that we find in the New Testament. Martha concludes her honest remarks to Jesus by confessing that in him she finds the very presence of God—”She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,^[g] the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

The problem is that others, reading into this passage, have chosen to pit Martha against Mary in a kind of competition to see who is better! It is almost like asking, “who is the favorite child.” They interpret
Jesus words to Martha as a kind of put down. He is telling her what it what and putting her in her place! Even worse, the passage has been used over the centuries to suggest that the Marys of the world are holier than the Marthas. It was used to suggest that Mary is a contemplative and Martha is apostolic. So, the cloistered religious has a “higher calling” than the one who is “working in the field caring for those in need.” How many have been hurt and wounded by this distortion of Holy Scripture.

Jesus remark that “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her” seems to have a clear meaning to me. Mary has chosen what is best for Mary! Let her be. You do you and let Mary do Mary! I think that he is also, subtly, encouraging Martha to find what is best for her, and to go for that.

The ultimate point of all this, is don’t make comparisons. Martha can’t judge Mary, and Mary can’t judge Martha. This is not a blanket statement about holiness, or the lack thereof. In this world, and in our Church, we need Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Each has a unique, valuable, and essential role to play. We need to stop making judgements about them, about what they have to offer, and about how important and significant their calls are. Odious comparisons always create wounds. Someone must be superior, someone has to be inferior, and that never accomplishes anything good.

When I was a college student at Appalachian State University in Boone, in the early 1980’s, I encountered the amazing music of Nancy Honeytree-a Southern Contemporary Gospel Singer. In one of her most beautiful songs she had this line, “He has chosen me to bless me, and to lead me into what is best for me.” Now that is good news. What Jesus is saying to every Martha, to every Mary, to every Lazarus, and to each of us, is–do not worry. I have chosen you to bless you! Trust in me, and I will lead you into what is best for you!

Summary in English and in Spanish

Todos luchamos por dar sentido a lo que estamos llamados a ser y llegar a ser. El proceso de discernimiento nunca es fácil, porque en parte, no nos conocemos realmente bien a nosotros mismos. También puede suceder a menudo que otros intenten ayudarnos, pero si no tienen cuidado, nos darán consejos que nos muestran qué opciones son las mejores para ellos, no para nosotros. A veces, incluso instituciones, como las Iglesias, pueden hacer lo mismo sin querer.

El famoso relato de la conversación entre Marta y Jesús proporciona una visión fascinante de cómo puede desarrollarse esto. No tengo ninguna duda de que Marta ama a su hermana María. Y, sin embargo, no respeta las decisiones que María ha tomado en su propio intento de responder a la llamada de Dios en su vida. Marta está segura de que sabe lo que es mejor para María y se siente infeliz cuando María no hace lo que ella le pide que haga. ¡Tal vez ella es sobreprotectora, tal vez es controladora, tal vez simplemente tiene ideas de lo que María debería hacer!

Jesús, sin embargo, realmente tiene el mejor interés de María en el corazón. Porque ama tanto a Marta como a María, escucha a Marta, escucha lo que ella tiene que decir y luego la desafía a dejar de lado sus propios deseos y anhelos, y a permitir que María siga el camino al que Dios ha invitado a María.

Debemos tener cuidado con una cosa. El consejo que Jesús da a Marta y a María es un consejo destinado a Marta y María. No debemos cometer el error de aplicar los detalles de ese consejo a nuestra propia vida o a la vida de los demás.

Jesús nos invita a encontrar “lo que es mejor para nosotros” y a decir sí al llamado único de Dios hacia nosotros.

We all struggle to make sense of what we are called to be, and to become. The process of discernment is never an easy one, because in part, we do not really know ourselves well. It can also often happen that others try to assist us, but if they are not careful, they will give us advice that shows us options which are best for them, not for us. At times, even institutions, such as Churches can unintentionally do the same.

The famous account of the conversation between Martha and Jesus provides a fascinating insight into how this can play out. I have no doubt that Martha loves her Sister Mary. And yet, she does not respect the choices that Mary has made in her own attempt to respond to the call of God in her life. Martha feels sure that she knows what is best for Mary, and is unhappy when Mary does not do what she asks her to do. Perhaps she is overprotective, perhaps she is controlling, perhaps she just has ideas of what Mary ought to do!

Jesus, though, truly has Mary’s best interest at heart. Because he loves both Martha and Mary, he listens to Martha, hears what she has to say, and then challenges her to let go of her own wishes and desires, and to allow Mary to follow the path to which God has invited Mary.

We must be careful of one thing. The advice that Jesus gives to Martha and to Mary is advice intended for Martha and Mary. We should not make the mistake of applying the specifics of that advice to our own lives or to the lives of others. Jesus invites us to find “what is best for us” and to say yes to God’s unique call to us.