A New Take on Mary and Martha

You know the story in Luke 10: Jesus and his disciples came to stay with the three siblings, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Martha ran around getting everything ready, while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet. Martha complained to Jesus, and Jesus told her that Mary had chosen better. 

I identify far more with Martha, and I tend to feel a little grumpy on her behalf. 

Naomi McKinlay had some lovely new insights. 

Culturally, Mary was being very irresponsible. A woman’s place was to be in the home, especially since having a famous religious teacher come to your house was a great honor. 

But Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. 

Now I have always pictured this as Jesus sitting in an easy chair, and Mary and some others sitting near his feet since there weren’t enough folding chairs. 

Ha! No. 

Apparently, “sitting at his feet” had a specific meaning: it was the place reserved for the religious teacher’s disciples. 

“Disciples” were not supposed to be women. But since we know that Jesus’ twelve disciples were not usually silent when something bothered their sensibilities, perhaps this was normal behavior for Jesus, allowing women into the circle of disciples.

We might say that Jesus was calling women to more than homemaking, that he was an advocate for them as people, that he was ushering in a new culture, where women also have a place, a mandate to represent heaven on earth. (As a homemaker myself, I’m not downplaying homemaking. But how wonderful that homemakers, too, can be disciples of Jesus.)

And as for Martha, she wasn’t wrong to deal with the meal, as that was her responsibility.

Her issue was worry. She felt pulled in different directions.

Jesus gave her both a rebuke and an invitation. All of his corrections are invitations, and all made out of love.

The invitation to Martha was to sit at Jesus’ feet, to enter into both parts of hospitality: feeding guests and spending time with them. 

If we skip either part, we’re missing part of hospitality.

And, in the end, Martha had her own redemption.

In John 11, after Lazarus died, Jesus went to raise him.

In that culture, it was a great honor to have a rabbi come to honor the dead. The custom of the mourners was to sit in the dark unless they left to go to the tomb.

When Martha heard that Jesus was come, she went to meet him. Properly, she shouldn’t have gone. Mary herself continued to sit at home, and didn’t leave until she heard that Jesus was asking for her.

Martha stopped living by social convention and began living by faith. 

She talked to Jesus of resurrection. 

And resurrection came to her house.

Jesus, you said in John 11:40, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 

Lord, we want to see the glory of God in our own lives. We want to live by faith, not by social convention. We want all you have for us. We want to choose the better part.

Thank you, Jesus, that you welcomed Mary, a woman, to sit with your disciples, and invited Martha to do so, too. Thank you that you invite us, male and female, to be your disciples. Thank you that we are called to represent you on the earth. May we do so with grace and peace.

Thank you, Jesus, that we see the glory of God in you. We love you and worship you. Amen.

Let us bless God,

Amy Joy

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