Sermon - 30th July 2006

Today we look a very short episode recorded in St Luke's Gospel where the famous encounter between Jesus and the sisters Mary and Martha is recorded. The passage is very short but there is a lot here for us to reflect on.

First the context. At the start of chapter 10 Jesus commissions 72 of his followers to go out in pairs to spread the gospel. He gives them instructions on how to behave and what to say. After this Luke moves on to the story of the Good Samaritan - a story about an outsider who behaves more justly than do upright figures in the Jewish religious establishment of the day. This was a story which would have delighted the people who were often cynical about the religious leaders but which would have infuriated those very members of the establishment being satirised. And then Luke just moves into today's reading.

We don't know if Jesus knew Martha, and her sister, Mary before this episode - in St John's Gospel it is clear that they were very close to Jesus as was their brother, Lazarus, who is not mentioned in St Luke's account. It would have been extraordinary for a woman to invite a man into her home. The scandal would have been fierce. Yet she thinks nothing of doing this and Jesus thinks nothing of accepting the invitation.

Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet, is the example held up to those who feel called to live as contemplative monks and nuns. Mary is content to sit and listen to all that Jesus has to say to her; she is an example of a particular type of piety - a piety that many of us admire but most of us cannot emulate. When we see shows like "The Convent" or "The Monastery" on TV we can admire the lifestyle of the nuns and monks, we can even think it would be good to go and stay for a time in such a religious house. Going somewhere for a short time to escape the business of our lives, the hustle and the bustle would be marvellous. But to live like that, all the time? What would you do? I think I would go mad after a few hours! But for Mary, and for many like her this way of life is life itself - a way of learning, listening and living live to the full. Sadly, however, it was not quite how Martha was made.

Now we don't know much about Martha, but we can make some educated guesses about what is going on here. On one level, Martha is annoyed because she is doing all the work getting the house and the meal ready and Mary isn't helping her. She may even be annoyed that Jesus isn't helping her. But I think more is going on here.

Firstly, she just doesn't get Mary's need to sit and listen. There is work to be done, a house to be made ready, food to be prepared, a table to be laid. All this is more urgent than listening to the preacher. Martha is the person who is practical, who gets on and does things. She can't understand the contemplative role shown by Mary.

But maybe there is more going on. Maybe Mary and Martha have had a row. Maybe Martha is jealous of the attention Jesus is giving Mary. Maybe there is loads of stuff simmering below the surface and the fact that Mary isn't helping is the excuse to let some of it out and be in a bad mood! I think it is significant she asks Jesus to tell Mary off, not do it herself.

We all have times when we want to moan and groan. We all have times when the thing that we say is upsetting us isn't really the thing that has got under our skin. Last week I was interviewed by a youth worker who wanted to know all about us. During the interview he said that he had met someone who used to come to MCCM - he didn't say who - who had told him that he didn't like our theology. The man interviewing me wondered which bit of our theology this guy didn't like. Now I have no idea; I didn't know we had enough theology to object to! But I did wonder if our "theology" was code for something else. Maybe he fell out with me, maybe he didn't like one of Philip's sermons, maybe he didn't like Neil's choice of songs, maybe he felt that Gwen didn't talk to him, maybe he didn't like the building. Often when people express anger they don't say what is really going on. Often when we are angry we are not aware of what is making us angry and we use something else as the excuse. This is what Martha is doing and trying to shift the blame, and responsibility onto Mary. Jesus appears to recognise this:

Reader: "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things..."

Jesus cuts to the chase. Maybe in the actual encounter he went on to tell her what she was really upset about and maybe Luke left this out as it wasn't central to the story for him. Jesus recognises that the thing she says she is cross about isn't the reality - "you are worried and upset about many things". One of my friends is always angry. He is like a young version of Victor Meldrew - he even has the "I don't believe it" catch phrase ready to go. He is the archetypal "grumpy old man". I have never worked out what he is really angry about - I have some ideas. But he is always getting cross about stuff which doesn't matter - rather like Martha in our reading today. We often do the same - get cross for no reason, or for the wrong reasons.

Reader: Jesus said: "but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Jesus reminds Martha, and us, that the only thing that is needed is to be still and listen to God. We are not called to be monks and nuns, but we are called to emulate their ability to be still and listen. We are not called to live apart from the world, but are called to be still in the midst of the world. We are not called to never get angry - indeed anger is a wonderful energy of change - but we are called to be clear about what we are angry about.

Jesus reminds Martha, and us, to be still and listen to all that God has to say to us in the business of our world, in the hustle and bustle of our lives. In the final analysis, all that matters is that we can listen to God.

Amen.

This sermon was first preached in the Metropolitan Community Church of Manchester. Click here for further information.