Martha took up the duties in the house.
Mary chose the better part.

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.’

16th Sunday in Ordinary Time-Year C

Written by Fr Gerald O'Collins SJ
Kairos, Volume 21, Issue 12

Back in 1973, when he arrived to speak at the Eucharistic Congress in Melbourne, the great German theologian Jürgen Moltmann told me a little sadly: “The active students don’t pray and the prayerful students don’t act”.

He was referring to what had begun to happen in Germany and elsewhere a few years earlier. Many, but certainly not all, young people put aside their political apathy and became passionately committed to national and international causes.

Moltmann put his finger on a wider problem. All Christians should act and pray. They need to lift up their hands in prayer to God and stretch out their hands to help their brothers and sisters in need. If we truly listen to Jesus in our prayer, we will also listen to the cries of human beings in distress.

Reading the story of Jesus visiting Martha and Mary, we might be tempted to evade its spiritual challenge. We could allow ourselves to be distracted by historical details and questions. Surely these two women are the sisters of Lazarus, and they all lived together in Bethany on the outskirts of Jerusalem? Why does Luke not mention their brother Lazarus and, for that matter, why does he not specify the place where they lived, instead of calling it ‘a certain village’?

In his recent The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, Philip Pullman rewrites the story of Jesus’ visit to Martha and Mary and shifts attention away from the heart of the matter. Martha rebukes Mary for letting the toast burn: “I ask you to be careful with it, and you just forget all about it.” Jesus backs her up by telling Mary to go and help her sister in the kitchen.

In Luke’s text, however, Martha complains to Jesus, while calling him by a title that suggests his divine identity: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to get on with the work by myself? Tell her to come and give me a hand.” Jesus replies by pointing to the unique grace of being in his personal presence. Mary “has chosen the better part” by remaining with him and listening to his words.

Luke places the visit to Martha and Mary straight after the parable of the Good Samaritan. The implication is clear. Those who spend time with Jesus in prayer and soak up the unique grace of his presence will be empowered with love for others. They will learn not only to attend to household chores but also to stop for wounded travellers they meet on their road through life.

If we too listen to Jesus in prayer, we will also listen to the cries of men and women in distress.

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