Daily Reflections ...

Luke’s Gospel for this memorial of Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, follows on from the parable of the Good Samaritan, the story of the man who generously and graciously cared for the wounded man.

Accounts of gracious hospitality (welcoming God in the stranger and guest) occur throughout the Scriptures. 

Today’s account of Jesus coming to the home of Martha and Mary demonstrates that hospitality. Both welcome Jesus and his companions.  I am always taken with Mary’s action here.  Rather than take the role that tradition would demand, she takes on the role of a learner, a scholar, sitting and listening. On the other hand Martha goes about doing what needs to be done (the traditional role of a Jewish woman). We often read into that ‘including preparing a meal’.

All goes well until Martha becomes agitated: “Lord, doesn’t it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to come and help me!”  “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things….”  The issue for Martha is not that she feels left alone to do the work, nor that she has humiliated her sister in front of a guest.  Her issue, as Jesus said, is that she is “worried and distracted”.

Think about yourself.  How are you when you are “worried and distracted” ? Ready to be generous, kind, compassionate, gracious?  Or are you more aware of the demands that pull you every which way, coming from various directions? Yes, when we are “worried and distracted by many things” it is difficult to offer gracious hospitality to anyone, let alone a stranger or guest.  Jesus makes the point that when it comes to welcoming a guest, the greatest form of hospitality is to listen to the Spirit of God in the guest.

This offers much for us to practise, even just for today!

by Liz Wiemers sgs