As you might know, I am participating in the "Fall into Reading" challenge as outlined in my last post. I picked up Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver again yesterday. Two things struck me in my reading yesterday:
1. According to some of the research and thinking of the day, 70 people may have come to Mary and Martha's home that day for dinner. SEVENTY! Including JESUS! The problem is (in Martha's mind) that she is doing all the work, while her sister sits at the feet of Jesus. Weaver notes that Martha opened her home to Jesus and his entourage, but didn't automatically open her heart. As Luke says, "Martha was distracted by all the preparations that HAD to be made." In Martha's mind, nothing less than the very best would do. Would any of us be any different if Jesus himself came to eat in our homes?
2. But, Weaver notes that the busyness of the Kitchen is not the same as the intimacy of the Living Room.
Interesting. When I read this yesterday, I was struck by an event that happened in my own home last Christmas. We hosted our annual Open House where we invite all of our church members, families, and friends to come celebrate the season with us. In an effort to relax and enjoy this event more over the years, we asked people to bring a snack to share. Still, there is much to do during this time.
After many of the guests had come and gone, there were about 20 people still relaxing in our Family Room. I was busily trying to pick up little messes that had occured in the rest of the house. I found myself in the kitchen, trying to bring some order out of the chaos.
One of the guests in the family room, a friend from church, said, "Susan, come sit down and visit for a while." I realized in that moment, I had not really spoken to any one of those guests while they had been in my home that evening. I was too busy trying to keep up. I sat down in the Family Room with them, but I couldn't stay there. I HAD to get up and keep doing what I was doing. I think I sat for a total of five minutes...MAYBE!
How many times do we miss the opportunity to sit and relax with other people? And how important is it that we DO take the time to visit and get to know each other?
How much MORE important would it have been if we were in Mary and Martha's home?
Weaver makes another interesting observation:
"The kingdom of God, you see, is a paradox. While the world applauds achievement, God desires companionship. The world clamors, "Do more! Be all that you can be!" But our Father whispers, "Be still and know that I am God."
May we all take some time to "BE STILL" today!!
4 comments:
S..Enjoyed your post, as usual. Your analigies hit close to home for me. As you know, I too often am like you said, "in the kitchen making sure things get done" instead of visiting. Will try to remember your message next time (as hard as it is to do)!
LY...C
Your reading list is longer than mine! Not that - that is saying much, but it is a long list you have there! :)
I agree about the Mary and Martha thing. It is hard for me to just sit too.
Thank you for your post today...
I once was intriqued by the title of a book called "Martha's Recipes and Mary's Prayers" Good points that the author makes. I personally think Martha gets a bad rap...Isn't it amazing all the paradoxes in the Bible. (The first, shall be last, Lose everything to gain, etc.) Isn't it great to have the Holy Spirit to explain all this to us!
Like your thoughts on Mary and Martha. That parable has always been a hard one for me...hard because sometimes things have to be done! I've been thinking alot about Mary and Martha and was reading a commentary on Luke...lots to chew on, I might write about it at my blog...don't want to talk your ear off! At a hen's pace had a post on Mary and Martha a while ago, it was quite the different take that I have been thinking on lately, but very thought provoking.
blessings to you this week,
Jenny (homeiswhereyoustartfrom)
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