O for the life of Mary. To be able to have the freedom and luxury of sitting at Jesus’ feet free of the busyness of life that has captured Martha. Martha is like so many of our church families. They scramble to keep their family’s heads above financial waters with both parents working, juggling school pickups – whose turn is it to take them to Auskick – in between you have to take another child to dancing or netball. Wouldn’t we all love the “luxury” of sitting at Jesus’ feet while everyone else is running around? Or what about the parents who work 5 days a week and Saturday is sports and house work – Sunday is our only day off.
As a Pastor I feel for them and would never make anyone feel guilty and hope that they know that being a member of our church is not just about coming to church on Sunday but about maintaining a relationship with God. Something that Martha has slipping away from her through her busyness and distractions.
Our issue is that we are tied heavily to our budget and offerings which have traditionally been received on Sunday. So there has been this mission outreach motivated by what many churches refer to as “giving units”. I really dislike that term referring to a member of the body of Christ as a “giving unit”. What we need to do and hopefully our review is going to lead us on that path is to rediscover our mission and ministry focus to our wider community which includes all of our church family.
What is sad about the Martha situation is that she is the example we are to follow when it comes to mission outreach. That might sound strange especially considering Jesus says she has become distracted. But notice that Jesus didn’t tell her to stop what she is doing and come and sit at my feet. Listen again to the start of the Gospel reading:
As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.
That’s the crux of mission – welcoming; welcoming the stranger. We want Martha in our congregation – not for the work she does – although that’s great too – but we want the welcoming nature of Martha who welcomed Jesus into her home. Mary experiences the blessings of Martha’s invitation and hospitality sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him. If Martha had not welcomed Jesus into her home then Mary would not have had the privilege of sitting at Jesus’ feet.
But what’s interesting about this reading, particularly as we pair it with our Old Testament reading, is the welcoming of God into our midst. Remember, this was no ordinary guest she invited in. This was Jesus. The was God.
In our Old Testament reading Abraham and Sarah are visited by 3 strangers who turn out to be 3 angels – perhaps the Holy Trinity? When Abraham sees them he doesn’t ask what they want but extends hospitality by rushing and getting food and drink for them. I wonder whether this is a lesson to us as church.
In our busyness of getting everything done – in our efforts to evangelise – have we begun by inviting God into our midst? In our meeting with Pastor Brett Kennett recently regarding our review, he said we are so used to the phrase “don’t just sit there, do something” which is often how churches evangelise. We have to do the latest mission program that everyone else is doing. Pastor Brett suggested that in church as we focus on mission and evangelism we need to turn that around. Don’t just do something – sit there. He wasn’t suggesting that we just sit on our hands – but like Mary, we need to sit at the feet of Jesus again as the foundation of our mission and ministry.
Martha’s biggest issue is that her hospitality has been distracted by her anger at her sister. Her hospitality is important. Her hospitality invited Jesus into her home.
And as the Book of Hebrews reminds us – Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. But in her anger Martha now tells Jesus what he has to do and it has nothing to do with mission or evangelism – tell my sister to help me. That’s not mission when we tell God what he should be doing in his church.
Notice that Jesus doesn’t say to Martha – just stop all your fussing and come and sit down. No. He tries to let her know that in her distraction she has shifted her focus from welcoming Jesus into her home and heart and in her anger has now sinned – she has given Satan a foothold into her life as St Paul warns against.
She now wants to tell Jesus how he should act – Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me. She is now directing Jesus’ mission. What was once a welcoming hostess has now decided how Jesus should act. Her mission began well – welcoming Jesus into her heart and home. And perhaps that’s the lesson for us as we seek to do God’s mission.
First – invite Jesus in as our guest.Allow Jesus to speak to us as we sit at his feet. Wasn’t that what God said about Jesus at his Baptism and Transfiguration – this is my Son whom I love – “listen to him”.
Secondly, as a welcoming church, perhaps that’s where we can begin our mission and ministry – by inviting. I know that inviting strangers is not that easy but we have a whole congregation of members who have not worshipped in a long time particularly since Covid. And Sunday morning church is not always the first place they have to receive an invitation.
Perhaps, like Martha, an invitation to our homes to rebuild connections or even to begin a connection. Just look at the example that Jesus left us. His invitation to have a meal with Zacchaeus. His visit to Simon the Pharisee. The constant complaint against him – he eats with sinners. Jesus didn’t say “go to the synagogue” as his mission and evangelism but lived out hospitality in his life. Even after his resurrection when he met the disciples on the beach he had breakfast waiting for them.
Let us revisit our membership directory and have a look at the names in there and how many there are that we have not seen or whom you do not know. And remember that as we invite the stranger into our homes we are inviting Jesus. As much as you did this for the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you did unto me. As Martha invited Jesus into her home – and as Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to him – in the words of Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan, let us go and do likewise.
