Gospel Reflection July 20 – Kim VanHuffel
Sunday, July 20
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Luke 10: 38-42
Gospel:
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
“Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me.”
The Lord said to her in reply,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her.”
Gospel Reflection:
Who can’t relate to this Gospel passage? I know I’ve had the conversation a million times with people, men and women alike, that starts with “So, are you a Martha or a Mary?” I, by the way, am a full-fledged Martha!
The question that I take away from this passage is — is it wrong to be a Martha? Luke’s Gospel is known as the gospel to the poor and marginalized. It has an overriding theme of hearing (the word of God) and doing (helping people). So why does Jesus seem to be critical of Martha? Just before this passage, Jesus is asked what one should do to inherit eternal life. His answer — love God and your neighbor. How do you love your neighbor? Hospitality. Taking care of them. And that seems to be what Martha is trying to do.
The problem that Jesus points out to Martha is that the “one thing necessary” for hospitality is to pay attention to your guest. All the rest is just for show. This is a lesson to all of us today as well. How many times do we work so hard to make a good impression when all the person across from us wants is to be heard. To make connections. To be in community.
Of course another important way to read this passage is that the “one necessary thing” is to be in communion with God and to listen to him above all things and before all things. It is a very similar concept. To be in communion with God, we have to listen to him and make time for him, and shed the self-imposed busyness.
Now back to my original question. Is it wrong to be a Martha? No, but first we need to listen to God. If we do this, it is inevitable that we will be called to follow his commandment of love, from which must flow self-giving service to our neighbor, especially those in need. “Doing” is also important but the “one necessary thing” must come first. Whether we are at the soup kitchen or hosting someone in our home the “one necessary thing” is to pay full attention to the person we are with at that moment, out of love for God and them. If we accomplish that first, then taking care of their physical needs is icing on the cake.
Kim VanHuffel
Pastoral Associate
