Mary and Martha Sermon 10-26-08

      In our lives we have many demands on our time. There are chores and Work. There never seems to be enough time to get it all done. I have gotten better at prioritizing as I have gotten older.

     I have always loved the story in the Bible about Mary and Martha being visited by Jesus. Now you have to get some background. First Hospitality is a big thing. Women of the family often were the care takers of the Guests while the Men sat and kept them company. There were no modern luxuries like dish washers, Gas Stoves, Washing machines, or Blender/ Food processors. There were no frozen tidbits in the freezer just waiting for the unexpected Guest. When a Guest showed up the Women would hustle to keep up with the added needs they should take care of. Food needed to be cooked, Drink provided, a bowl to wash the guest’s feet, Pillows for lounging and bedding if they were staying.

     So here we have Jesus, a favorite guest and best friend of their family show up with his hungry group. Even if there was enough food for one extra mouth it would never have been enough for around 20-30 people. Animals would need to be killed, processed and cooked. More wine might need to be sent for. Dates and fruit would be needed as snacks and bread would need to be made. More chopped wood would be needed to stoke the ovens and roasting pits.

     Ok, so now you see the stress and accommodations needed to provide for Guests. The one who would take charge of all this work would be the Lady of the House. Sometimes it was the eldest Son’s Wife. Sometimes it would be the eldest Daughter if there were no wives yet brought into the family to live.

     The eldest of these 2 women was Martha. Martha was Stalwart, no nonsense, and up for any challenge. She rightly took her duty to a Guest very seriously. For her it was work first and play and relax afterwards. She was a good woman and a great hostess.

     Then we come to Mary. She was younger and probably less driven. She had a support role in the household, not a leadership role. She was easily distracted by things she enjoyed. She was ruled by her heart not by her head by all accounts. She was written of as a dreamy idealist, hungry for any word Jesus might utter. She did not want to miss a single word.

     So Jesus arrives, Lots of greetings are exchanged and Martha goes into Hyper Drive. So much to do, so little time. I’m sure Mary started out at the kitchen listening through the door to Jesus. She wanted him to feel welcome as much as Martha did. Jesus lounges on the couch. Maybe Lazarus washes his feet because he is a guest. And Jesus starts talking.

     I can see it in my mind’s eye what happened next. Mary probably is asked to bring in the rinsed dates for them to nibble on. She brings the bowl in, sets it down and sits at Jesus’ feet, just for a moment, you know. Then she is in that sweet spot where nothing else matters. All time loses meaning. Like a dry sponge she soaks in every word.

     Then we see Martha come out of the kitchen. She is sweating, and rosy cheeked from the open roasting pit. She sees Mary lounging, not helping with everything that Has To Be Done. She lays into Mary with admonitions to come help. I’m sure Mary starts to get up, but Jesus stops her.

     He tells Martha that what Mary is doing is far more important than feeding him. He says that he wished all his students were as attentive of his words. I even think he would have invited Martha to join them. Knowing the type of person Martha was she could not help herself and went back to cooking. Probably thinking that Mary was not helping because she wanted her to do everything. I hope she realized later what Jesus was trying to explain.

     There will always be chores and distractions but to be able to prioritize is the important part. To find the things that feed your Soul are often more important than the trivia of life. To reconnect with God can replace many little worries you have with Love. Here is a story I got a while back that is a great Illustration of my point.

      When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee. 
     A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with walnuts. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. 
     The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the walnuts. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. 
      The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes." 
     The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. 
     "Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.  The walnuts are the important things---God, your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. 
     The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else---the small stuff. 
     "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the walnuts. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
     "Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness." Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. 
     Take care of the walnuts first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." 
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The Professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked." 
      It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend." 

God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions.

Angel Eliza