Word to the Wise
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 - St. Martha
[Jeremiah 14:17-22 and John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42]Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."
Whether one takes the model of Martha as presented in the Gospel of John, as quoted above, or as presented in the Gospel of Luke ("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.") the image comes through of a woman of great energy and enthusiasm. It should be noted that she comes through both images as a true disciple. In John, she is typical of many of the characters who come to a full understanding of Jesus by stages in a conversation. At the end of the conversation she makes a profession of complete faith. In Luke, she is a busy lady but she serves as a way for Jesus to balance the "activist" side of discipleship with the "listening" side. To receive the full benefit of Martha's portrait, I recommend reading both gospel passages today. Faith expressed in action comes through in Martha's going out to meet Jesus or taking care of him in her home. Faith expressed in listening to the Lord comes through in her conversation with Jesus as he speaks to her. We can thank Martha for her enthusiasm and energy but also for serving as our teacher today as well. AMEN
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