“The Main Course

Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42

Have you ever had that experience where you’re welcomed into a home, but somehow the host or hostess can’t relax enough to really spend time with you. At the meal, the host is ready to pounce to serve you. Questions are asked, “Is the food hot enough; do you need anything else? Is that kind of mustard ok? We have more.” There might even be an apology for the food or “I hope the food’s ok, it didn’t turn out exactly how I wanted it to.” It’s not very relaxing is it? My family is full of anxious hosts like this, and I can easily revert to that role.

Now a few years ago, I was at a Christmas party in Louisville that my ministry supervisor, Deborah, and her husband, David, a seminary professor, were throwing. Deborah was having a conversation with me and another person as we sat in her living room when we heard a loud crash in the kitchen. Something had obviously broken, and we heard David say, “I’ve got it.” From where I was sitting, I could see a bit of the commotion taking place in the kitchen and a few people jumping in to help. I even had the inclination to get up and help, but what really stood out to me was that Deborah didn’t miss a beat in the conversation between us. She sat there absorbed in our conversation, but noticed me looking at the kitchen, smiled and said, “David’s got it.” This was a lesson in hospitality for me and in trust and in letting go! Deborah wasn’t distracted by the incident, and she had confidence that David was handling things. I was impressed by her attentiveness.  Of course, I also knew that she had worked plenty hard to prepare for the party too. 

This is a short, interesting passage. For years, it has been used to put being busy, task-oriented or an active life up against being contemplative, and being contemplative the more worthy goal.      

I once attended an all day church staff retreat where we were asked to focus on whether we were more of a Mary or Martha: a doer, or more contemplative. Into the first hour of discussion, one of my colleagues, Sue, the Director of Christian Education said something like this, “You know, I’m starting to resent this conversation. It’s beginning to feel like I’m darned if I do, and darned if I don’t. Because the truth of the matter is I’m both—in my job there are a million tasks that need to be done. I will admit to being challenged of when to let go and let others help, or when to sit and listen. But I don’t believe this is an either/or situation and I’m beginning to feel set-up.”  She was right, and we all knew that Sue did made time for God.  

It may be a useful exercise to discern whether you’re more of a Mary or a Martha—maybe, but it is probably more useful to look at where we need to balance our lives, and that’s where we did move toward in that retreat. 

Looking at our passage, we are told that Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, and then was distracted by her tasks while Mary sat at Christ’s feet and listened to what he said. What’s at stake here is Martha’s worrying and fussing—she can’t stay focused and her busyness, at this moment, keeps her from Jesus. This passage begs the questions of us: what should our focus be and what distracts us? 

When we look at the passage this way, it looks a bit different. It is not an either/or; there is no division between contemplative and action found here, although we might see a bit of passive aggressive behavior on Martha’s part. Can’t you just hear those pots and pans banging louder and louder as Martha gets more peeved at Mary for sitting at Jesus’ feet while she’s doing all the work and fretting if everything is going get done on time.[1] Or just maybe, it’s Mary who is being passive aggressive? I just love these very, very human moments in the Bible. But back to the point, what should our focus be?  Listen to how Eugene Peterson’s translates this passage in the Message.

As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."

The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."

Did you catch that? The main course is what is essential—that’s what Mary has chosen. Stephanie Fry writes in the Christian Century that when you start thinking of God’s word as the “main course” in the feast of life, it places action, contemplation, and listening in balance. This helps us look at this narrative a bit differently. “Jesus is the host, not Martha or Mary or anyone of us, and he spreads the word like a banquet to nourish and strengthen us. The word has within it commands both to sit and listen, and to go and do.”[2]    

Bear in mind, that this passage directly follows the parable of the Good Samaritan where Jesus commands us to go and do like wise. GADL—go and do like wise as Alex preached last week. Today, we are reminded what the main course is: God’s word and Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ shows us how to live! We are called to listen and pay attention to scripture, to Jesus, to God, and to find the right words to communicate God’s word for the here and now[3], to a world and city, to friends and neighbors who hunger for the right kind of nourishment.

This Mary and Martha story asks: Where is Jesus in your life? Will you, do you, make time for Jesus? Will you, do you, make time for God? How in our unrelenting schedules, obligations, daily distractions, and worries do we even fit God in on top of everything? What’s more important to us, to you? How do you prioritize? Perhaps some of you, like me, have read and taken courses in Steven Covey’s management style. Maybe you’ve read some of his books, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, The 8th Habit. They are wonderful and helpful books, but this passage in Luke is reminding us that Jesus Christ, God’s word, needs to be the essential habit, the first thing, the main course, our main nourishment, and without this—life’s distractions, worries, and obligations are going to get the best of us.

We will not have the abundant life that Christ offers us, a meaningful life found walking with Christ and serving God’s world if seating at Jesus’ feet isn’t our main focus. God’s word in Jesus Christ is not to be an appetizer, side dish, salad, or dessert that we love but only have once in a while. No God’s word is the main course. Yet admittedly like Martha, our distractions pull us away—our worrying, fussing, unrealistic schedules and expectations are obstacles to authentic discipleship. And yes, I’m preaching to me here too.

Bob Herbert had an interesting Op-Ed in the New York Times on Friday in which he points out how our blackberries, ipods, ipads, hectic schedules, and other activities have taken over our lives. Our blackberries buzz and we jump. Herbert writes, we are living in “a heightened freneticism that seems to demand that we be doing, at a minimum, two or three things every single moment of every hour that we’re awake. Why is multitasking considered an admirable talent? We could just as easily think of it as a neurotic inability to concentrate for more than three seconds”[4]  He writes about a lovely engagement party with champagne toasts in NYC, but all the guests had cell phones and texted-messaged their way through the entire event. Now we know technology has improved the quality of our lives tremendously, but it can be a powerful obstacle. Really though, it is just a glaring example of many obstacles in our lives from getting top grades, travel sports, demanding jobs, hectic schedules, consumerism, and our inability to prioritize and have “down time” and time with God.

This isn’t a new challenge for Christians; we see that obstacles were present in Mary and Martha day too. If we are truly going to live into our salvation and be the people God is calling us to be, we need to take time to savor what is offered to us, to listen to God, practice being in God’s presence, and work on discerning where God is leading us. I think it’s truthful to say sometimes it’s easier to keep up that hectic pace with ourselves and families than to set difficult priorities and stick to them. Yet the way of Jesus doesn’t claim some of us, or part of us, but all of us! This passage asks us to think about how seriously we take discipleship in Christ. What’s on our menu? What and who are you joining to partake in? And what are you serving to others?  Tough questions, so watch for opportunities this coming year to sort some of this out together.

Of course the paradox is that you may not think you have the time to spare, but the more time you spend in Christian discipleship, the more one’s worries lessen, and we gain in our ability to walk confidently with Christ through the obstacles that life brings our ways. Inevitably, on the days when the pressures of life and worrying get the best of me, it’s the day that I’ve skipped taking the time for devotions, to pray, and meditate—even if it’s only possible for short spurts. Disciplined discipleship brings us in touch with God’s grace, unique peace, and brings new energy to our lives.  

This Mary/Martha passage speaks to us as individuals and also to us a community, and it can be just as discomforting to the church as to individuals. A community that lets Christ be the host, is one marked by the attention it gives to God’s word and to Christian discipleship. In the commentary, Feasting on the Word, Cynthia Jarvis, a Presbyterian minister writes, “A church that has been led to be ‘worried and distracted by many things’ inevitably will be a community that dwells in the shallows of frantic potlucks, anxious stewardship campaigns, and events designed simply to perpetuate the institution….social issues may be addressed, but the gospel is missed…. and the nominating committee turns up with an empty slate.”[5] Yikes! Strong words! On the other hand, she points out that when a congregation is led to position itself at Christ’s feet in discipleship with reading scripture and practicing prayer and discernment, then even the details of the common church life begin to resound with the Good News—the main course.

May it be so, Amen 

Let us pray: Loving God, may the good news of Jesus Christ be the main course in our individual lives and in the life of our congregation. May we look to you to prioritize our lives and have the courage to serve you with all that we are. Amen

[1] Stephanie Fry, Living with Martha, The Christian Century, July 13, 2004,  http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=3081

[2] Ibid

[3] Douglas John Hall, Feasting on the Word Year C, Vol 3 (WJK, Louisville, 2010) 264

[4] Bob Herbert, Tweet Less, Kiss, More New York Times , July 16, 2010

[5] Cynthia Jarvis, Feasting on the Word Year C, Vol 3 (WJK, Louisville, 2010) 264