that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
A lot of us feel this way, don't we? We are out in the vineyard doing our part for the kingdom. Eventually it starts feeling like work. Eventually it becomes drudgery. It becomes tedious and unrewarding. Then we see those privileged few who seem to be blessed with all of the grace, peace, and joy they can handle. They don't seem to do anything in particular to cause it. Instead, whenever they get near to Jesus it just flows into them. But with us, even when we get near to Jesus, we still find ourselves working. We still find ourselves doing. We find ourselves unable to just sit at his feet.
Martha's approach of how she relates to Jesus is emphatically not wrong. It is just partial. First, her attentiveness to others is no doubt why she is the one who "welcomed him" when he entered her village. Would Mary ever get to know Jesus if not for that? We can't say. But her approach is partial. She misses out on "the better part" because she can't sit still long enough to experience it. But that is not to say that the part she does receive is not also good.
Mary and Martha both choose how they respond to Jesus when he visits them. It is certain that Mary's life also contains a lot about which she could be anxious and worried. But she sets it aside to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen. Martha no doubt has a lot going on. There is no doubt much that really does need her attention. Even to have Jesus as a guest does entail some work. Every priest that has ever managed the finances of his parish knows this. In spite of that, the implication is clear. She allows that take precedence when she should take advantage of a specific opportunity. She should take the time out to sit and listen.
We're secretly worried that Jesus will hold it against us if we take this time. Yet it is essential. And things will still get done even if we do set them aside for a moment. God doesn't need us to keep the universe running. He knits us together in the womb. He loves us long before we can do anything to deserve it.
We are all set apart from the womb and called through grace to know the Son, just as Paul as. And yes, we are called to proclaim him and build his kingdom. But our priority is always Jesus himself. With Paul, we don't need to immediately consult flesh and blood or go up to Jerusalem. There will be time for all that. We need to be content with who we are in Jesus, just as Paul is. We don't have anything to prove. We need to know that we are loved before we do a single thing. We will then allow ourselves to rest at his feet. This is better for us. And it is better for the kingdom, too.
So they glorified God because of me.
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