7th September Trinity 2007, Levels of Work

Luke 10:38-42

7^th August Trinity

Now as they were traveling along, he entered a certain village; and a woman named Martha received him into her home. And she had a sister called Mary who was listening to the Lord’s word, seated at his feet.

Martha meanwhile was distracted with all her preparations. So she got up and said, “Lord do you not care that my sister has left me here to serve alone? Tell her to help me.”

But the Lord answered and said to her, Martha, Martha you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only a few things are necessary, really only one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

7^th August Trinity

Martha and Mary, Huis

September 2, 2007

Luke 10:38 -42

In The Christian Community, the Sunday Service for the Children speaks of the purpose of a human life: it is to learn to understand and work in the world. For millennia humanity has been practicing working in the world. But in addition there is another level of work we need to be doing: inner work. For the human being is also a part of the world that needs to be understood and worked in.

Martha represents the well-developed part of the human soul that knows how to work in the world. However, this constantly being drawn out into the world’s busyness is tiring and distracting. Martha is the part of us that becomes irritable and resentful because there is too much to do in the world, and we can’t stop. After all, if the Lord came to visit, surely it would be important to offer Him the best hospitality!

Mary on the other hand represents the part of the soul that begins to learn and understand that there is another equally important level of work – inner work. She not only receives the Lord into her home; she receives him into her heart. She is willing to engage in the equally important inner work of listening to the Lord, of letting His words begin to work in her. She works to absorb His words, to ponder and remember them; she works to tend the inner hearth.  

It is important for us to realize that we are not being asked to choose one kind of work over the other. Rather Christ is pointing out that our souls need the balancing of both kinds of work. We need periods of enthusiastic outer activity, of working in the world. And we need times of quiet contemplation, of listening to the Lord.

Christ’s word, in the gospels, in contemplation, helps us to do our inner work. His word cleanses our inner house of the soul. It scours away our negativity and stress, wipes away the soul’s impurities. His word lights the fire of love in the soul’s hearth. He helps us discern what is truly important, the good part, the real purpose of our life.