Luke 10:38-42
7th 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.
or, [“Martha, Martha, you are worrying and making
noise about many things, when only one thing is needed. Mary chose the better
half, and it won’t be taken away from her.” Gaus]
7th August Trinity
September 2, 2012
Luke 10:38-42
Pairings and contrast play a large role in life: day and
night, up and down, inner and outer. Yet these seeming polarities have their
own place within a larger whole.
Our souls also swing between opposites. As Goethe says, ”Two
souls reside within my breast.”[1]
One soul is engaged in working in the outer world—at a job, in our homes. The
other soul is inwardly active—reading, contemplating, praying. Yet both souls
are two sides of our one selfhood.
The gospel reading warns us about residing too one-sidedly
or too emotionally in only one of our ‘souls’. Christ gently chides the Martha
soul, not for doing outer work, but for being too worried and bothered about
too many things. She is beside herself with anxiety. He defends the Mary soul that is centered and
receptive to Him and His words.
