THIS Sunday’s gospel (Luke 10:38-42) presents an account of two sisters – Martha and Mary – welcoming Jesus to their home and serving him in two different ways. Martha served Jesus by being a hospitable host. Not specifically mentioned in the story but it can be surmised that she prepared the best food on the table, brought out kitchen wares and utensils used only on special occasions, and turned the house exceptionally clean and orderly. Mary, on the other hand, did a different kind of service. She simply sat beside the Lord at his feet and listened to him speak.
We know what happened after that, how Martha complained to Jesus. She said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me” (verse 40). Take note of Jesus’ reply, “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’" (verses 41-42).
Both of the two sisters had in their heart the desire to serve the Lord, and they did, only in different forms. Martha addressed the temporal, practical needs of their guest, while Mary prioritized the spiritual. Martha wanted to feed Jesus and make him feel superbly comfortable, while Mary honored the Lord by being attentive to what he had to say. We would like to think that what they did were both important, and yes, they are. But which of the two sisters provided the better service? Jesus has the answer, “Mary has chosen the better part.”
It is desirable to serve the Lord through our neighbors. After all, he said, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). He also said, “Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40). Thus, it is a good thing to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, welcome strangers, clothe the naked, care for the sick, visit those in prison, and do many other charitable acts that are aimed at serving God through our fellowmen. God wants us to do all of these things. Nevertheless, our extreme busyness should not lead us to neglect what counts most, and that is, to commune with the Lord Jesus by listening to his teachings, obeying them, and talking with him in prayer.
Ephesians 2:8-10 gives a very good perspective on the relationship of faith and works, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so no one may boast. For we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them.” James 2:14-17, on the other hand, in dealing with the same subject, has this to say, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister has nothing to wear and has no food for the day, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,’ but you do not give them the necessities of the body, what good is it? So also, faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
As Mary shows us, putting our faith in Jesus is the best form of service to God; nevertheless, as Martha demonstrates, this faith should be a living faith that manifests itself in serving him and our fellowmen by concrete acts and good works.