Meditation for May 28, 2009

From The Rev. Peter A. Munson

Luke 10:38-42

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’ ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; ⁴²there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’

Choosing the Better Part

I have read or heard it said that our choices are not always between bad and good, but often between good and good.  We see that in this familiar passage from Luke 10.  Martha is doing a very good thing.  She is offering the gift of hospitality, and serving Jesus and the disciples.  Serving and loving others is at the very heart of the message that Jesus preached  I will cite but one scripture of many:  "... but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first must be slave of all.  For the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many." (Mark 10:43-45)  Clearly Martha was doing a good thing.  But she had another really good choice, on that particular occasion when Jesus stopped by the house that she and Mary and Lazarus shared in Bethany.  She could also have sat at Jesus' feet - the traditional posture of a disciple - and listened to the Master.  Although it was more common in Jesus' time for men to take this position, and not women, Jesus made it clear that he had no problem with Mary sitting at his feet, and joining in with the other disciples.  In fact, on this particular occasion, he said, "Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." (verse 42)  In other words, "No, Martha, I'm not going to do what you are asking me to do, and tell Mary to get up and help you with the serving."  You and I know that the dishes can always be washed after the last guest leaves.  Mary would have her opportunity to join in then, and I'm sure she did.

The issue then, is choosing.  I sometimes feel like this is one of the blessings and curses of being a human being - all the choices that God gives us.  What to major in?  Which brand of toothpaste?  How will I spend my time?  Whom to marry? Who shall I call today?  Who will I go see?  Which book will I read?  How will I allocate my spending?  The choices are endless, and though some of them are trivial (the toothpaste brand, for example), many of them are not.  And many of the choices are good ones.  By definition, though, when we choose one, the other good thing is not chosen.  We come up against the reality of being finite.

So, in any given situation, we must weigh things out, and ask ourselves, what is the "better part"?  Will I "stick to the schedule", or let my schedule be adjusted, because the person in my office is really hurting right now, and the "better part" is to listen and be present with him/her?  Will I spend the next day with my spouse, or out on the hiking trail by myself?  Which is the better part?  The better part may not be the same this week as it was last week, because circumstances have changed.  There's a time when sticking to the previously agreed-upon schedule is the better part.  There's a time when being spontaneous is called for.

How do we decide what is the "better part"?  It has something to do with balance and with what gives the most life, and discerning what will bear the most fruit.  This scripture would suggest that we should also pay attention to when we are feeling distracted or worried or angry.  (verses 40-41)  If Mary is going to be seething and resentful the whole time that she is serving, maybe that's a sign that she's "all served out"; her life has been all about serving lately and she has had no time to herself - no time to renew and have her soul fed.  On the other hand, if she's just had a full day sitting at the feet of Jesus, maybe the better part is to let some other folks sit there for a while, and enjoy all the good feelings that come when we serve with a glad heart.  Is it time for me to be with God?  Do I need some alone time?  Do I need to go be with someone who is about to have surgery, or go have lunch with a friend who has had a rough week?  These questions need to be asked, and a certain balance needs to be sought after.  (Cf., love God... love neighbor... love self)

There is not one pre-set answer that always works.  We have to be listening and discerning folks.  What might be the better part for you today?  Go ahead and choose it, and try not to feel guilty about it once you make the choice!  For the Lord will not take the better part away from you.  He is simply rejoicing that you are discerning, and that you are taking action based on that discernment.