In this gospel reading, Martha is very busy preparing for Jesus’ visit. We are not told precisely what she was doing, but given the times, we assume that she is preparing a meal as Jesus was probably hungry. I imagine Martha rushing around to prepare the best food and using the best crockery, cutlery and tableware. Jesus is an important guest and deserves only
the best. Perhaps she is anxious that what she is preparing will fall short of what Jesus deserves and expects. I am very sure that she is beyond frustrated that she is getting no help from her sister; her resentment of Mary is palpable, thinking about what she is missing out on.
This is a very relatable scene to many of us. There are always those working hard preparing for visitors and those who are seen to be doing nothing but enjoying the company. Mary was doing just this, sitting with Jesus, listening to him, interacting with him. But isn’t this the point? When visitors come to visit, shouldn’t we be with them, serving them with our
presence?
It seems to me that Martha missed the point completely. She was too distracted by her need to be welcoming and hospitable and, as a result, lost sight of the opportunity she had to spend time with Jesus, listening and learning. Martha certainly didn’t get the response that she was expecting from Jesus either, no chiding of Mary, but rather an opportunity of reflection to Martha. A chance for
Martha to realise what she was missing, that she was wasting precious time that could be spent with Jesus by being overly hospitable.
Perhaps Jesus is inviting us to reflect on our time spent with him. Do we waste it by preparing the perfect place, finding the right moment and being distracted by the semantics of our meeting? How many messages and blessings are we missing?
Today I invite you to slow down and be mindful of how we serve our Lord. Let us take time to really be with him rather than spend time preparing to be with him.
