One of the things that is known – in relation to this text – is that – this was a story told over and over again in the early church. It was relished. It was liked. It was embraced. People liked it.
Women loved this story.
Men loved this story, as well. (But probably for different reasons…) It is a simple enough story, pretty straight-forward…not complex.
For one thing – this is “so very down to earth”…it is quite ordinary…and very common.
People…all people…could relate. This is not hard. It is not over your head. It does not require a lot of thought.
This is precisely the way – most of Jesus’ stories were – they were down to earth, ordinary, common incidents from life that could illustrate some kind of “spiritual truths.”
This story does all that!
It is a story about “hospitality.” It is a story about traditional “gender roles.” It is a story about “sibling rivalries…”
I mean, who can’t relate to “that?”
It has a “pretty universal ring” to it!
Today we might even say it is a story about TYPE “A” – personalities…or that it – is a story about “women and education.” But these are obviously more – modern concerns.
Educationally speaking – only the men were to be educated “in the scriptures”…(and of course,) with what they needed to know – about their chosen or respective professions or careers.
Women were to be educated in house-hold tasks, child-rearing and in caring for their husbands. Outside of being instructed in their proper gender roles, according to custom and to the law, women received no formal education at all. It would have been unheard of…
Education was on “a need to know basis.” And obviously, women “did not need to know…”
Being educated and learning were considered to be “male attributes only…”
And then, there is the side issue of “work…and working.”
The work of women. And the work of men. They were two separate entities.
Rabbis in the first century “did not teach women,” ever!
Sitting at the feet of a man – is but another male attribute. It is also considered to be “a form of work.”
And Mary is found sitting at the feet of Jesus – in a posture of recognition, adoration and submission. A posture of working and of learning…of being educated!
The real problem here – is that Mary is “listening.” She is “learning.” She is “being educated.” She is being taught. She is soaking it all in…
And another problem is that Jesus, “shamefully,” allows her to sit there…this was unprecedented, unheard of…a breach of the norms…
So, here sits Mary.
Whatever work “women did” was not valued. They “were not” acknowledged, valued or respected for the work that they “did do.” And of course, it goes without saying, that they were “never considered to be equal with men.”
Equal pay for equal work, once again, is a modern day concept.
Those would have been completely “foreign thoughts…”
So, isn’t interesting that 2,000 years later we are still talking about these same issues? It obviously, has not yet been resolved. It is not over…
So naturally the older sister is upset. Naturally she wants help. She makes a legitimate case.
For the record let me say: there is absolutely nothing wrong with being “a responsible,” “action oriented,” “get-er-done” – kind of person. Jesus does not fault Martha for being a “responsible” type.
Martha is simply “too busy,” “too wrapped up” in her own little world and “too preoccupied” with her own activities.
She could have joined her sister. She chose not to! Instead she is wrapped up in anxiety, distraction, worry and trouble…not to mention judgment…because she judges both Jesus and her sister.
The cool thing to note is that Jesus’ response to Mary is exactly how he is portrayed elsewhere – he meets and treats women as people, as being worthy of his respect and on an equal basis with men.
And this was 2,000 years ago!
Be mindful of how you treat one another – we are all equal, no one is above or below, higher or lower than anyone else!