Don’t be a Martha?
When growing up on the plains of Nebraska, Sunday school teachers taught me the lesson about Mary and Martha’s story this way: “Don’t be a Martha.” I am not kidding. Now, looking back, those Clay Center Christian Church Sunday School teachers knew what they were talking about. This phrase has slightly changed in the last ten years, and I’ve heard, “Be a Mary in a Martha World.” The depth always felt a little stifled for me, however. I didn’t quite still understand it.
When reading Luke 10:38-40, I was always confused as a child.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feetlistening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
I mean, wasn’t Mary acting rudely towards her sister? Most women at that time were either housekeepers, ran businesses out of them homes, helped the family trade, or were prostitutes. But, I honestly thought Mary was perhaps lazy or just super social and wanted to hang out with the guys. I was also confused for years by Jesus’ response towards Martha.
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
What?!? Didn’t Jesus understand that she just wanted to ensure everyone was fed and cared for and also had someone help her clean up the kitchen later? (These thoughts go through most women’s heads when they read this passage without knowing the historical/cultural context. Myself included.)
It wasn’t until recently that the historical/cultural context behind this passage was brought to light for me, thanks to N.T. Wright. Everyone in the first century KNEW that the idea of “sitting at the feet of the rabbi” was reserved for the disciples of the rabbi. I had no idea that, culturally, it would have been frowned upon for A WOMAN (a.k.a. Mary) to join the disciples (men) IN the room WITH Jesus while He taught. Many considered it TABOO for a woman to even seek instruction from a teacher/rabbi. By Jesus gently chastising Martha, he was giving her permission to join Mary in being taught by him.
HE WAS GIVING HER PERMISSION TO JOIN HER AT HIS FEET.
Let that sink in.
At this very moment, Jesus intentionally aligned one of his missions of discipling/teaching ANYONE who would listen.
At the same time, He was FREEING her from the education expectations of their culture.
Without this historical/cultural setting, the passage falls a little flat.
Mary seems indifferent.
Martha seems grumpy.
And Jesus looks critical.
However, when you lay the historical/cultural context over the passage, everything makes more sense. Of course, Martha was grumpy/slightly terrified of what people would say when they saw Mary reclining at the feet of the rabbi. This was unheard of!
One of my professors, Dr. Todd Miles said, “Historical-cultural context is any information about the historical setting or the cultural setting that is necessary to understand the passage.” Without the context, we could not understand every single passage in Scripture. He also pointed out it is also true that “if you have an interpretation of a saying or an event that is inconsistent with the historical/cultural context, then your interpretation is wrong.”
So, according to the latest context on this passage’s cultural history, I was wrong in my initial interpretation of this passage as a young girl.
I happily stand corrected.
Dr. Miles correctly says, “In many cases, it is vital to place the passage in its historical, geographical, and cultural setting.”
Mary wasn’t indifferent as I initially thought- she was PUSHING through the cultural barriers to learn everything she could about this man named Jesus and His purpose, who ended up being Her Savior in more ways than one.
This woman is really growing on me. I cannot wait to meet her someday!
