Mary and Martha

Of all those who could, two thousand years ago, claim to be friends of Jesus, there was one particular family.   They held a high profile in the gospel narrative.   They were Lazarus and his two sisters, Mary and Martha.   In Luke 10, following the parable of the Good Samaritan, there is a report of a special visit to their home.   We can truly say that Jesus had the best welcome in that house.   The other story about Mary anointing Jesus' feet with extremely expensive oil, brushed on with her hair, takes place in the same household.

This is a story involving (but not about) Jewish convention in Palestine.   The plan was to have Jesus sit down to a meal in the house.   Convention dictated that the men were at table while the women prepared the food in the kitchen and served it up.   In other words, domestic matters were in the women's domain.   What happened was that Jesus was teaching as the meal was prepared for them.   Unusually, Mary came and sat "at the feet" of Jesus instead of involving herself in the domestic work.   Martha was beside herself because it left her supervising the work without Mary's help.   So she complained to Jesus.   It reminds me of the days when my son and daughter were young and my daughter had a complaint against her brother - "Dad, will you tell him?"   This was the response of Martha.

Mary had deliberately chosen to learn from Jesus and later become a teacher herself.   So she sat "at the feet" of the master.   This expression does not necessarily mean that a pupil literally sat at the feet of a teacher.   It is simply an expression that speaks about the teacher/pupil relationship.   Mary had broken away from convention in doing this in the same way as when she let down her hair to anoint Jesus feet on another occasion.

There is a wonderful aspect to this story.   It is here that we are shown how the boundless love and grace of God breaks through every single boundary in its flow into the hearts of all men and women.   It tells us how fortunate we are to receive a love that, like a great river, bursts its banks and floods the surrounding area, changing it forever.   Here is another facet of God's love.   It is there for all.   There is no person who has done something dreadful who is not included in that love.   This can be a hard lesson to learn when we compare our lives with those of others.

The fact is that God loves even those we might count unlovable.   But, just think how much love there is for us as we see it burst forth and claim territory we would not have thought possible.   There is a story told about a minister whose wife had just died.   He and his young daughter were sailing to America to start afresh in a different scene.   On the Sunday of the voyage the captain had asked the clergyman to lead the service on the ship.   He did so and preached about the love of God.   After the service, father and daughter were standing at the ship's rail, gazing across the ocean.   She looked up at him and said, "Daddy, does God loves us as much as we loved mummy?"  "Look over that water and think how far it is." he said.   "Look down and think how deep it is.   Look up and think how high is the sky.   God's love is wider than the ocean, deeper than the sea and higher than the sky."   The little girl suddenly squealed, "That means we are right in the middle of God's love!"   What a discovery!

Every person in this world has access into that width, height and depth of love.   It's like a huge waterfall on the scale of the Victoria Falls with even greater power.   That is the scope of the love we know from God.   Like the waterfall or the great river that busts its banks, the love of God bursts through absolutely any barrier or convention.   God does not see boundaries.   His love is for all.   Now that is what I call good news!

Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to learn from him.   She could then be a missionary for him.   She saw the need for her and everyone to take on the ministry of the whole people of God.   That is how we need to see it today.   We can work within as many denominations as there are but we need to see our common purpose.   Together, we have a duty to preach the gospel of Jesus.   Agreement on every facet of church governance is not necessary providing we get on with the task to which we are called.

Praise God!   Remember that song, "Such love."

The Long Journey

In Luke Chapter 9 we see Jesus setting off on the long journey to Jerusalem when all matters would come to a head.   He sent messengers ahead to arrange hospitality in a Samaritan village.   They came back to tell him that the village had rejected him.   James and John were indignant and wanted to ask for heavenly fire to consume the unfriendly village.   Jesus wasted no time in such activity and simply went further on to another village.   We need to see that if people reject Jesus it is (hopefully) no fault of ours if we are preaching his good news.   There is always the risk of failure in our mission to the world.   Having spent some time in tele-marketing in the past I know that as well as success there is failure through rejection.   However, if we cover the required ground, we shall find those who will accept Jesus.

As Jesus walked along three would be followers came to him.   To the first he said he must expect to have nowhere to stay as he followed him.   To the second came the advice that there was no time to deal with domestic matters.   If he was to come it had to be there and then.   The third one was told that on this journey there would be no looking back.   So, we learn that it will be no luxurious experience, it is something that is urgent, and it involves no looking back.   So, it is a Spartan existence journeying with Jesus.   There is no room for any passengers, because each follower is an intrinsic part of the mission.   We all must play an important role as we preach the gospel.   Remember that expression, "the priesthood of all believers."   It means that we all share the ministry of the Christian faith.   We all have to work our passage.

In the next chapter of Luke we read that Jesus sent out 72 men in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit.   His comment was that "the crop is heavy, but the labourers are few."   How well this mirrors the task facing Christians today!   Another telling comment was "I am sending you like lambs among wolves."   We certainly know that feeling!   The messengers were authorised to act in the same way as Jesus.   They were empowered to heal the sick as well as tell the story.   The men returned with their tails up!   They reported how they had even been able to drive out demons!   They were amazed at what this empowerment had achieved.   Jesus gave a warning to them that casting out demons was not what it was about.   That was simply a means to an end.   It was all about finding enrolment in heaven.   So - no bragging at what we might achieve - just keep on working in the faith.

It was a long journey to Jerusalem and our journey, today, is also long.   There is so much to do as we preach Jesus, crucified and risen.   It is true to say that our task is labour intensive!   Do not let the weight of the job overcome you.   Remember the story of the boy putting beached starfish back in the sea.   He knew he could not get them all back in the water, but he made sure that those he could save were saved.   That is the nature of our Christian mission.