Why Mary and Martha?
I was doing some voluntary work at my church recently and had a chance discussion with one of the women there, which actually led to the birth of this blog. She asked me who did I align myself with most in the bible?
I had to stop and think about that - I’d not been asked that question before and it had never arisen in my mind. My focus for the past year (2006) has very much been the Proverbs 31 Woman and today’s Work At Home Mum and the correlation between the two. So I said ‘Proverbs 31 Woman’.
But then I thought about previously how I’ve felt at different times in my life and have often waivered between Mary and Martha. I mentioned this and the ’syndrome’ and the other lady laughed and said ‘yes, the split personality’. She wondered off to get more envelopes and I thought about our conversation and wrote some of it down. It prompted me to think that perhaps I should explore this more and hence this blog.
I invite you to add comment and perhaps even point me towards different things relating to these two very special women of the bible.
March 17th, 2007 at 4:15 am
I love your new blog! In the past I have been told that I am a Martha, in fact I have been told that I suffer the “Martha Syndrome.†This prompted me to do some work and find out a little about Martha. Personally, I think she got a bad wrap. I really believe that just like in so many other situations in the Bible, Jesus was highlighting two extremes.
Just as much as Jesus wants us to wait at His feet, He also wants us to demonstrate what we have learnt while sitting at His feet. This is best highlighted in James 2:14-25. James teaches us that a balance between faith and works is required to please God. We are called to demonstrate our faith by our actions.
To me, Mary and Martha personify faith and deeds. The truth is that we need them both. As Mary we learn to sit and wait on Jesus, to be open for what He wants to say. Here, at His feet we find time to listen. It is a time of refreshing for our Spirit.
As Martha, we are called to action. Once we have been empowered and refreshed we need to go out and feed the hungry, minister to the sick and set the captives free. This is a call to action.
Jesus never called us to be either/ or. He calls us to be both. As women we need to discern that there is a place for both Mary and Martha. We should not feel the need to categorise and label ourselves or others, nor should we allow others to label us.
My prayer is that more women will learn what both Mary and Martha had to offer and that as a result they will know when they need to come and be refreshed at the feet of Jesus and when they need to step out and take action, doing the work the God has called them to.
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:10 am
my thought is that there is the Mary and Martha (or masculine versions John and Peter) in each of us .. and there is always the dilmemma between time with him (to fill the tanks) and serving him (letting others take their fill from the tank)