Many, many times you have heard me say from this pulpit something about “taking seriously what Jesus took seriously.” And from time to time some of you have asked me what I mean by that. Simply put, Jesus was someone who had a profound relationship with his God, and he lived his life exemplifying that relationship, and he taught others about that intimate bond. It is sometimes said that all the Church wants to talk about is Jesus, and all Jesus wanted to talk about was God. When I take seriously what Jesus took seriously I am being intentional about what Jesus can teach me about my relationship to my God.
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I’ve always had a hard time with the story of Martha and Mary. Martha is the one doing the cooking, setting the table, arranging the flowers. Mary is the one that is swooning over Jesus … listening to his every word. Martha wants to make a good impression, but Mary is so taken with this man that she is oblivious to the tasks that are calling for her attention. Martha is self-righteous in her hustle and bustle and assumes Jesus is on her side … she asks Jesus to scold Mary and get her to begin doing her share of the work. Instead, Jesus … in his gentle way … reprimands Martha for being so distracted, and then affirms Mary for just being still and listening.
Most of you will remember the 1970’s sitcom “All In The Family” with Archie Bunker, his wife Edith, their daughter Gloria, and her husband Meathead all living under the same roof. Archie was a bigoted conservative and his son-in-law Meathead was a borderline hippie. The clashes between Archie and Meathead were a major part of the script.
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REV. TED VOORHEES
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