“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed— or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42).
In our Western understanding of this passage, we interpret Martha as the ultimate hostess with the most-est, a busybody who is making sure everyone has had their fill of the charcuterie board and who wouldn’t imagine serving refills of lemonade without a rim of lavender-infused sugar on the glass. The narrative we are given is that while Martha is worrying about what shape to cut the sandwiches, her sister Mary is doing what Jesus really wants, which is sitting in his presence. The problem is that this isn’t what the story is about, and it isn’t the way the original hearers of this text would have interpreted it.
In the context of the first-century world, Martha was merely doing what was normal and expected; she was doing what she would have done when any male entered her house. The unusual part of the story is that Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, which would have made everyone in the room’s palms sweat. At that time, sitting at someone’s feet meant that he was your rabbi and you were his student, his disciple. And that role was only held by men. For Mary to forego her expected role as a woman and to be welcomed to sit at the feet of Jesus with the other male disciples meant that Jesus valued a woman’s voice and ability to lead others. He was welcoming her into the ranks of the future leaders of the church and the community.
Martha’s response, begging Jesus to tell Mary to get up and help her, probably wasn’t about Martha being passive-aggressive or having too much work. She was likely worried that Mary would be publicly disgraced for such a bold indiscretion as sitting at a rabbi’s feet. Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen the better option– accepting God’s offer of equality and opportunity over cultural norms to be a disciple, thereby affirming the place of women in the kingdom of God.
Excerpt- Have More Fun pg. 146-147
About the Author:
Mandy Arioto is the President and CEO of The MomCo and is widely known for her unique takes on parenting, relationships, spiritual and cultural issues. Through MomCo, which influences millions of moms through thousands of groups internationally, Mandy serves as the voice of one of the most influential mothering organizations in the U.S. and around the world. She regularly speaks to national and international audiences. She and her husband, Joe, live in Denver, Colorado where they love rock climbing and adventuring with their three kids. Mandy’s most recent book, Have More Fun: How to Be Remarkable, Stop Feeling Stuck, and Start Enjoying Life, is available wherever books are sold.
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