Reading 1
Gn 18:1-10a
The LORD appeared to Abraham by the terebinth of Mamre,
as he sat in the entrance of his tent,
while the day was growing hot.
Looking up, Abraham saw three men standing nearby.
When he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them;
and bowing to the ground, he said:
"Sir, if I may ask you this favor,
please do not go on past your servant.
Let some water be brought, that you may bathe your feet,
and then rest yourselves under the tree.
Now that you have come this close to your servant,
let me bring you a little food, that you may refresh yourselves;
and afterward you may go on your way."
The men replied, "Very well, do as you have said."
Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
"Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls."
He ran to the herd, picked out a tender, choice steer,
and gave it to a servant, who quickly prepared it.
Then Abraham got some curds and milk,
as well as the steer that had been prepared,
and set these before the three men;
and he waited on them under the tree while they ate.
They asked Abraham, "Where is your wife Sarah?"
He replied, "There in the tent."
One of them said, "I will surely return to you about this time next year,
and Sarah will then have a son."
Reading 2
Col 1:24-28
Brothers and sisters:
Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake,
and in my flesh I am filling up
what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ
on behalf of his body, which is the church,
of which I am a minister
in accordance with God's stewardship given to me
to bring to completion for you the word of God,
the mystery hidden from ages and from generations past.
But now it has been manifested to his holy ones,
to whom God chose to make known the riches of the glory
of this mystery among the Gentiles;
it is Christ in you, the hope for glory.
It is he whom we proclaim,
admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom,
that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
Gospel
Lk 10:38-42
Jesus entered a village
where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.
She had a sister named Mary
who sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.
Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,
"Lord, do you not care
that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?
Tell her to help me."
The Lord said to her in reply,
"Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.
There is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part
and it will not be taken from her."
Meditation: Luke 10:38-42
“Martha, Martha …” (Luke 10:41)
What a classic example of how closeness with God trumps religious activity! We all can see how Martha was focused on doing things for Jesus: cooking, cleaning, and making Jesus comfortable. Obviously, she couldn’t see that Jesus cared more about sharing a conversation than sharing a perfect meal.
But didn’t James tell us that anyone who listens to the word of God and doesn’t do what it says is like someone who gazes into a mirror and then immediately forgets what he looks like (James 1:22-24)? Perhaps Martha was onto something after all. Yes, she was a bit too preoccupied with the demands of hospitality, but maybe she was just trying her best to be a doer of the word and not just a hearer. Maybe she understood that you can’t have real communion with God without service.
This message certainly applies to our relationship with God, but it also applies to our relationships with one another. Scripture tells us to “serve one another through love” (Galatians 5:13), to “strive for peace with everyone” (Hebrews 12:14), and to use our God-given gifts to take care of each other (1 Peter 4:10). We don’t grow in love for each other simply by talking, after all. We grow by doing things for each other!
Jesus didn’t rebuke Martha for being a servant. That would contradict so much of his teaching—and so much of his own example. No, he wanted her to see that she had allowed anxiety and stress to control her more than simplicity and love. He wanted her to see that she lost her temper because she had lost her perspective.
Jesus wants to speak to us just as he spoke to Martha. He wants to invite us to sit with him and receive his abundant love. At the same time, he wants to give us energy for the work he’s called us to. May we all eat the Bread of Life and then go out and give away what God has given us!
“Lord, thank you for calling me into your service! I delight in serving you because I love you.”
No comments:
Post a Comment