Luke 10:38-42
Rev. Laraine Waughtal
Luke 10:38-42
When I was a child one of my favorite deserts is when our family made homemade ice cream. Obviously, this was a rare treat – especially back in the day of crank handled machines. So, on a rare occasion Dad would pile us all in the car and we would go to Dairy Queen and splurge. I loved banana splits. Three scoops of ice cream piled between the two banana slices with strawberries, caramel and chocolate over the three scoops. (Anyone hungry yet?). My favorite part of the banana split was always the chocolate. Because of that I would eat the other two scoops and flavors first so I could savor the chocolate last and taste it for some time afterwards. To me, the better part of the banana split to choose was always the chocolate.
Today, Jesus is calling upon us to always choose the better part of what takes place in this world and that is always to choose God first in our lives.
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem and he had stopped in Bethany at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Bethany was only a few miles walk from Jerusalem but far enough away to enjoy some peace and quiet with his friends. Now Martha was doing what all good hosts do. She wanted Jesus to be comfortable and well fed during His stay so she was busy playing out her role as a host and a woman and preparing the meal for the evening. The problem? She had no help. Her sister Mary was only to be found sitting at the feet of Jesus just as if she was one of the men! Who did she think she was sitting there with the men, learning Jesus teachings and not helping her! Notice that the author says that Martha was distracted by her tasks. It wasn’t that her sister wasn’t helping, or the commotion of the men talking that really bothered her it was the distraction of the tasks. I think deep-down Martha wanted to be sitting at the feet of Jesus also hearing his stories and teachings but she was trying to fulfill the expected role of the woman that day by trying to prepare a meal but the task was distracting her.
She tried to blame Mary for her frustration and even tried to get Jesus to side with her by asking Jesus to send Mary in to help her. The truth is Martha was jealous but conflicted about what she should do.
Jesus simply said (v. 41-42), “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Dinners come and dinners go but at that moment in time the best thing for anyone there was to receive the Bread of Life through Jesus’ teachings. Martha needed to shed the worries of societies roles and expectations and instead to come and relax and learn with Mary and Jesus and the others. Mary had chosen the greater part and that part was not society, not expectations but instead to be with Jesus to listen and to learn.
The truth is we should not really read this passage without the story before it. It is the story of the Good Samaritan. Let us read versus 29-37. Once again we see in this story roles and expectations. A man had been robbed and beaten and stripped and left for dead. Society said if you should find someone like this he was considered unclean. So, along came a Priest and he saw this man. He knew he had to be unclean because of the blood and he did not want to be contaminated and be unable to go into the Temple so he went to the other side. After all, wasn’t his job at the Temple for all of the people more important then this one life?
Second, a Levite came along. One of the workers of the Temple. A Levite never went into the Holy of Holies like the priest but he knew the teachings and it was best for him to stay away also.
Finally, along came a Samaritan. One that the Jews despised because they did not follow all of their laws even though they believed in God. The Samaritan had compassion. He did not worry about the hurt man’s nationality or beliefs. He did not worry about whether or not the man could repay him. He simply helped a man who was in need of help. So he treated his wounds and took him into town. We do not know if he could not stay to care for him because he was a Samaritan or if he had other business, but it didn’t matter. Because, the Samaritan paid the innkeeper to care for him and that he would pay him more upon his return if it was needed.
This man ignored societies rules, the rules of the Temple and priests and simply helped the man. This man was the neighbor to the man in need even though he knew nothing about him. Not even his name. The Samaritan chose the greater part.
We have two paradoxical stories. One is a story about seemingly doing nothing but sitting and listening. The other is a story about action and being involved. Both stories protest against the rules set by society and the roles these two people played. This story tells us how societies rules can bring great injustices if we only look a them and not who God calls us to be. Both stories are who God calls us to be. To love God with all of one’s heart and one’s neighbor as oneself means that every now and then we must reject society’s rules in favor of following God’s Kingdom in our lives.
There are times we are called to sit and be still and hear God’s Word being spoken to us. And, there are times that we are called into action even if that action makes us uncomfortable. If we ask Jesus which person we are to be, the Good Samaritan or Mary, the answer would be yes to both. And, we need to remember that the answer may not always be defined in the way we think it should be defined. We need to listen for God’s answer.
There have been times that Jesus has called me to simply sit by a mountainside and do nothing but eat, sleep and listen. Jesus also has called me to help the homeless in Fort Worth. It scared me to death to go down to Lancaster street with this couple and their ministry and then to be taken to a back alley to not only feed these people but to preach and to pray and to listen to them. What I found was Jesus in the eyes of the people not only hungry for food but also hungry for God’s love and the touch of another human who cared. Jesus has also called me to help people who simply chose not to help themselves but was perfectly able to and Jesus taught me they needed my help also. Jesus has called me in a lot of different times and places but the one answer is the same in each place. Jesus was there and He needs us amongst His people. We may not always understand the why, it may even make us mad or think it is wrong but Jesus simply calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. We are simply called to be there. We are called to choose the greater part. But it is always left up to us to choose. Thanks be to God that He invites us to be a part of His plan and to make a difference in the lives of others even when we don’t understand. Amen.