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.

Brothers and sisters,

That is the dichotomy of Church. That is the range of gifts we are given.

I think that we could walk into just about any parish, whether it be a PNCC parish, a Roman parish, an Orthodox parish, or a Protestant parish, and find the same thing going on.

There will be those who are constantly in the church, sitting, praying, and listening to God’s word. They revel in closeness to the Lord, a closeness they find first and foremost in the Lord’s presence.

There will be others. They will wander in and out of the church. They will adjust the heat, shovel the walk, and mow the grass. They will be in the kitchen cooking up a brunch or making sure that coffee is ready for coffee hour. They revel in service to the Lord, in being busy about the Lord’s work.

If we look at today’s Gospel and compare it to the first reading, we would think that Martha was in the right. Like Sarah, she busied herself in serving the Lord’s needs.

Abraham hastened into the tent and told Sarah,
—Quick, three measures of fine flour! Knead it and make rolls.—

Sarah didn’t argue or complain. She served those three men. Those three men represented something very special —“ more than what they appeared to be. They represented the Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Sarah served without complaint. Yet Martha complained.

Was she right to complain?

I’m guessing that you are thinking that Martha was in error when she complained. We would base that reaction on the Lord’s response. He told Martha that Mary had chosen the better, and would not be deprived of it.

Was the Lord upset with Martha for serving?

I’m guessing that we all think so.

My friends,

We have to judge all this in light of the core issue. Look at our experience and hold that up before the testimony of the Gospel.

How many of us sit at the Lord’s feet and listen. How many of us busy ourselves with the work of the Church? Of those on both sides, how many are upset with their fellow parishioners who are on the other side?

It’s interesting to contemplate the Gospel story of Martha and Mary. Let’s turn it around just a little.

Martha is busy working in the kitchen. She is making a meal of fish and rolls for the Lord. She has brought Him water to wash His feet. She’s busy setting everything in place. Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening intently. She looks up and says: Lord, tell my sister Martha to knock it off. She’s always so busy —“ and she misses the point completely. She doesn’t adore You as she should!

The Lord set Martha straight, not because she was busy serving, but because she was busy holding a grudge and complaining about her sister. The tables could have been turned just as well, if Mary had complained about Martha’s busyness.

We often miss the point. Not because we are lacking in gifts or talents. Not because we do not adore as we should. We miss the point because we judge what the person next to us is doing. We judge their motivations.

St. Paul puts a fine point on this:

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

In what we do, each in our own way, and most particularly in what we suffer for the Church, we build up the Church.

Those who serve, who bear the battle scars of cooking, cleaning, and outdoor work, bear those scars out of love for Christ and His body —“ the Church.

Those who have arthritic knees, who pray fervently and faithfully on those knees, setting aside so many other things, bear their scars out of love for Christ and His body —“ the Church.

Bear in mind the Lord’s words:

…you are anxious and worried about many things.

And we are. What we must do is set our anxious worries aside. In addition, we must set our expectations aside. Whether serving or praying, the Lord tells us:

There is need of only one thing.

That one thing is to listen to the Lord’s instruction. To listen and not busy ourselves with resentment toward our brothers and sisters for the part they have chosen.

The part we have all chosen is in the service of Jesus Christ and His body, the Church. In the end, that faithfulness in service, whether it be primarily in work or prayer, will be rewarded by the Lord Himself.

As long, as long as we are faithful. Amen.