Rector's Sermon - Sunday, July 18, 2004

First Reading	Psalm	Epistle	Gospel
Genesis 18:1-10a	15:1-5	Colossians 1:15-28	Luke 10:38-42

    Last week a lawyer asked Jesus a question about who was his neighbor. This person was not a litigator who argued individual court cases, but rather more accurately was a scholar of the law. He was someone who researched and enjoyed making fine and well reasoned distinctions. In responding to him, Jesus wasn't interested in establishing boundaries or crafting finely honed distinctions between neighbors and non-neighbors. Instead, Jesus told the scholar, let me tell you a story about one who was a neighbor, for what you need for your spiritual growth and welfare is to learn to be a neighbor. In the same way when Peter asked Jesus how often should I forgive someone, Jesus replied in effect, Peter I want you to learn from me, forgiveness, not how to count and analyze the theoretical limits of forgiveness.

    In today's Gospel we have a story that is remarkably similar. Mary is among the disciples listening to Jesus and asking Jesus questions. Martha otherwise engaged in many things, demands to have Jesus set the limits or proper boundaries for Mary. That is to say, Martha in effect complains, “Mary needs to do other things at this time, don't you think so Jesus?” Jesus refuses to justify a set role for Mary. Jesus affirms that sometimes the best thing we can do even in the midst of our busy life, full of important tasks, is to stop, listen, contemplate, and ask questions. Jesus replies to Martha, “that's what Mary needs at this time, and perhaps sometime you will need that too Martha and I want you to know that too has my blessing. Jesus gave to the lawyer, to Mary and to Martha what they needed to hear at the time.

    We should be quite clear, Jesus was not condemning Martha. Martha was a strong self-assured woman who regularly provided exceptional hospitality to Jesus and the disciples. Incidentally the only link I can find between the Gospel passage and the first lesson about Sarah and Abraham is the emphasis on the high value of providing hospitality. Indeed the Bible is saying that in providing hospitality you are serving God. It is obvious the Jesus trusted Martha and had great respect for her. Hence, Martha's role is not condemned, only that we all need different food at different times, and Jesus has come to feed us, not to stuff a particular diet down all our throats.

    I've mentioned this before, but before I retire I want to put some new stained glass windows in this church. One of them is going to be Martha’s window. No, it won't show Martha in an apron struggling at a stove amidst a visual cacophony of pots and pans, while Mary is intently sitting at Jesus' feet in the next room. Rather it will show both Martha and Mary at a shoe store in a large shopping mall. Both girls will be laughing and smiling as they try on the shoes. They know that they will both find something that fits and looks good. For Jesus is a good and very patient salesman and will not anxiously hurry or pressure, or impose a bad fit.

    Yes, Jesus is like a shoe salesman who knows that one size never fits all. Jesus has a gigantic inventory of many boxes of shoes. Because Jesus is interested furthering the health and welfare for each of our spiritual journeys, he does not push or force on an inappropriate size that will inhibit our growth. That is why he was never willing to be manipulated into setting boundaries limiting the potential reach of the gospel.

    Taken together, last Sunday’s and today’s Gospel is an indication that he encouraged the rather radical idea of the time, permitting both women and men to sit together at a rabbi’s feet and learn, as well as providing different courses and ways of study. Yes it is so appropriate for us to have a window in honor of Martha, for I’m sure that old Ezra Cornell got his idea of founding a coeducational university where anyone could find instruction in any study, directly from this story about Mary and Martha.

    And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.