[Pearls Ep 127: Answering atheism Tuesday]
This Sunday we hear the encounter of Jesus with Martha and Mary (Lk 10:38-42).
We know the set-up: Martha is busy with homemaking, probably in the kitchen, while Mary simply sits at the feet of Jesus.
We can just imagine what’s going through Martha’s mind. Replaying the “litany of blame and curses.” You know – the family hit parade. “Look at her – just like last Thanksgiving when I had to do everything…” Not that they celebrated Thanksgiving back then, but you get the idea.
In this week’s Pearls episode (and follow-up messages), we look at some the different layers, both physical and spiritual, playing out in this recounting of Martha and Mary – and we also hear from Buddha and the fun-loving Karl Marx.
As a starting point, the spiritual masters, not the least of which the early Fathers (think St. Augustine, St. Ambrose, St. Bernard and Pope St. Gregory the Great) all point out that this event illustrates the superiority of the contemplative life over the active. The “better part” chosen by Mary is contemplation. And it “will not be taken from her” because only contemplation (loving relationship with God) remains in the end – after the physical world and all our worldly activity and attachments pass away.
This is the whole point of Interior Life – to help us all focus on our interior life with God – so that we are best prepared for eternity with Him.
That said – we are also material beings – we have these physical bodies (prone to breaking down) that are made to go out and do stuff in the physical world. Martha and Mary have much to show us about how that is meant to play out (we’ll also check in with the Buddha and Karl Marx along the way).
The bottom line is that the account of Martha and Mary is “Good News” – as is all the Gospel – and we’ll look further at why that is, as well.
Blessings on your journey with Christ –
Steve and Karen Smith – Interior Life