By The Rev. Bernard W. Poppe, RectorThe lesson of Martha and Mary is such a well known story. These two sisters seem to be the patron saints of work, two sides of the same coin balancing each other out. This particular story enshrines the tension between when to work and when to stop and listen. I enjoy the fact that this lesson is placed here in the middle of summer when so many are trying to find that balance of work and vacation. It's an important topic and one to spend some time with.
We might actually be doing Mary a disservice to imply she was resting. She was not really doing that. Active listening is a form of work itself. To sit in the presence of Wisdom and really hear it, to take in the lessons and meaning, to ask questions and wrestle with the information is not resting. The brain was very busy and active. This is the part that Mary chose and this is the better part that Jesus was referring to. If you think back to school, and taking notes from the lectures we all heard in our different places of study you get a sense of the work it takes to listen, gather information and absorb it. But now also consider the amount of work it takes to integrate what is heard into our lives.
We listen to scripture week by week. Some of it we like, and frankly some we don't. Some comforts us, and some challenges us. Some even gets us angry, some simply confuses us. Hopefully the sermons give some context and angles to look at the scriptures in a way that provokes thought. Some days better than others, but it's a goal!
When it's working right, listening to the scriptures, the wisdom it contains and the deep faith that propels it, and then hearing some explanation fuels an interest to wrestle with all parts, especially the most difficult. That's an important part of the work of listening. The other important part is how the wisdom and faith in the scriptures can be made part of our lives. Where do we need to hear some of these lessons? Where is there some pain or confusion in our lives that call for clarity or work? Where is there some anger or trouble in our spirits that cry for healing? Even if we hear something that resonates and leads us to a conclusion that seems helpful, there is then the work of living out that solution.
Once in a while I'll watch talk shows where advice is given. It always seems so easy when it's someone else's problems that need fixing. I'll help the TV host from my living room chair as I shout out advice or comment on the advice given. (I don't think I'm the only one who does that.) Other people's problems are easy to solve.
We're not always so good about following our own advice. One saying that I'm fond of is "Take my good advice, I'm not using it." Confronting our own issues is not at all easy. It's hard work. It requires becoming aware of our issues and how widespread they are. Accepting the depth of the issue and how it has impacted us and perhaps those around us and then the hardest part, taking action to confront or correct it.
Coming back to the story for a moment, it's easy to find distractions to keep us from really taking a hard look at ourselves and hearing the words of wisdom as it shines a light on ourselves and our issues. The work Mary was engaged in was anything but easy. Martha's distractions prevented her from taking a look at her own. Busyness around the house or place of work, minding other people's problems instead of our own, getting excited or upset about things that really don't matter or that we can't do anything about anyway prevent us from hearing God's words come into our hearts and letting them go to work in us. Change is scary, even if it's change for the better. But it's sacred work and it's the better part of listening to God.
The first lesson from Amos is one in a series of visions that the prophet receives. Each of the visions has to do with everyday sights that become metaphor for the people of Israel and the unraveling of their society. In the vision we heard today, Amos sees a bowl of summer fruit. It's a simple image that each of us can picture. A nice bowl of fruit on day one is very attractive and enticing to eat. It's full of promise and offers sweetness and rich taste. But as the fruit ages in the sun and after a few days, it turns bad. It becomes foul and rotten. The sweetness becomes bitter, and the juice makes one sick. This was the metaphor for the people who had forgotten how to absorb the message of God's love for each other and their neighbor. Amos saw how justice was denied and greed was the order of the day. The busyness of their work took the place of the busyness of their listening and processing the message of God's love into their everyday affairs.
It comes back to balance and paying attention to the things that matter. There is a time to work and there is a time to reflect on the spiritual dimension of our lives and work. That can only be done by stopping the regular work and paying attention to the words of God we hear in so many ways from scriptures to meditation and prayer, from spiritual conversation and honest looks inside. If we can recognize distractions for what they are and put them down so we can take a look at our issues and confusions we'll find a sense of order and peace that so often eludes us. The wisdom of God is something we can find in a variety of ways and it's rich and sweet. Taken at the right time it can nourish and please. Not taking advantage of it in a timely fashion is to lose something important and precious.
Martha and Mary give us a window into this tendency as we juggle both sides. It's OK to slow down and choose the better part, it's also hard work and no one can take it away. Amen.
© 2007 St. George's Episcopal Church, Maplewood, NJ
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