The Feast Day of Saint Martha

Today is the feast day of Saint Martha.  You may remember her from the story in Luke, where she hustles and bustles with household chores and grows ever more exasperated with her sister Mary, who isn't helping. 

It's good to remember what Jesus says to her, when she demands that he make Mary help.  Christ says, "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" (Luke 10: 41-42).

I hear those words anew this morning.  I, like Martha, am worried and distracted by many things.

We also see Martha in the Gospel of John, when her brother Lazarus has died.  You can tell she's seething with anger that Jesus didn't get there in time to save her brother from dying.  She doesn't hold back.

Jesus proceeds with the miracle anyway, even as Martha worries about the smell of her dead brother.

Again, I see so much of my attitude in Martha.  I want to micromanage the miracles.  I want to direct the Divine, not be open to new directions.

Tomorrow, I'll have a longer posting on Saint Martha over at the Living Lutheran site.  For today, let us think about the ways that our chores interfere with the time we have to spend with Jesus.  For today, let us try to cultivate hearts that will be open to Jesus.