Mary and Martha: An Opinion

Let me start by stating the obvious: I am not a Bible Scholar. I do not know the original languages of the Bible. My opinion I state here is just that: an opinion. And possibly not even a very well educated one. If you are still interested in what I have to say, read on. Otherwise, come back tomorrow when I post something funny.

You know what we all say: Martha was a type A, control freak, do-er, can rest kind of person, while Mary was the personable, relational, right priority kind of person. What if we are wrong?

What if, just what if, Martha was not rushing around while Jesus visited because she was so concerned with having the perfect house and nothing out of place, but because she was, wait for it, a procrastinator with a messy house who was unprepared for a visitor and was embarrased by the state of the nation so to speak and had to quick tidy up when Jesus showed up at the door.

Think about it: if her house was really all Martha Stewart all the time, when Christ came to call she would have just sat down with him for a nice glass of homemade wine. But no. He knocked on the door and I'm wondering if her first thought was "rats! I knew I shouldn't have sat down and read that scroll last night. I should have been putting a pot of soup on to cook and folding my laundry. Wait Jesus, don't come in here yet. You just stay in the living room while I quick go and hide the dirty dishes and wipe up the toilet seat."

Do you see this as a possibility? If I wasn't such a procrastinator my house would always be ready for visitors so I could truly sit and relax without apologies and regrets. As it is my place isn't bad. You really could drop in and I wouldn't die of humiliation. I may not be wearing makeup, but you could certainly find the couch and there would be a clean cup for your coffee. But still, I do have a whole lot of "oh there will be time for that tomorrow" and then the unexpected happens and I'm cooked and wishing I had done better.

I would love to say, Lord, that I'm all Mary and that is why I just sit and visit and be that kind of hospitable. I certainly am not like Martha the way we normally think of her. I am much more of an unprepared last minute Martha, unready for your appearance. Work diligence into my heart Lord. Help me to be an 'ahead thinker' so that I am not caught off guard when opportunities to serve You and others arrives.