Putting Martha In Her Place

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.” Luke 10:41 (NKJV)

Martha meant well.  Perceptive, industrious and efficient, her hospitality instincts kicked in big-time, especially with guests as renowned as Jesus coming to her house.  She also possessed a bit of a control freak streak, a trait that made her resent her sister, Mary, for not helping her.  Her complaint to Jesus bordered on petulance, but Christ’s gentle rebuke turned the focus away from Martha’s myopia to Mary’s worship.  No, Jesus did not reject or eliminate Martha’s ministry; instead, He prioritized Mary’s sensitivity as the primary reason for His visit.  Marth’s passion was nice, but not critical.  Mary’s attentiveness to Jesus, however, could not be dismissed.  

Martha’s spirit drives much of today’s missionality of the church.  Denominations have expanded the horizon of the church’s reach to include all things secular—environmentalism, ecological concerns, continuing education, faith-based initiatives, recreational regimens, aerobics, coffee klatches, dance studios and wide-ranging social programs.  Secularists have redefined the church to embrace a temporal agenda, and many church leaders, having lost their way spiritually and theologically, have willingly re-shaped the church’s role in the world to conform to non-church ideologues.  You can get your car fixed, buy groceries, get your taxes done, and you can even lose weight in many misnamed houses of worship today.  Secularism’s proboscis has wiggled its way under the tent and pushed until the whole camel got inside.  Now, Mary’s worship signals a throwback to primeval times when “old-time religion” was in its heyday.  

But, when Martha succeeds, Mary finds herself on the doorstep.  When Martha succeeds, the mission of Jesus looks like better banquets, finer facilities and highly efficient programs.  The world, in fact, is ecstatic with Martha’s church. It hates Mary’s naïve focus on the worship and word of the Master.  If the trend continues, Christ’s purpose in the incarnation to “seek and to save that which was lost” will become an asterisk to the church.  The true church must resist this evolving reformation.  We may not reject or eliminate parachurch ministries or eliminate socially sensitive programs, but we cannot allow them to incorporate the sole reason for our existence.  We must reaffirm the priority of the church to be spiritual in nature, evangelizing the lost and winning souls to Christ.    

Wag the Dog.  In the familiar metaphor of the tail wagging the dog, the secondary or tangential ministries of the church have morphed into its perceived purpose.  Rather than the standard-bearer of the gospel, the church is now a social justice warrior, an advocate for physical and mental health, an activist for the “woke” culture and a facilitator for ecumenism.  Insofar as the church stakes its claim as society’s conscience, these endeavors may have merit.  Whenever such roles displace the founding impulse of the church, however, the byproduct eclipses the primary function of the church.  As I have argued before, 

“All of these philanthropic causes are extremely important, but to make the alleviation of social ills our primary mission subverts the calling of the church. We are in the business of saving souls. Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:24-26.

The gospel message is eternal, not temporal. If we stop all wars, eliminate all poverty, feed all the hungry and cure all diseases, and yet do not lead people to Christ, then we will have failed in our true mission. If, however, we succeed in turning people to Christ, their lives will be infinitely better. Jesus stated this principle in forceful terms. “If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.” Matthew 18:8-9.  “Everyday Jesus.”

Jesus is the Architect.  Notwithstanding the foregoing assertions, the church remains a complex institution.  When Jesus announced, “Upon this rock I will build my church,” He did not have a cave or a shed in mind.  Indeed, the word “build” comes from the Greek word “oikodomeo,” which literally means “housebuilder.”  Builders of houses know that the project is not done when the walls and roof go up.  Plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, drywall, paint, carpet, and so on still need to be completed.  Likewise, the church beautifully illustrates the plan of a Master Designer.  He has designed the church to satisfy the plenary needs of all He places within its sheltering arms. 

The church in the Bible fulfilled many roles as fleshed out in numerous accounts.  The church is a “city set on a hill,” a “shining light that must not be hidden,” a “sheepfold,” a wayside “inn” to care for the sick and wounded, a “house of prayer,” and many other metaphors describe Christ’s multifaceted church.  It is not one-dimensional.  His vision went far beyond a singular broadcasting station for the good news of salvation.  The church is as colorful as its constituents, as varied as the manifest needs of society, and as resilient as the agape love of its Creator.  

But all the varied components of the church service one central purpose: the worship of the one, true and living God!  As enthralled as Martha may be with the interesting complexities of the church, she is wrong to allow anything to overshadow the primary reason for its existence.  We must put Martha in her place.  Mary chose the best part.  If we lose the focus of Mary, we lose our very purpose.