7/12/2010

Challenging the status quo

Here's this week's Bible study reflection:

Martha worked while Mary listened. Jesus told an annoyed Martha that Mary had chosen the better part. Paying attention only to work and not attending to spiritual matters isn’t the better part.

I don’t think that that is the main message in this week’s Bible reading from Luke 10:38-42. I think the main message has to do with challenging the status quo.

Martha was doing the traditional tasks for the women of her time. She was providing hospitality to a guest in her home. Mary was doing the traditional activity of a man of her time. She was sitting at the feet of a teacher – learning as a disciple.

Jesus embraced this out of bounds behavior on Mary’s part because that’s what Jesus does. He invites the least likely into the circle. Jesus welcomes the ones who are not allowed to be not only in the club, but leaders in it!

Think of all the reasons we have for keeping people out. Think of all the people that the ones who make the rules say are not allowed to join or lead.

Jesus invites and welcomes. And Jesus followers must challenge the status quo that tells people that they are not good enough to be in the club.

I’m really tired of the playground bully rules.

1 comment:

Grace et paix said...

It is, as always, a question of who we choose to imitate. Martha has chosen as her mimetic model the role of women in her culture. Mary chooses to imitate Jesus. To do that she must learn what he has to teach. This is clearly the point...the real question is how to stretch such a clear lesson to srmon length. :)