Luke 10:38-42(NRSV) “Jesus Visits Martha and Mary”38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing.Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.
As we enter into the holiday season how many of us can relate to Martha? In our efforts to make our Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings bountiful, festive, and joyous many of us can easily get caught up in the hustle and bustle of preparation. The activities of cleaning, shopping, cooking, decorating, and gift wrapping can easily exhaust and overwhelm us, as well as, influence us to slip into the role of victim or martyr. Have you ever gotten upset about a family member not doing “their share” of the work? An overemphasis on external tasks can cast a shadow over our ability to experience the consciousness of gratitude and Love.
Let us take a closer look at Luke 10: 38-42 to discern the message Jesus, the Master Teacher, was trying to convey. Metaphysically Martha and Mary, two sisters who loved Jesus, represent the outer and inner activities of love and service. Martha depicts the external activity of love which is portrayed in her desire to serve through her actions taken. Mary, on the other hand, symbolizes our internal love activity. Mary consciousness is the loving receptivity within us which listens to the inner promptings of Spirit. Both aspects of consciousness are important to our spiritual growth. We must take time every day to nurture ourselves and to cultivate a relationship in God. Equally important is our desire to be of service to others by being an expression of love in action. Cultivating this balance is something we are faced with each day throughout the year, however, that balance frequently can elude us as we get caught up in the material consciousness of “doing the holidays” that we have been domesticated into.
This holiday season take time daily to engage in the inner activities of Spirit before you go about your day which is the metaphysical meaning of Mary choosing the good part in Luke 10:42. Take time to pray, meditate, chant, enjoy the splendor of nature, journal, read a spiritually inspiring passage or whatever empowers you to remain centered in the consciousness of Divine Love. From this centered place you will be able to give of yourself with a joyful heart.
Love and Light,
Angela Denton MA; P.D. MFT; LUT
Spiritual Leader
