2023/01/09

73. The Gate to the Destruction Part 3

There is no information in Luke's Gospel about Mary of Bethany, who is equated with Judas in John's Gospel, except that she sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him (cf. Luke 10:38-42). Martha, on the other hand, welcomed Jesus in Luke as in John. So, in this article, we will discuss Martha. 

Martha was busy with serving because many others had listened to Jesus there. Then Martha went to Jesus and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me" (Luke 10:40). This frank conversation shows the relationship of trust had already been established between them. We see that Jesus had a special closeness to Martha, as he responded to her by calling her name twice in succession, "Martha, Martha." Jesus then said, "[Y]ou are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:41-42). From this advice, Martha got an insight into the teaching that she should respect the spontaneity of her sister, who chose the better one for herself and should not force her to serve. This fact is reflected in the scene of Lazarus' resurrection, where Martha went out to meet him alone upon hearing that Jesus had come. She did not bother Mary, who had decided to sit at home. 

This teaching of Jesus means that respecting the spontaneity of others first gives the power to open up one's own spontaneity. It elicits dialogue with Jesus. That is because one's spontaneity is "the breath God breathed in" (cf. Genesis 2:7), which calls for the word of God. It is an important teaching the faithful who live aiming for the Mass should keep in mind to get to the Mass amid the everyday interactions with the people they encounter. The faithful go to the Mass to welcome the Word and the Eucharist. So, the faithful, like Martha, can answer, "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world" (John 11:27), to Jesus, who asks, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"(John 11:25-26). 

Now, the faithful must make this answer to Jesus, who is present in the Eucharist. It is in the Mass that we can publicly recite these words. The faithful have a right to express their faith in the Mass to Jesus in the Eucharist. That is because, like Martha, they need to engage openly with Jesus in the Eucharist, create trust, and have a particular intimacy with him. However, the Church has not given the faithful over the world the opportunity to share the experience of Martha. Therefore, even today, many priests and lay people end their lives without confessing their faith to Jesus in the Eucharist. That is as is written, "[T]he gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many" (Matthew 7:13).

Maria K. M.