A Lesson About the Boyfriend: Mary and Martha

Last night, while visiting my boyfriend, he brought some clothes out of the dryer and laid them on his bed. In an attempt to be a good girlfriend, I began folding the clothes much to his dismay. He was disappointed that I would rather fold clothes with him than spend time with him which was not the way I saw it at all. I thought that as a team we could spend time together and accomplish things. It was then that I realized, our different ideas of “spending time together” are much like the different ideas of Mary and Martha.

Jesus comes to visit the two sisters and Martha as a good host begins to fervently prepare food, clean up the house, and serve her friend that has just graced them with his presence. Mary does just the opposite; sitting at the feet of Jesus she listens to his stories, asks him questions and gives her full attention to her friend that has just graced them with his presence.

Martha sees Mary’s behavior as lazy and inappropriate because she is left to serve and prepare all by herself, so she confronts Jesus with her concern: “do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” My response was quite the same to my boyfriend last night: “Don’t you see that we can spend time together and get something done? Let me help you fold your laundry.”

And Jesus in his great patience actually disputes what Martha has asked of him: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part.” For only one thing is necessary when spending time with another person, to actually give them all of your attention, to listen to them, to share with them.