In the Gospel, which repeats the theme of hospitality, we have a Martha, reminiscence of Abraham, who became overwhelmed with the physical needs of caring for their esteemed Guest. And in the tension between Martha who was busy and Mary who had chosen the better part, we catch a glimpse of the true essence of hospitality.
The drama between Martha and Mary is regularly depicted as a tension between “activism” and being “contemplation”. However, such a polar distinction does not do justice to the nature of hospitality. It is built upon the notion of “embrace”. It is not a matter of embracing either total involvement or passive withdrawal. Instead, hospitality embraces the tension that exists between activism and contemplation.
In the case of Martha, she was without a doubt busy with trying to make Jesus feel at home. But Mary also represented hospitality because in her, the Word was welcome into her heart. Hence, the tension between activism and contemplation is held in such a way that we can be active without neglecting the need for retreat or recollection.
What the experience Martha has shown us is that it is easier to be distracted by utilitarian pursuit because the idea of not accomplishing anything is hard to stomach. In other words, we may be scared of the silence of solitude, guilty that our inaction amounts to failure of achievement. Like Adam and Eve hiding behind fig leaves to conceal their nothingness, we tend to pile on activities so that we can have “something” to present to God. It is almost like we are embarrassed by our nothingness and we need to prop ourselves up in order to be on par with God. There is almost a shame associated with the humility of nothingness. But emptiness opens up the possibility of fruitful reception.
In the case of Abraham, the strangers brought news of Sarah’s pregnancy and subsequently, the birth of Isaac. Real hospitality is more than just getting ready to welcome a visitor. It is also a time to receive them as they enter into one’s home and heart. Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus welcome the gift of Christ’s presence into her heart. An open heart would perhaps be the greatest welcome we can give to the Lord.
The Gospel invites us to take a step back. Ours is definitely a world of Martha. Without denying the importance of engagement, sometimes God’s gift comes to us in the solitude of our withdrawal. The quiet of the night in which we tune in to the presence of God can be the most fruitful and life-giving. Therefore, in our very frenetic world, we must not forget this space for God, the space for the supernatural, the space that allows the self to encounter and be encountered by God.
It is a timely kind of a Gospel for it reminds us not to neglect this priority. If we are engaged in material progress, we must be mindful of the spiritual needs of the person. Without feeding the soul, material gain can easily dehumanise a person. The soul is created for freedom and that makes the material base of reality a means to an end which is the freedom that God has intended for us. Material well-being is never an end in itself.
This forgetfulness of our spiritual self can be aggressive. We are fed a philosophy that material well-being is a substitute for the spiritual need of the human person. This is why we need religion. The etymology of the word itself is illuminating. Primarily, the role of religion is to align us with God. It is never restricted by rituals alone. Religion reclaims that space for God. In Martha and Mary we do not have two disparate models of discipleship. They should never be pitted one against the other because they highlight the two sides of the one coin of discipleship. Both Martha and Mary symbolise the pull between action and contemplation.
In this world where we usually opt for activity, it is very easy to fall in love with the work of God, that is, to be a Martha. The shaping of God’s vision for the world is tempting because we will always want to jump quickly into engagement with the world. The Martha in us can make us forget that Mary’s choice is essential to our sanity and sanctity. The God of our work is the goal of every activity we have and most of all, He is the end of our contemplation. When we forget that, we will settle comfortably for the work of our God which can fulfil us but ultimately will never be able to satisfy us fully. Only God Himself is our longing, fulfilment and completion.
