The Mary and Martha syndrome

Few Christians succeed in walking in the middle of the road. Many end up in either the left or the right ditch. A truth of God’s word can never be separated from the entire Word.

A classic example is the story of Mary and Martha. We all know it. Martha is being reproved because she complained to Jesus because her sister wasn’t helping with all the work. Jesus makes it plainly clear Mary chose the better part. It is a statement Christians often misinterpret. This results immediately in a Mary-movement or should I say a Mary sit-still.

It is interesting to notice how the Mary and Martha movement are like two boxers in a ring. The Marias consider themselves to be far more spiritual and the more it shows the more the Marthas become frustrated. What in turn proves the Marias they are right once again. And yet… someone must do the dishes, make the coffee, pay the bills etc… or Mary would not have a comfortable life much longer!

I find it sometimes frightening to see how these two ‘opinions’ in Christianity oppose and fight each other. The solution to the Martha – Mary problem lies literally in the middle.

A Christian who does not have a healthy Martha and Mary balance, can never be a stable Christian. A little further in the Bible we read that Jesus visits again and Martha serves Him, this time Jesus doesn’t comment on it, He just enjoys it. When Peter’s mother-in-law is healed, she starts serving them right away and she is not rebuked. James says faith without works is dead. If Paul and the other apostles would not have understood this, the gospel would have never reached us and the New Testament would probably be no more than a soaking leaflet.
Jesus didn’t say: “just lay down in the grass and turn around once in a while so as to prevent bedsores.” He said: ‘ Go throughout world and announce the gospel to the entire creation.’

As long as we do not learn to cope with the Martha/Mary duality within ourselves, we will never reach our goal. Jesus rebuked Martha because she was worrying about many things and making a fuss, not because she was working. It was the fuss and the worry that made her judge her sister.

This subject is a continuous focus in my own life. Apart from the church with it’s many responsibilities, talks, speeches elsewhere, Fatherheart schools, healing schools, conferences, writing books, and the recently started TV work, coaching of leaders and of course my family, it is most important to go regularly to the Source to build relationship, to receive, to grow and to pass on. It is not always the workload that causes problems, it is rather the worrying and making a fuss.