‘Martha, Martha…’ (Luke 10:41)

Janet Scott reflects on ancient readings

In the ancient world it was expected that reading would be done out loud. Private silent reading was rare, though it was noted of Alexander the Great that not only did he read silently but he didn’t even move his lips! So the function of text was to act as a reminder for speech. The ‘word of God’ was a spoken rather than a written word.

So how a text is spoken – the tone, the pitch, the speed – will have an impact on our understanding of the message. This is particularly
true of the story, found only in Luke, of Jesus visiting Martha and Mary in their home. Mary sits at the feet of Jesus and listens to him. She does not speak at all. The conversation is between Martha and Jesus.

A traditional reading would see Martha as a busy housewife, ‘cumbered about much serving’ as William Tyndale puts it, grumpily demanding that Jesus tells Mary to help her, and being rebuked. But suppose we alter the tone of voice, so that Martha makes a genuine enquiry – ‘Does it not matter to you that my sister has left me to serve alone’ – together with an opportunity for Jesus to affirm or deny Mary’s right to listen to him: ‘Tell her to work with me’?

And in what tone should we suppose Jesus would answer? Is he exasperated? Or should we remember that John tells us that Jesus loved Martha and her family (John 11:5) and hear her name spoken tenderly, with an understanding of her concerns. At this point she needs one thing, the affirmation that Mary has chosen a good part and it shall not be taken away from her. Martha has secured recognition of Mary as a disciple.

For Luke, hearing the word is important. In 8:15 those who bear a good harvest are those who hear the word with a good and pure heart and keep it. And in 8:21 the new family of Jesus are those who hear the word of God and act on it. Mary is described as hearing his word.

And what of Martha and her service? Why do we always assume that she is busy cooking a meal? If the story had been told about, say, Peter and his brother Andrew, we might give more weight to the language used. Martha’s work is described by the word diakonia and the verb diakonein. They can mean to wait at table, but in the gospels they acquire a new meaning as the words Jesus chose to describe both his own ministry and that which should be exercised by his disciples (see, for example, Mark 10:43-5).

So we can translate the story as Martha being concerned about much ministry. Standing up to Jesus, she asks whether her sister should be directed to help her. In effect she is asking whether all disciples should have the same ministry. Jesus’ answer acknowledges that she is taking care of many things. He can sort this one for her! Mary can serve in her own way.

In the Synoptic gospels Martha is the only named woman who speaks with Jesus. A great disciple, perhaps she told this story herself to show that listening and questioning were also part of ministry.

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