Mary and Martha

Be Quick to Hear, Slow to Speak, and Slow to Anger

 “Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger”—all seems pretty cut and dry. With pride at the root of sin, one can understand why the Holy Spirit through James would write, “Be quick to hear” (for pride values its own way above others), “be slow to speak” (for pride values its own opinion over others), “be slow to anger” (for pride values its own feelings over others). We know very well that, according to scripture, God is “slow to anger and of great kindness” (Numbers 14:18, Nehemiah 9:17, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 103:8, among others), and we also know that I Corinthians 13, in its definition of love, says that love is “slow to anger.” Obviously, James, Paul, and the Psalmists give us good and well-accepted advice about what it takes to get along with others. However, the more I meditated on this verse, the more I pictured Mary and Martha:

At the Home of Mary and Martha

“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened up her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, ‘Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” (Luke 10:38-42).

Obviously, Mary and Martha (and their brother) were close friends of Jesus. No woman of the time would have complained to a strange man in that way. “The story of Martha shows her courageous side by having a close friendship with Jesus and housing Him.  It was dangerous to associate too closely with Him, as the authorities were trying to find a way to kill Jesus (John 7: 25-32). She was willing to face the consequences, however, and let everyone know of her devotion to Him. She was also very busy serving this day” (https://busyblessedwomen.com/the-story-of-mary-and-martha/). We don’t know the full reason for Martha’s irritation, but she was upset enough to interrupt Jesus with it.

Martha and Hospitality

Martha was flustered, not for a bad reason or from a bad motive. Hospitality is a spiritual gift, right? And what a chance to show hospitality! Jesus and His followers were her guests! That in itself would be enough to cause me stress. I’m sure I would be like Martha, quite concerned about the food, its preparation, and its presentation. Possibly, it was her frustration about her ability to accomplish her task well, and possibly her fear of disappointing the Master, that Martha made a choice not to ask Mary why she chose to sit at the feet of Jesus instead of helping, but to get angry and complain to Jesus about her sister’s behavior.

The response was not what she wanted to hear—“Martha, Martha, you are worked up about things that will soon pass away; be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.  I turned water into wine and fed 5,000 people with one boy’s lunch. I’m not concerned about the preparation of the meal. You have done a great job. Now, I would love for you to sit and hear my words like Mary is doing. Won’t you come and sit with us?” Well, that is, of course, my extended scene.

Me and Hospitality

When I have on my “hospitality cap,” it is difficult for me not to stress about the condition of my home or the quality of my meals, especially as an Italian Grammy. I mean, food and hospitality are what we do! But God is working on me, too. More and more often, I find myself at the feet of Jesus first and foremost—before I cook, before I clean, before I make my lesson plans or grade papers. It means I don’t have as much time for other things, but in the end I don’t want to hear, “Bev, Bev, you are anxious and troubled about many things.” I want to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and the only way to accomplish that is to get as close to Jesus as I possibly can.

God bless you, and may He instill in my heart and yours the desires of Mary, and free us from the stresses of Martha, in as much as it will serve His plans for us today and every day. Amen.