Martha and Mary Voorbeeld

Martha and Mary: a Story of Two Sisters

The story of Martha and Mary really intrigues me. What fascinates me most is how first of all Jesus is addressed by Martha. She takes her anger and frustrations towards her sister out on Jesus. I have no idea how you read this part, but I sense a lot of frustration and irritations. Apparently Martha is done with how Mary just sits with Jesus all the time, while Martha is running around taking care of everyone. I bet  she would love to sit down and listen to Jesus but is held back.

When I read a scriptural passage, I always try to understand the various emotions. To feel for myself what the characters felt. In this story you can feel the tension between the two sisters.  Martha is frustrated, cross, angry and apparently it sticks in her throat. She does not directly talk to her sister but she communicates through Jesus. It is like playing billiards. You shoot the ball against the side and in that way you hit the other ball. I never like this this way of communicating. Martha is playing the ball towards Jesus in order to hit Mary. By addressing Jesus, she hopes for recognition and for Mary to be brought into line on his authority.

Assignment: Read the story well at least two times. Do not ask questions from the text but only see what the story does to you.

Questions:
How do you read this story? What kind of emotion do you read here and how do you experience what happens? How do you deal with frustrations in your life? Do you recognize the billiards way of communication in your own life?

P.S. With Sandy Tales, we tell Bible stories drawn in sand. Curious for more? Then take a look here!