The Nazareth Page - A gospel meditation for your home
July 20, 2025 – Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Luke 10:38-42
REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
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Today we read or listen to one of the most memorable gospels in all of the New Testament. All I have to do is say that it is about two sisters, Martha and Mary, and many will say, “Yes, I know that one.” Martha is in the kitchen feverously working on dinner while Mary is with Jesus, relaxing and talking with him.
Martha issues a complaint to Jesus. Should not Mary be helping her with the meal? Then comes his (perhaps) surprising response that Martha should not be ”anxious and worried about many things” and that “Mary has chosen the better part.” The gospel writing does not add Martha’s response. But we can supply a guess.
There are many ways to interpret this gospel. But the one I prefer is that Mary is taking the role of a student, something reserved for men, in that time. Jesus is the rabbi, and she is singled out to learn from him at his feet, the typical posture of the learner. Thus, this gospel is not a put down of Martha, but rather an exaltation of Mary and all those women who were his disciples.
In recent years biblical scholars have often pointed to passages that placed women in key roles as followers of Jesus. Certainly, Mary, his mother, played an absolutely central role in his life. So did Mary Magdeline, who was the first to witness his resurrection from the dead. Except for the apostle John, only women were with Jesus as he was crucified. The Samaritan woman (unnamed) became the first to announce the arrival of the messiah to those in her region of Samaria. Many of the miracles of Jesus involved women and many women were featured in his preaching, especially when Jesus used parables to explain more deeply his message and its meaning.
Two weeks ago, the gospel was about the seventy-two disciples who were sent out by Jesus to announce the arrival of God’s reign on Earth. I wonder how many of them were women. And as the message of Jesus spread by the first Christians, many women are given active roles in the Acts of the Apostles and mentioned in the writings of St. Paul.
As the Church continues its mission in our time, many are asking that the roles played by women be expanded in all phases of ecclesial life. If we reflect on the role played by Mary in today’s gospel, my hope is that the various offices and roles in the Church be more fully open to those like her who feel the call to be closer to the central role of Christ.
David M. Thomas, PhD