1 John 4:7-16

Psalm 34:1-10

Luke 10:38-42

It may seem like we have things upside down when it comes to today’s observance. In our Gospel passage, Mary was the sister praised by our Lord; and yet it is Martha who gets the day.

The words from our Lord to Martha indicate that her sister Mary, who left the work of hospitality to sit at his feet, “chose the better part”. And this is true. The better part of anything is wherever Jesus is. We ought always to be looking for Jesus wherever and whenever we are.

Yet Martha’s enthusiasm (or perhaps better, energy) is rewarded in the alternative Gospel reading for today, from John 11. There, her brother Lazarus has died, and when Jesus comes to join them, she rushes out of the house, while Mary remains inside weeping. Martha’s reward for her go-getter attitude is the words from our Lord which resonate at every funeral: “I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

The consistency across Martha’s actions is that she is proactive. She is proactive in making sure their home is a place where Jesus is welcome and well-cared for; and she is proactive in seeking his help for her dead brother.

And so I think this is our example to follow. Are we making in ourselves a home for Jesus? Is our spirit a place for him to feel welcome? And when we are struggling, are we proactive in seeking him out? Martha was rewarded for her go-getter attitude both times they are recorded in the Gospels. Are we proactive in seeking after Jesus? He has a reward for us, too.