Fourth insight: The "man" of peace can be a woman.
Once again, I contend that the placement of these four verses (Lk 10:38-42) by Luke is highly significant. In the first part of Lk 10, Jesus teaches the essence of His church planting strategy. At the heart of this strategy is identifying a person called a "man of peace" (10:6). (As we have said before, if you have a "man of peace", planting a church is almost effortless. If you don't have a "man of peace", planting a church is almost impossible.)
Following this teaching, Luke gives us a story about Jesus implementing the very principles that he just taught. In these four verses, we have church planting "in living color". And, what must have stood out to the original readers was that, in this story, the "man of peace" was actually a woman! (Or, in this case, two women.)
The placement of the Martha and Mary story at this point is not an accident. I believe it is totally intentional and is designed to communicate a powerful truth about the role of women in Jesus' kingdom and in the planting of churches.
And, this is consistent with what we know of this Luke. "Luke shows more clearly, and gives more particulars regarding, the redeeming and uplifting work which Jesus accomplished among women." The New Bible Dictionary, p. 758.
More tomorrow about how the Martha and Mary story lays the groundwork for the role of women in the rest of the New Testament. For today, spend a few moments again looking at the picture above. Focus your attention on Martha and Mary. What do you imagine that they, as women, were thinking and feeling in that moment?
John
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ReplyDeleteMary and Martha had a brother, Lazarus, with whom they lived. Lazarus is noted as one who was loved by Jesus and has the significance of being one who was raised from the dead by him.
ReplyDeleteIt seems significant to me that Lazarus was not mentioned in Luke 10. He was not in the forefront of dominating that family and apparently did not dictate his sisters relationships with this stranger, Jesus.
Martha had authority to invite Jesus into her house, and to use her resources to feed him and his following.
Mary had opportunity to sit at Jesus feet and not be told by Lazarus that hanging out with men was not appropriate.
Love and freedom reigned there.
After Lazarus burial, the whole town went to their home and watched Mary and Martha following their lead. No one told these two sisters not to obey Jesus when he told them to role the stone away from Lazarus grave.
By their response of faith, the whole town was blessed by the miracle of life from death. I think Jesus loved Lazarus partly because of his attitude toward his sisters, and the way that they were able to live as the community leaders that God intended them to be.
I often wonder what place these three had in the church after Jesus' resurrection.
Carolyn
I just caught up on reading the posts and comments on Jesus' activity in Mary's and Martha's house. I like the thought that Jesus was modeling kingdom life and the planting of communities.
ReplyDeleteResponding to your question John, the 1st thing I thought was the tension the hostesses seem to have felt between hospitality issues on the one hand and soaking up the teaching of Jesus as full recipients on the other.
May we be attentive today to open houses!
Chadd - my mind went there too! Could this not only be a depiction of Jesus' "house of peace'ing" in action, but also a contrasting picture between a person of peace someone who can't sit still? As hard as we are on Martha, could it be that Mary shows us a clear picture of how a person of peace responds to a harvest worker? Is Mary's sitting at Jesus' feet an illustration of what it looks like for "the peace to rest" on a person of peace? (Lk 10:6).
ReplyDeleteI'd love to keep pursuing this...good thoughts guys!
Carolyn, I had always assumed that Lazarus lived with Martha and Mary but in rereading these passages, I'm not sure that that was the case. Lazarus is not mentioned in Lk. 10 at all which would be odd if he lived in that home. And, in Jn. 11:1 it says that he was from "the village of Mary and her sister Martha" and not that he lived with them. My guess is that the kingdom came to Martha and Mary's home in Lk. 10 and then spread to their brother's home.
ReplyDeleteMark - Great comment! I agree. I think Mary is "the" picture of a person of peace.