Sisters

All one need do is read or listen to recent news about the president’s attacks on four female legislators to realize that ugly attitudes toward women who don’t “behave” are as prevalent as they were in Jesus’ time. While the primary complaint about the president’s words is racism, there is very likely sexism going on as well. The fact that several of his strongest opponents in Congress are female probably irks him.

One of the ironies of such situations is that some of those who feel threatened and irked by women not towing the usual social lines for women are often other women. That happens in our text for this Sunday from Luke 10:38-42, as Martha confronts Jesus over His toleration of Mary’s assumption of a “male” role in their household, to the neglect of her “female” responsibilities.

I’ve always been struck by Dorothy Sayer’s observation that she had never heard a sermon on this Mary-Martha text which did not in some way sympathize with or even defend Martha, despite our Lord’s clear, albeit gentle, rebuke and correction of her. I’ve heard the same sort of sympathy for Martha, especially from women (including my own wife), every time I’ve preached on this passage myself.

Feminist concerns may seem like an overworked, overstated cause in today’s America, especially in the eyes of conservative Christians. However one need not look far to see that women even in our country continue to labor under a load of complex social expectations which, despite lip-service to “equality,” often results in great difficulty when they seek to excel, find work, or have influence in male-dominated spheres of endeavor. I think of my oldest daughter’s own experiences searching for academic employment after completing her Ph.D.

Thus this time through the Mary and Martha story I’d like, at least in part, to ask Christian men to think about what this text implies for how we live with and treat our sisters in Christ. So the title of the message has a double meaning. It does not just refer to the two biblical sisters, but to all Christian women with whom we live and serve the Lord.

For starters right now, I intend to ask the question Sunday whether a few more men in our congregation might consider taking a turn in the nursery. Would it not give our women a more fair opportunity to do what Mary did and sit at the feet of Jesus learning from Him? More thoughts along that line to come.