Proper 11
Preaching
Preaching Luke's Gospel
A Narrative Approach
The few verses in this week's Gospel text have been the subject of much interpretation. The immediate context of these verses is the lawyer's question: "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Luke 10:25). Jesus invited the lawyer to answer his own question and he answered it well: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself" (10:27).
Love God; love neighbor. Jesus approved this answer. When the lawyer, seeking to justify himself, asked for precise directions on loving neighbor Jesus told his neighbor-love story of the Good Samaritan (10:29-37). Immediately following this story about the horizontal dimension of loving God and neighbor comes the Mary and Martha story appointed for this week. One dimension of the Mary and Martha story is that it is a story about the vertical dimension of the love God, love neighbor command. Mary sat at the Lord's feet and listened! She chose the better part!
The story of Mary and Martha has been the cause of conster-nation for many women down through the years. Women in the church have usually been confined to the role of diakonia. They have been heirs of Martha in the roles assigned to them by both church and society. (Fortunately the times are a'changing.) Yet Mary gets the praise! This has been a difficult double message to live with!
Fundamental to our understanding of this story is the question of the valuation put on women in the Gospel of Luke. Usually Luke comes off quite well in such studies. Women play a greater role in his Gospel than in any other. Most commentaries give the listing of stories about women. It is impressive. Luke has often received great praise for the exalted status of women in his pages. This line of thinking leads to a very positive interpretation of the role of Mary in this story. She was able to choose a better way. She sat at Jesus' feet and listened. And Jesus taught her! That was unheard of in the first century. Mary is, therefore, a symbol of feminine emancipation. Mary chose, and therefore women may choose, to sit at Jesus' feet and be a disciple.
Contemporary female biblical scholars are not sold, however, on the idea that Luke's picture of women is positive. The Women's Bible Commentary, for example, argues that Luke keeps women in very passive and subservient roles.1 The authors argue, for example, that women were treated as well by Judaism in the first century as they were by Jesus. The fact that Mary could sit at the feet of a rabbi and learn the scripture does not pit Christianity versus Judaism. They acknowledge that Luke has more material about women (42 passages) than the other Gospels. They do not believe, however, that Luke's treatment of women in these many passages is as positive as it has often been considered. They note, for example, that Mary is silent in her encounter with Jesus. She is receptive, passive. And this is typical in Luke's story. Women are quiet. They do not speak up. They do not challenge Jesus. What a contrast there is, for example, between Luke's picture of Martha and the picture of Martha given by John. In John 11:27 Martha gives the great confession. We usually credit the great confession to Peter, but in John's Gospel it is a woman who gives this confession.
The Women's Bible Commentary says this about Mary in this story:
The disciples and apostles in Luke learn often in dialogues ... but Mary is silent. Her attitude is that of a disciple, but she is not a disciple. She is only an audience. What she has heard and learned at the Lord's feet is private; it does not instruct and shape the whole community.2
The Women's Bible Commentary gives us a helpful word of caution on what we want to say about women in the Gospel of Luke and in this week's text. Still there is much good to be said of the role of women in Luke, women who hear the word of God and keep it. We commented in Chapter 13 on the theme of "hearing and doing the word of God" in Luke. This theme is first triggered in Jesus' story of building our house on sand or rock (Luke 6:46-49). The story of Mary and Martha fits this theme as well. Mary is pictured as one who hears the word.
It is difficult to hear this story of Mary's listening and not to think of that other Mary who is such a faith-model in Luke's story. Jesus' mother Mary heard the word from the angel Gabriel. Her response was profound: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Mary heard the word. She received the word and the word changed her life!
There is a passage in Luke 11:27-28 that fits this theme very well. A woman shouts out in a crowd in praise of Jesus' mother. "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!" This woman defined Mary by her biology! Jesus rejected this limited definition of his mother. He knew his mother as a woman of faith. His answer to the woman makes this clear: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" Mother Mary is not to be praised, women are not to be praised, for their biology. Women are to be praised, men are to be praised, for hearing the word of God and obeying it.
In this week's text Mary serves as a model of one who hears the word of God. This is of vital importance to Luke! This Mary, like Mother Mary, is a model for us all. She is the model of one who let it be done to her according to God's word.
Homiletical Directions
Our suggestion is that this week's sermon in narrative form be shaped around the theme of hearing and doing God's word. Story One could well be the story of Mary's encounter with the angel Gabriel as told in Luke 1:26-38. This text from Luke is not assigned for the Lukan year and this might be an opportunity to use this wonderful story. The focus of the story will be on Mary as the one who hears God's word and does it. "Let it be with me according to your word." This was Mary's testimony of faith!
Mary's story in Luke could be amplified with the use of the story in Luke 11:27-28. Jesus affirms for us that his mother should be remembered among us as the one who is blessed for hearing and doing God's word.
Story Two might pick up the theme of hearing and doing God's word that begins with Jesus' story of building on rock and sand. A solid foundation for life is built by all who hear God's word and do it (Luke 6:46-49). This text was treated in Chapter 13. If you did not deal with the hearing/doing theme at that time then this story would fit well into today's story mix.
Story Three might then be the story of the Parable of the Sower as told in Luke 8:4-15. Neither is this text appointed for the Lukan year. The themes of the story are strong. Jesus is the Sower of the Seed. The seed is the word of God (8:11)! When we are called to be hearers of God's word it is to Jesus that we are called. Jesus is the gracious sower who sows the seed with prodigality on all kinds of soil. No one stands outside the possibility of hearing this word. Jesus' word is for all.
The second strong theme of the Parable of the Sower is the theme of hearing. "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" (8:8). The seed of God's word is sown by the Sower named Jesus. All are invited to hear this word and be fructified.
Story Four is the text for this week. In light of these other Lukan stories the theme that stands out in the Mary/Martha story is that Mary is one of those people who has ears and does listen. She is not distracted from the word of the Sower by many tasks. She has seen the one thing needful. She has chosen the better part, and this will not be taken away from her.
A closing proclamation might go something like this: Jesus' word to us today is:"I am the Sower. I have come into this world to sow the seed of God's word on the soil of human hearts. I have come to sow the seed of God's word on your heart no matter what condition its soil is in. Listen to my word. Lend your ear. Don't be distracted by many things. (You will know some of the dis-tractions in your local situation. They may be specified here.) Don't run after other words and other gods. Like Mary, hear my word and keep it. 'Let anyone with ears to hear listen!' My word shall never be taken away from you!"
A very brief closing prayer might call our hearers to respond to God's word as Mother Mary responded: "Let it be with me ac-cording to your word."
____________
1.aCarol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, editors, The Women's Bible Com-mentary (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992), p. 279.
2.aIbid., p. 289.
Love God; love neighbor. Jesus approved this answer. When the lawyer, seeking to justify himself, asked for precise directions on loving neighbor Jesus told his neighbor-love story of the Good Samaritan (10:29-37). Immediately following this story about the horizontal dimension of loving God and neighbor comes the Mary and Martha story appointed for this week. One dimension of the Mary and Martha story is that it is a story about the vertical dimension of the love God, love neighbor command. Mary sat at the Lord's feet and listened! She chose the better part!
The story of Mary and Martha has been the cause of conster-nation for many women down through the years. Women in the church have usually been confined to the role of diakonia. They have been heirs of Martha in the roles assigned to them by both church and society. (Fortunately the times are a'changing.) Yet Mary gets the praise! This has been a difficult double message to live with!
Fundamental to our understanding of this story is the question of the valuation put on women in the Gospel of Luke. Usually Luke comes off quite well in such studies. Women play a greater role in his Gospel than in any other. Most commentaries give the listing of stories about women. It is impressive. Luke has often received great praise for the exalted status of women in his pages. This line of thinking leads to a very positive interpretation of the role of Mary in this story. She was able to choose a better way. She sat at Jesus' feet and listened. And Jesus taught her! That was unheard of in the first century. Mary is, therefore, a symbol of feminine emancipation. Mary chose, and therefore women may choose, to sit at Jesus' feet and be a disciple.
Contemporary female biblical scholars are not sold, however, on the idea that Luke's picture of women is positive. The Women's Bible Commentary, for example, argues that Luke keeps women in very passive and subservient roles.1 The authors argue, for example, that women were treated as well by Judaism in the first century as they were by Jesus. The fact that Mary could sit at the feet of a rabbi and learn the scripture does not pit Christianity versus Judaism. They acknowledge that Luke has more material about women (42 passages) than the other Gospels. They do not believe, however, that Luke's treatment of women in these many passages is as positive as it has often been considered. They note, for example, that Mary is silent in her encounter with Jesus. She is receptive, passive. And this is typical in Luke's story. Women are quiet. They do not speak up. They do not challenge Jesus. What a contrast there is, for example, between Luke's picture of Martha and the picture of Martha given by John. In John 11:27 Martha gives the great confession. We usually credit the great confession to Peter, but in John's Gospel it is a woman who gives this confession.
The Women's Bible Commentary says this about Mary in this story:
The disciples and apostles in Luke learn often in dialogues ... but Mary is silent. Her attitude is that of a disciple, but she is not a disciple. She is only an audience. What she has heard and learned at the Lord's feet is private; it does not instruct and shape the whole community.2
The Women's Bible Commentary gives us a helpful word of caution on what we want to say about women in the Gospel of Luke and in this week's text. Still there is much good to be said of the role of women in Luke, women who hear the word of God and keep it. We commented in Chapter 13 on the theme of "hearing and doing the word of God" in Luke. This theme is first triggered in Jesus' story of building our house on sand or rock (Luke 6:46-49). The story of Mary and Martha fits this theme as well. Mary is pictured as one who hears the word.
It is difficult to hear this story of Mary's listening and not to think of that other Mary who is such a faith-model in Luke's story. Jesus' mother Mary heard the word from the angel Gabriel. Her response was profound: "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). Mary heard the word. She received the word and the word changed her life!
There is a passage in Luke 11:27-28 that fits this theme very well. A woman shouts out in a crowd in praise of Jesus' mother. "Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!" This woman defined Mary by her biology! Jesus rejected this limited definition of his mother. He knew his mother as a woman of faith. His answer to the woman makes this clear: "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!" Mother Mary is not to be praised, women are not to be praised, for their biology. Women are to be praised, men are to be praised, for hearing the word of God and obeying it.
In this week's text Mary serves as a model of one who hears the word of God. This is of vital importance to Luke! This Mary, like Mother Mary, is a model for us all. She is the model of one who let it be done to her according to God's word.
Homiletical Directions
Our suggestion is that this week's sermon in narrative form be shaped around the theme of hearing and doing God's word. Story One could well be the story of Mary's encounter with the angel Gabriel as told in Luke 1:26-38. This text from Luke is not assigned for the Lukan year and this might be an opportunity to use this wonderful story. The focus of the story will be on Mary as the one who hears God's word and does it. "Let it be with me according to your word." This was Mary's testimony of faith!
Mary's story in Luke could be amplified with the use of the story in Luke 11:27-28. Jesus affirms for us that his mother should be remembered among us as the one who is blessed for hearing and doing God's word.
Story Two might pick up the theme of hearing and doing God's word that begins with Jesus' story of building on rock and sand. A solid foundation for life is built by all who hear God's word and do it (Luke 6:46-49). This text was treated in Chapter 13. If you did not deal with the hearing/doing theme at that time then this story would fit well into today's story mix.
Story Three might then be the story of the Parable of the Sower as told in Luke 8:4-15. Neither is this text appointed for the Lukan year. The themes of the story are strong. Jesus is the Sower of the Seed. The seed is the word of God (8:11)! When we are called to be hearers of God's word it is to Jesus that we are called. Jesus is the gracious sower who sows the seed with prodigality on all kinds of soil. No one stands outside the possibility of hearing this word. Jesus' word is for all.
The second strong theme of the Parable of the Sower is the theme of hearing. "Let anyone with ears to hear listen!" (8:8). The seed of God's word is sown by the Sower named Jesus. All are invited to hear this word and be fructified.
Story Four is the text for this week. In light of these other Lukan stories the theme that stands out in the Mary/Martha story is that Mary is one of those people who has ears and does listen. She is not distracted from the word of the Sower by many tasks. She has seen the one thing needful. She has chosen the better part, and this will not be taken away from her.
A closing proclamation might go something like this: Jesus' word to us today is:"I am the Sower. I have come into this world to sow the seed of God's word on the soil of human hearts. I have come to sow the seed of God's word on your heart no matter what condition its soil is in. Listen to my word. Lend your ear. Don't be distracted by many things. (You will know some of the dis-tractions in your local situation. They may be specified here.) Don't run after other words and other gods. Like Mary, hear my word and keep it. 'Let anyone with ears to hear listen!' My word shall never be taken away from you!"
A very brief closing prayer might call our hearers to respond to God's word as Mother Mary responded: "Let it be with me ac-cording to your word."
____________
1.aCarol A. Newsom and Sharon H. Ringe, editors, The Women's Bible Com-mentary (Louisville: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992), p. 279.
2.aIbid., p. 289.
