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Choices then and now
How should we choose the better part in the 21st century? (Luke 10.42)
Context
At the heart of today’s Gospel reading is the choices made by Mary and Martha. Choices are going on all around us. Most obviously in Britain choices are being made which will, we all expect, lead to the appointment of a new Prime Minister in early September as first 358 Conservative MPs and then 100,000 or so members of the party have their say. This process allows Conservative MPs to express more than one choice, an option which they deny to the electorate in their insistent support of ‘first past the post’. But beside the politics, what motivates all our choices, large or small?
In the wider world, choices are being made by people fleeing Ukraine as well as those fleeing other less newsworthy, but just as risky, conflicts across the world, a small number of whom eventually end up on our shores. Sir Mo Farah has revealed that he was trafficked from Somalia into Britain as a child into conditions which amounted to slavery. His original name was in fact Hussein Abdi Kahin. As so many refugee stories reveal, frightened people will take enormous risks. The sad truth is that his story is not that unusual although few of those affected can afford, still, to take the risks involved in revealing their personal history.
Meanwhile it seems that UK special forces may have engaged in extra-judicial killings in Afghanistan and the ride app Uber is under attack for alleged illegal activities in many countries. All of these activities were the result of choices made by human beings.
This weekend I shall be at the Tolpuddle Festival which marks the choices made in 1834 by six farm workers. Those choices led to them being transported to Australia, technically for making illegal oaths, but really for forming an early trades union. It was faith (in the Wesleyan Methodist tradition) which motivated most of them and that is recognised in various ways at the TUC festival. On Sunday afternoon modern Methodists will parade a new banner and bless it at the service as the festival ends.
Ideas for sermons or interactive talks
As we make choices in our everyday lives are we ‘worried and distracted by many things’ (Luke 10.40)? In my life I know how easy it is for the urgent to take the place of the important and the merely interesting to trump the significant. My wife’s late boss used to carry a second spare tyre in his car and was usually ridiculous early for meetings; he was a very successful academic, but I could not help wondering what led him to be so cautious about some matters.
Which are the choices that have had the most influence on your life and faith? Were you brought up in the denomination or faith tradition which you still follow? or have you at some point made a significant switch? Did choices about education or marriage have an important influence on the course of your life? Are you more of a Mary or more of a Martha? As you make day-to-day decisions do you ever reflect on today’s Gospel story?
There is no real clue in the Gospel passage as to how we should make choices, merely an assertion by Jesus (against Martha’s complaint) that Mary has chosen the ‘better part’. When we make choices, how do we assess which is the better part and which the distraction? For example, how might those who are allowed to take part in the process which should result in the choice of a new Prime Minister for the UK determine which is the ‘better part’?
What do you make of the choices made by the six farm workers from the tiny Dorset village of Tolpuddle whose story still inspires many trades unionists today? And how do we best tell this generation of the faith what motivated them?
Questions for discussion
- Had you been a fourth person in this story, would you have sat with Mary at Jesus’ feet or would you have helped Martha with the chores?
- Is following Jesus’ teaching (as Mary did) always more important than doing the practical jobs (as Martha did)?
- How might this story help with the everyday choices you have to make?
Dudley Coates is a local preacher in the Yeovil and Blackmore Vale Methodist Circuit and a former Vice President of the Methodist Conference.
Check-in
Connecting faith with everyday, real-life issues for young people
Our government is in flux from a series of resignations and is in the process of selecting a new Prime Minister. Did you hear about the National Prayer Breakfast that preceded this? Over 700 MPs and church leaders met in the Houses of Parliament ‘to pray for our Parliament, government and politics, to build relationships between church leaders and their local MPs, and to reflect upon the relevance of the Christian faith to our public life.’ This year’s preacher was the founder of Street Pastors, Rev. Les Isaac OBE. – an inspiring speaker. ‘It’s important that we understand that the God who loves us, he’s willing to give us hope and to use us to bring hope.’ Street Pastors bring hope; caring for, helping and listening to folk out between 10pm – 4am, equipped with water, flip flops and prayer!
How do we become people of love? In the passage, Mary chooses to seize the opportunity to listen to Jesus and put on hold the ‘doing’ she might have planned. She chose the best thing; to listen to God and know God’s heart. Our doing for others is important, but to do it with the compassion of God is to take time to pray and listen. When God calls us to action, are we taking time to listen? Rev Isaac has said that to be called to do something and bring in his kingdom, that is the Gospel.
When we choose to help others, let’s listen to seek what God is thinking and doing there. When we have the instinct to be like Martha, try to be like Mary first.
In what activities do you most need to pause and pray first?
Could you ask a Street Pastor to talk to your church group about how God helps them in their work?
Dr Angela Mak is a Licensed Lay Minister at Holy Trinity Shaw in the Ecumenical Partnership of West Swindon and Lydiard Tregoze. She is also a schools worker, and retired biology teacher.
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