Sermon 104

SERMO 104

TREATISE ON MARTHA AND MARY SIGNIFYING TWO LIVES

The duties of Martha and Mary are compared.

When the Holy Gospel was being read, we heard that the Lord was received with hospitality by a religious woman, and she was called Martha. And while she was busy with the care of serving, her sister Mary was sitting at the feet of the Lord and listening to His word. That one was laboring, this one was relaxing; that one was giving out, this one was being filled. However, Martha, laboring much in that occupation and business of serving, interrupted the Lord and complained about her sister, that she was not helping her labor. But the Lord responded to Martha on behalf of Mary; and He became an advocate for her, who had been summoned as a judge. "Martha," He said, "you are busy with many things, when only one is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her." We heard both the petition of the judge and the sentence; which sentence responded to the petitioner and defended the one who had been received. For Mary was intent on the sweetness of the Lord's word. Martha was intent on how to feed the Lord; Mary was intent on how to be fed by the Lord. A feast was being prepared by Martha for the Lord, at which feast Mary was already rejoicing. Therefore, while Mary was sweetly listening to the very sweet word and was being fed with her most attentive heart, when the Lord was interrupted by her sister, how do we think she feared, lest the Lord might say to her: "Get up, help your sister"? For she was held by a remarkable sweetness, which is certainly greater for the mind than for the stomach. She was excused, and she sat more securely. And how was she excused? Let us attend, examine, and scrutinize as much as we can; let us also be fed.

Martha's service was not criticized by the Lord.

What then? Do we think the ministry of Martha was rebuked, who was occupied with the care of hospitality, who received the Lord himself as a guest? How could she rightly be rebuked, who was rejoicing with such a guest? If this is true, let people abandon what they minister to the needy; let them choose for themselves the better part, which will not be taken away from them. Let them be free for the word, let them thirst for the sweetness of doctrine, let them be engaged in saving knowledge; let them not be concerned about who is a stranger in the village, who needs bread, who needs clothing, who should be visited, who should be redeemed, who should be buried; let them be free from works of mercy, let them pursue only knowledge. If the better part is really better, why do we not all grab it, especially since we have the Lord himself as our advocate in this cause? For in this matter do we not fear to offend his justice, since we hold his sentence as patron.

The better part of Mary.

And yet it is not so; but as the Lord said, so it is. How you understand it, it is not; but it is, how you ought to understand. Behold, observe. You are occupied with many things, while one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part; not that yours is bad, but hers is better. Why better? Because you are occupied with many things, she with one. One is preferred to many. For it is not from many that one comes, but many from one. Many things are, which were made; one, whom made them. Heaven, earth, sea, and all things in them, how many they are! Who can count them? Who can contemplate their multitude? Who made these things? And God made all these, and behold, they are very good. Very good are the things He made: how much better is He who made them? Let us then consider our occupations with many things. Ministry is necessary for the refreshment of bodies. Why is this? Because there is hunger, because there is thirst. Mercy is necessary for misery. You break bread for the hungry, because you found one hungry. Remove hunger, if you can: whom do you break bread for? Remove wandering: whom do you host? Remove nakedness: for whom do you prepare clothing? Let there be no sickness: whom do you visit? Let there be no captivity: whom do you redeem? Let there be no discord: whom do you reconcile? Let there be no death: whom do you bury? In that future age, there will not be these evils: therefore neither will these ministries. Therefore, Martha indeed was serving the bodily, what shall I call it, need, or will, or voluntary need? She was serving the mortal flesh. But who was in mortal flesh? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Behold what Mary was hearing. The Word became flesh, and dwelled among us. Behold whom Martha was serving. Therefore Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her; for she chose what will always endure: therefore it will not be taken away from her. She desired to be occupied with the One; now she held it: But for me it is good to cling to God. She sat at the feet of our head; the lower she sat, the more she received. For water flows to the lowliness of the valley; it drifts away from the swelling of the hill. The Lord did not therefore rebuke the work, but distinguished the duty. You are occupied with many things, he said; but one thing is necessary. Now Mary has chosen this for herself; the labor of many will pass, but the love of unity will remain. Therefore what she chose will not be taken away from her; but from you, what you chose – certainly this follows, this is understood – from you, what you chose will be taken away. However, it will be taken away for your good, so that what is better may be given. For labor will be taken away from you, so that rest may be given. You are sailing, she is already in the port.

Two lives are figured in Martha and Mary.

You see, therefore, my beloved, and as much as I think you already understand, in these two women, who were both dear to the Lord, both lovable, both disciples; you see, therefore, and understand something great, whoever understands, which you ought to hear and know, even those who do not understand; in these two women are figured two lives, the present and the future, the laborious and the restful, the sorrowful and the blessed, the temporal and the eternal. There are two lives, which I have briefly described as I could: now think more abundantly about them yourselves. What does this life have—I do not say evil, not unjust, not nefarious, not luxurious, not impious; but laborious, full of troubles, chastened by fears, anxious with temptations; I speak of this innocent life itself, such as it was proper for Martha to have—therefore, as much as you can, examine it, and concerning this, as I have said, think more abundantly than we speak. Truly, there was no unjust life in that house, and it was not with Martha, nor with Mary; and if it ever was, it fled upon the entrance of the Lord. Therefore, there remained in that house, which had received the Lord, in the two women two lives; both innocent, both praiseworthy; one laborious, the other at rest; none criminal, none lazy. Both innocent, both, I say, praiseworthy; but one laborious, as I said, the other at rest; none criminal, which the laborious one should avoid; none lazy, which the one at rest should avoid. Therefore, in that house were these two lives, and the fountain of life itself. In Martha was the image of the present, in Mary of the future. What Martha did, we are; what Mary did, this we hope for; let us act well in this, so that we may have that fully. For what do we have from it, as much as we have, while we are here? How much is it, what do we have from it? For indeed now something is done from it. Removed from business, set apart from household cares, you have gathered, you stand, you listen; in as much as you do this, you are like Mary. And you do more easily what Mary does, than I what Christ does. If, however, I say something of Christ, therefore it feeds you, because it is of Christ, because it is the common bread, from which I also live, if I live. Now, however, we live, if you stand in the Lord; not in us, but in the Lord; for neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.

How Mary is a figure of the life to come.

Nonetheless, how much is it that you take and grasp from hearing and understanding about that life, the image of which Mary bore—how much is this? Let this night of the world pass. At dawn, I will stand by you and behold. You will give joy and gladness to my ears, and the humbled bones will exult. Humbled bones, as though the members clinging. This is what Mary was doing: she was humbled, and she was filled. She was sitting; what then is it that I said: At dawn, I will stand and behold? How does she sit like one who stands, if dawn signifies the future age? After the night of this present world is past: "I will stand," he says, "and I will see, I will stand and behold." He did not say: "I will sit." How does Mary sitting bear the image of this great matter, if: "I will stand and behold"? Do not let these things disturb you, it is a want of the flesh; the body cannot be required to both stand and sit at the same time. For if it sits, it does not stand; if it stands, it does not sit; the body cannot do both at the same time. But if I prove that the soul can, would there be any doubt? For if it can do something like this now, much more easily will man be able to do it then, with all difficulty ended. Behold where you may take an example. Paul himself says: "Now we live if you stand firm in the Lord." Such a great Apostle, nay, Christ through the Apostle, ordered us to stand firm. Likewise, how does the same Apostle, nay, Christ through the Apostle himself, say to us: "Nevertheless, to what we have attained, let us walk by the same rule?" Here to stand, here to walk; it is not enough to walk, "so run that you may obtain." Therefore, beloved, heed and understand; he commands us both to walk and to stand; not that when we stand, we cease to walk, or when we walk, we cease to stand; but both together, we both stand and run. What does it mean to both stand and run? Both to remain and to progress. "Make known to me your ways, O Lord." Surely, by the ways of the Lord made known, what are we commanded but to walk? "Lead me, O Lord, in Your way," what do we wish but to walk? And again, as if to be fixed in one place: "Do not let my feet be moved." And rejoicing and giving thanks: "And He has not let my feet be moved." If he were asked: How did you desire the ways of the Lord to be made known to you, how did you want to be led by Him in His way, and you wish not to have your feet moved, and you give thanks that your feet were not given to move? How did you walk, who did not move your feet? He would answer you: And I walked, because I did; and I stood, because I did not depart. Therefore, do not be astonished, brothers; behold, what the body cannot do, the soul can do. According to the body, when you walk, you do not stand; when you stand, you do not walk; according to the soul, according to faith, according to the intention of the mind, stand and walk, remain and progress, because "Now we live if you stand firm in the Lord," and "so run that you may obtain." Thus, beloved, you will both sit and stand. We will sit, because we will humbly behold the Creator; we will stand, because we will remain forever.

How the Lord passing will minister to us.

For I add more: we shall recline, which indeed is neither to sit nor to stand. We shall recline. I would not dare to say this unless the Lord promised it: He will make them recline. Promising a great reward to His servants: He will make them recline, He said, and passing by He will serve them. This life is promised to us, because the Lord will make us recline, and passing by He will serve us. This is also said when the faith of the centurion's son was admired and praised: Truly I say to you, that many will come from the east and the west and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. A great promise, a blessed reward. Let us act so that we may be worthy, let us be helped so that we may reach there, where the Lord will serve us as we recline. For what will it be to recline, if not to rest? And what will it be to serve, if not to nourish? What is that food? What is that drink? Surely it is the truth itself. That food refreshes and does not diminish: it nourishes, and by nourishing it makes whole; it is not consumed by the one who eats, but remaining whole, it makes whole. Do you not believe that God can nourish in this way, when even now your eye is nourished by light? Your eye is nourished by light. Many see, and it remains; few see, and it remains; and those eyes are refreshed, and it does not diminish. It takes from it, nor does it lessen; it seizes it, nor does it cut off. If this light can nourish the eye, and cannot God nourish man who has been changed? He can, surely He can; why do you not understand? Because you are occupied with many things; the business of Martha occupies you, indeed all of us. For who is free from this ministry of helping? Who breathes free from this care? Let us do this innocently, let us do it with charity; that time will also come when we shall recline, and He will pass by and serve us. For then He would not serve us unless He had passed over to the Father from here; for He was here when He promised. And lest we think He will display something like the form of a servant we contemplated: Passing by, He said, He will serve them. And the Evangelist speaks of this passing over: Now when the hour came for Jesus to pass from this world to the Father. Have I been with you so long, and you do not know me? If he knew what he was hearing, he would respond: I did not know because you have not yet passed over. Hence it is also said to Mary after the resurrection: Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

To rest only through work.

Therefore, beloved, I beseech you, I urge you, I advise you, I instruct you, I ask you, let us desire that life together, let us run together to it by coming to it, so that in persevering we may stand firm in it. The hour comes, and that hour will be endless, when the Lord will make us recline, and minister to us. What, but himself? Why do you seek what to eat? You have the Lord himself. For what will be what we are fed with, what else but In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God? What will it mean to recline, but to rest? What will it mean to be fed, but to be delighted ineffably by the contemplation of him? Delight at your right hand. One thing I have asked from the Lord, this I shall seek; not many things that I am occupied with: but one thing I have asked from the Lord, this I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may contemplate the delight of the Lord. This is not the blessedness of the laboring. Be still and see: what? that I am the Lord. Great vision, happy contemplation. And what else is it: Recline and eat, but: Be still and see? Therefore, let us not be carnally minded, nor think of, so to speak, sensual feasts. These will pass away: they must be endured, not loved. If you wish to fulfill the duty of Martha in them, let there be modesty, let there be mercy; modesty in temperance, mercy in dispensing. Labor passes, and rest will come; but rest only through labor. The ship passes, and arrives at the homeland; but to the homeland only by the ship. For we are sailing, if we consider the waves and tempests of this age. Nor do I doubt that we are not submerged because we are carried by the wood of the cross.

[Explicit treatise on Martha and Mary symbolizing two lives].