Mary and Martha

Clergy and laity throughout our diocese often talk about things that they are short of.

For some it’s money.

For others it’s a shortage of willing volunteers.

And for others, a shortage of gifts or skills.

However, there is one thing that we have no shortage of. Whether it be in parishes, schools, cathedral or the diocesan office. We have no shortage of distractions.

It’s not just Martha who was distracted by many things. All of us in this room are blessed with an abundance of distractions!

(Pause)

But Mary is commended by Jesus for ignoring the distraction of a being a hospitable host, and for choosing “what is better”.

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In my application form I referred to the well-known time management tool that is known as the Urgent-Important Matrix.

I have since discovered that it is also called the ‘Eisenhower Matrix’. Named after the U.S. President who once said:

"I have two kinds of problems, the urgent and the important.

The urgent are not important …and the important are never urgent."

Time management gurus highlight the great value of intentionally carving out blocks of time for activities that are important but are not urgent.

I guess many of us can understand the value of that in our head, but when it comes to putting the theory into practice, most of us face two difficulties.

First, the criticism of others.

By refusing to help her sister, and choosing instead to sit at Jesus feet, Mary had chosen “what is better”.

But that’s not how Martha saw it. And she didn’t hold back with her stinging criticism of Mary.

…And whenever we prioritise the important over the urgent, we too ca expect criticism …and sometimes from those who are closest to us.

But that’s not all.

Many of us also feel guilty.

I really enjoyed the clergy conference.

It was a privilege to be a “fish out of water”, and to spend time with my sisters and brothers as we worshipped God together …as we received nourishment of body, mind and spirit

…and as we reflected with friends and colleagues on our lives and ministries.

It was a great example of the value of carving out time to focus on the important rather than the urgent.

But I know that many clergy feel guilty about prioritising anything that can be perceived as a “jolly”,

…and the fact that we were staying at The Hilton, just added to that guilt.

I don’t know about you, but I felt a palpable sense of relief in the room, when were the Bishop of Liverpool reassured us that the venue was cheaper than Swanwick.

(Pause)

We will only prioritise the important over the urgent if we can withstand the criticism of others, and also set aside our own feelings of guilt. And the best way to do that is, like Mary, to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear his words of reassurance that we have chosen “what is better”.

(Pause)

However, it’s fascinating that, in Luke chapter 10, the story of Martha and Mary comes immediately after the parable of the Good Samaritan.

There we find the well-known story a priest and Levite travelling along the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.

One important detail that Luke forgot to mention was that both the priest and the Levite they were on their way to a clergy conference in Jericho!

Despite some criticism from their congregations at home, and also their feelings of guilt about all the other tasks that they had left undone, they’d carved out time to prioritise the important over the urgent.

And rather like Mary …when faced with a situation that that demanded their help …they chose not to be distracted.

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But on this occasion, it is the Samaritan who is commended by Jesus.

The Samaritan who, rather like Martha, fulfilled his obligation to offer assistance and hospitality to someone in need.

(Pause)

And that’s the bit that I struggle with, and don’t always get right.

I recognise the need to carve out time to prioritise the important over the urgent. …But when is it right to abandon those plans and respond to a new crisis that is both important and urgent?

As I said earlier, I had really valued the opportunity to be a “fish out of water” at the clergy conference. And yet, for me, those 48 hours in Liverpool were punctuated by two significant distractions back here in Coventry.

One was a safeguarding situation concerning a priest, the other was a different safeguarding situation involving a head teacher.

And as a result I felt rather like a “fish out of water” that periodically kept jumping back into the river.

And on my train journey home, while writing this homily, I reflected on whether I had done the right thing.

The situation involving the priest could have waited until after the conference, but there was an element of urgency due to the timing of a safeguarding meeting in another diocese.

The situation involving the headteacher was actually being handled by Anna, but this was the first time she had dealt with a case like this, and I wanted to support her through it.

These two ‘distractions’ had prevented me from fully entering the conference experience of being a “fish out of water”.

If, like Mary, I had ignored these distractions, would Jesus have commended me for choosing “what is better”?

Or, like the good Samaritan, was my dealing with them a God-given opportunity to better love my neighbour.

(Pause)

As I mentioned at the beginning of this homily, all of us in this room are blessed with an abundance of distractions.

How we deal with these distractions is not easy. Do we respond to them like the Good Samaritan, or ignore them like Mary?

Either way, we are likely to face criticism and we can also feel guilty.

Sometimes we get it wrong. And sometimes we do hear the words of Jesus …”well done, you have chosen what is better.”