Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus

Lectionary: 401/607

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
"Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.

For many of us, summer offers the opportunity to relax and let be. We don't need excessive clothing to keep warm and dry. If the bugs and the noonday heat aren't too much, we might sit under a shade tree and visit with friends, read a book, listen to music or the sounds of nature. Families, too many and too noisy for a single room, come together outdoors to meet the recently married and newborn members. Summer is a good time to celebrate the New Testament's other holy family: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  

If Jesus ever took a break from being the Lord of Heaven and Earth, it was surely in their home. With them he could follow the tradition of Elijah and Elisha -- those fearsome prophets -- who stayed with holy families at Zarepath and Shunnem. We can suppose they offered him a room and privacy, with ample time to pray, relax, watch children play, listen to music or birdsong, kick his sandals off and just breathe like any human being. Hopefully, his disciples stopped questioning about every little thing. We can imagine the Lord listening to political discussions, recipes, complaints about aging and the cost of living without offering his own sage advice. Sometimes it's good to be quiet. 

The Scriptures Old and New presume that people customarily offered hospitality to family, friends, and strangers. Mi casa es su casa. That's what civilized people do. Make yourself at home! We say. We remember Abraham's eager welcome to the three strangers who bore a strong resemblance to our Trinitarian God. And, the next day, Lot's offer of a safe home to travellers in barbaric Sodom.  

The Lord's home at Nazareth was such a place. When two of the Baptist's disciples joined the Lord, he invited them to stay with him, perhaps at Nazareth where Mary lived, which is about 46 kilometers away. Cana is only 7 kilometers from there, an easy hike for young people. 

Today, we celebrate Martha, Mary, and Lazarus who opened their home to Jesus and his disciples. Apparently they could accomodate all of them. If it got a bit awkward at times, they worked it out. A little confusion here, a little uncertainty there, we make it work. 

Because they were devout and loyal, the Lord was faithful to them. It was not by chance that his greatest sign was there in Bethany. When they were hit by a sudden crisis, he attended Lazarus's funeral, and dramatically changed the program -- a gesture which cost him his life. Such is the Love of God, for...

...No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13