Page 161 - Demo

LUKE 
eternal life?”x 26Jesus said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you read it?” 27He said in reply, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”y 28He replied to him, “You have answered correctly; do this and you will live.”z
The Parable of the Good Samaritan. 29But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30Jesus replied, “A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho. They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half- dead. 31* A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 32Likewise a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. 33But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight. 34He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them. Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him. 35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, ‘Take care of him. If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.’ 36Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers’ victim?” 37He answered, “The one who treated him with mercy.” Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.” Martha and Mary.* 38a As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. 39* She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. 40Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” 41The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. 42* There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.”
10:38
The memorable encounter of Jesus with Martha and Mary has often been interpreted as a symbol for the active and contemplative life: Martha works to welcome Jesus, while Mary listens to him.
But there are many layers
of meaning here. Mary is taking the place of a disciple, sitting at the feet of Jesus
and listening to his teaching. Martha, in reproaching her, is perhaps reminding her that women do not belong among the disciples. But Jesus turns that view on its head. Mary has chosen wisely, he says, and her discipleship “will not be taken from her” (10:38).
x. [10:25] 18:18; Mt 19:16; Mk 10:17.
y. [10:27] Lv 19:18; Dt 6:5; 10:12; Jos 22:5; Mt 19:19; 22:37–39; Rom 13:9; Gal 5:14;
Jas 2:8.
z. [10:28] Lv 18:5; Prv 19:16; Rom 10:5; Gal 3:12.
a. [10:38–39] Jn 11:1; 12:2–3.
Painting in the church of Saint-Gervais, France. Jesus honors Mary’s interest in what he was teaching, even when this meant that Martha had to do all the work.
* [10:31–32] Priest ... Levite: those religious represen- tatives of Judaism who would have been expected to be models of “neighbor” to the victim pass him by.
* [10:38–42] The story of Martha and Mary further illustrates the importance of hearing the words of the teacher and the concern with women in Luke.
* [10:39] Sat beside the Lord at his feet: it is remarkable for rst-century Palestinian Judaism that a woman would assume the posture of a disciple at the master’s
feet (see also Lk 8:35; Acts 22:3), and it reveals a characteristic attitude of Jesus toward women in this gospel (see Lk 8:2–3).
* [10:42] There is need of only one thing: some ancient versions read, “there is need of few things”; another important, although probably inferior, reading found in some manuscripts is, “there is need of few things, or of one.”
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