Martha - Her Life And Times

Martha - Her Life And Times

WOMEN’S WORK

The work expected of a woman in Bible times was much more clearly defined than it is in our culture. There were things the women did and things the men did; things the female children did and things the male children did.

Martha was just doing what she thought was expected of her. She had been raised to take care of her guests, to care for the people in her household. Mary was the one who stepped outside of the cultural expectations of her time, sitting at the feet of Jesus with the men rather than working with Martha in the kitchen. When Martha complained, Jesus responded with characteristic boldness, ignoring the dictates of his time and urging Martha to stop and consider the choice Mary had made.

Women of that time kept busy from morning to evening with a daunting array of household tasks:

• Grinding grain for bread, then mixing, kneading, and baking the bread for the day

• Purchasing meat at a market or preparing an animal from the household’s flock for meat to eat, then cooking that meat

• Carding, spinning, and weaving threads of various kinds to make cloth for clothing, bedding, and other household uses

• Sewing clothing for household members

• Drawing the water for each day's requirements

• Cleaning the house

• Washing the utensils and dishes used in meal preparation and eating

• Washing the family's clothing

• Teaching, disciplining, and loving the children in the household

The list could go on and on, and it is not so different from the lists many women today could make of their responsibilities as wives and mothers. The tasks may be overwhelming. They may seem tedious and exhausting. But they are never unimportant.

Jesus’ words to Martha should not be construed to mean that “women’s work” should be ignored and left undone. That would be unrealistic. However, such work should never take the place of daily and intimate contact with the members of our families and the Lord of our lives.