As I was looking at our reading today from St Paul’s letter to the Colossians, in which St Paul spoke about embracing his sufferings, leading to a strengthening of his faith and strengthening the way he is able to share his faith with others, I thought of a book that I read recently entitled: Embrace Discomfort. The author of this book, Michael Easter, spoke about how we in the modern world live in a high level of comfort compared to prior generations. Most people try to avoid pushing themselves physically, which they see as a discomfort and something to be avoided. He cited a statistic saying that only 2% of American regularly choose to go up the stairs instead of using the elevator, even though there are many benefits to our health of doing so. He interviewed people who choose physically challenging adventure such as hiking the Appalachian trail as ways we can choose discomfort and choose physical challenges that will bring a lot of benefits to our lives. I think that is why I am so drawn to hiking the Camino, of the physical and spiritual challenge it brings me, of how it nurtures me and stretches me in a good way.
St Paul states that he receives joy in his sufferings for the sake of the faith, that we share in the sufferings that Christ endured in our own trials and tribulations. St Paul sees his suffering not just personal hardship, but rather a participation in the ongoing work of Christ in the Church, a contribution to the spiritual well-being of the members of the Church. Our sufferings can also strengthen us and help us grow in the faith, allowing us to grow and flourish in our ministry and our contributions to the Church.
Another theme that spoke to me in today’s readings is hospitality, of Martha wanting to serve Jesus and welcome him and offer him hospitality, of Abraham offering hospitality to three strangers. Abraham lives as a nomad, constantly on the move with his flock. Abraham offers respect and hospitality to these three strangers, putting them under a shade tree, bringing them water to wash their feet, and having his wife prepare them a special meal. In response to this act of kindness, one of the strangers tells Abraham that Sarah will bear him a son.
It is significant for us to know that the Gospel story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha comes right after the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke’s Gospel, which we heard last Sunday. The story of the Good Samaritan and the story of Jesus visiting Mary and Martha complement each other. In the Good Samaritan, a real neighbor is one who shows compassion for a brother or sister in need. The Samaritan, the person seen as the enemy, is the one who acts as a neighbor, while the two religious people do nothing for one of their own.
Elsewhere in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus states that even though foxes have their dens and the birds have their nests, he as the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Just as Abraham was a nomad, Jesus was always on the move, going from place to place preaching the Good News of God’s kingdom and being of service to others. The house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus seems to have been a place where Jesus could go to when things got too difficult for him in nearby Jerusalem, a place where he could receive a welcome and hospitality. Beyond having a theme of providing hospitality to others, the story of Martha and Mary helps us think about where we place our priorities, of what importance we place on the values of our faith.
To me, our readings today show us the complexities of our life of faith. We have our sufferings, trials, and tribulations we deal with in our own lives. But, in the midst of that, how are we engaging in our lives of faith? How are we of service to others and how are we ambassadors of hospitality? As always, Scripture gives us a lot to ponder and reflect upon.
