Sunday 20th July 2025

This Sunday, Revd. Suzanne Knight will be preaching on that quietly revolutionary tale in Luke 10:38–42—the visit of Jesus to the home of Mary and Martha.

Now, many a sermon has cast Martha as the flustered workaholic and Mary as the serene spiritual genius. But I wonder if that’s a little unfair on Martha, who after all welcomed Jesus in the first place. Without her, there’d be no sermon, no supper, no scene at all.

What if this passage isn’t about choosing between action and contemplation—but about learning how to bring both under Christ’s gaze? Jesus doesn’t scold Martha’s activity so much as her anxiety. “You are worried and distracted by many things,” He says, which is rather like saying, “You’re trying to do everything for me, but forgetting to be with me.”

It’s a timely word for all of us who serve—whether that’s in church rotas, family kitchens, or committee meetings. Before we do, we are called to dwell. So come this Sunday. Sit awhile, sing, pray and let Christ remind you that you are more than what you do—you are someone He loves.

Yours in Christ, Mark

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