Safe Disciples
A sermon on Luke 10:38-42 for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, 2025, Preached at St Paul's, Ashgrove
If you have read or watched Handmaid’s Tale, where Biblical names and imagery are used by an evil theocratic regime to repress and control women, you will remember that the regime gave the name Martha to the women used by the regime as their tools to keep other women in line.
The author, Margaret Atwood, knows her Bible and was thinking of this passage from Luke, which is often understood to be about one woman telling another woman to get back in her box - to conform to the gender roles her society has forced on them both, and stop inserting herself into the “male” role of disciple to Rabbi Jesus.
It is true that such women exist in the church and in society in general. When I lived in Sydney the loudest opponent of women being preachers and teachers in the Anglican Church was a woman. I won’t mention her name, of course, but the irony in which she existed was extraordinary. She taught men that women shouldn’t teach men. Many of the men who were preventing women from teaching did so because of teaching they had received from this woman.
This puzzling situation occurs whenever women are repressed. When the only way women are allowed to exercise power is for them to assist men in repressing their sisters, then there will always be a small number of women who will take that option. And that applies to any repressed group. This is not just about gender. Most members of a repressed group will be ground into submission. Some will fight back. A few will join the oppressors in fighting against their own community.
This is a dynamic we can trace through history and wherever people are repressed today; but it is too simplistic a characterisation to place on Martha and Mary. For a start, Martha is not embodying a typically female role. We see her here in the roles of household leader and host. You will know from your reading of the Gospels that these are typically male roles in that society. And they are highly valued roles. In a society in which hospitality is one of the greatest virtues, acting as a host to important guests is a high-status activity. And in a household that is offering hospitality to an important guest, the household leader would have had every right to allocate tasks to all members of the household – the men and the women.
This story could just as easily be about two brothers. But imagine how differently it would have been received if that had been the case:
Jesus entered a village, where a man named John welcomed him into his home. He had a brother named Peter, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But John was overwhelmed by his many responsibilities; so he came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my brother has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell him to help me.” But the Lord answered him, “John, John, you are going to so much trouble to be a good host; but there’s only one thing that matters to me. Peter has chosen that thing, and it won’t be taken away from him.”
There would be nothing jarring about this for the first readers. It only sounds strange to us because we are so familiar with this scene being about sisters.
Because they are sisters, we often assume the tasks Martha is concerned about are the tasks our own society considers to be women’s work – cooking, cleaning, making the beds. And, yes, in any culture those are some of the tasks any good host will direct. And the host would have a right to direct the other members of the household to ensure that all is done to make the guests comfortable.
What is happening in this story is that Jesus is questioning the absolute authority of a household leader over the other members of the household. Mary is under Martha’s authority because Martha is the household leader. Martha has the authority to give directions to Mary and to expect obedience.
The complication here is that Mary has placed herself under the authority of Jesus by taking the posture of a disciple.
Which authority is primary? Who has the greater right to give direction to Mary? The answer to that question is starkly clear in Luke’s Gospel.
In Luke 14, Jesus will say, “Whoever comes to me and does not prioritise my claims on them over the claims of father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.”1
The authority of Jesus always supersedes all other authorities, including that of the family.
Mary understands this and so remains in the posture of discipleship despite Martha’s instructions.
Martha also understands this, so instead of asserting her authority over Mary, she asks Jesus to assert his authority. “Lord, tell her to help me.”
These women have both understood what discipleship means:
It means the authority of any other leader is lower than the authority of Jesus. If someone under my authority chooses to follow instructions from Jesus instead of me, I need to be willing to accept that they are making the right choice. And if I insist on them prioritising loyalty to me over loyalty to Jesus, then I am no disciple of Jesus, and unworthy of leadership in the church.
If Jusus were anything other than who he is, that sort of authority would be dangerous. But Jesus is not only the ultimate authority but is also the humble servant of all. He is the leader who gave his life for his disciples. He is the monarch who never exploits his followers but always serves them. Only in his hands is any authority safe. So, when all authority is genuinely subservient to his greater authority, then all authority will be safe.
Of course, that is not the world we live in, though, is it?
We can all think of leaders who abuse their authority and exploit the people forced to live under their power. We have seen it in nations, in workplaces, in schools and in homes, and even in churches.
And perhaps we have not only seen it but have participated in it, both as those who are exploited and also, perhaps, as those who exploit.
And I think that is where we need to bring gender back into our understanding of what is going on here. Just for a moment, forget that the man in this story is Jesus, and try to see this scene with fresh eyes.
1. A powerful man enters the home of a woman.
2. The woman’s little sister hangs on that man’s every word.
3. The woman becomes concerned about her little sister and seeks to redirect her attention back to the elder sister’s sphere of authority.
4. The man insists on keeping the little sister’s attention focussed on himself.
Isn’t this a scenario that freezes our blood? Are we not thinking about all the ways in which both those women, especially the younger one, could be unsafe?
What is it that can resolve the tension and allow our blood to thaw?
We can only relax and believe these women are safe if the man in the story responds to the sisters’ vulnerability with respectful kindness. That is, we need the man to behave like the Good Samaritan acted in the story we reflected on last week. That story is immediately before this one and leads into it.
The first story reflected on a situation in which men in that culture are more likely than women to become vulnerable – because men in that culture were more likely than women to be traveling alone. This story reflects on a situation in which women in any culture are more likely than men to be vulnerable – that is, in their own homes.
I say “more likely” because women or men could - and do – become victims of violence in both those settings.
What is it that can bring safety to both those situations of vulnerability?
It is the presence of someone who respects vulnerability, and who places their power and resources at the service of those with less power, rather than exploiting vulnerability to serve themselves.
The author of this Gospel, who made the decision to place these two stories side by side, wrote a sequel, the book of Acts, which charts the first years of the church after Jesus’ resurrection.
The two primary metaphors for the church in Acts and the rest of the New Testament are The Way (Acts 9:2, 18:25,26, 19:9, etc) and The Household (Not so explicit in Acts but clear in the teachings of Paul - Galatians 1:2, 6:10, etc).
As he tells stories of vulnerability and safety in both those settings – on the way and in the household – Luke raises questions about safety in the church. These are questions that history gives us good reason to keep asking.
As we walk in the Way of Jesus, we rely on our companions on the Way to respond to our wounds and weaknesses with compassion. Travellers on the Way can get injured. Trust can be betrayed in so many ways on that road. And honest people who are passionate about ministry are acutely vulnerable to burnout at the moment. I have seen too many colleagues leave the ministry for that reason and am painfully aware of that possibility for other friends and for myself.
How are we responding to those who are wounded along the Christian road we walk together? Are we giving them all the care they need, or are we finding it easier to look the other way?
And is the household of faith always a home where everyone is released to follow the calling of Jesus as Jesus directs them, rather than being hampered in their discipleship by the obligation to submit to lesser authorities and rules constructed by humans? Is this a home where all are safe to worship and learn?
Churches throughout Australia have made huge progress over the past few decades toward becoming safe spaces, but there is always more to do: always more Marys who need to be affirmed so they can explore what it means to be a disciple of Jesus with safety and support, even when their presence at his feet adds to everyone else’s workload.
When the Way of Christ is patrolled by compassion,
and when everyone can thrive in the household of faith,
then the one thing that is needed will be fully accomplished
And nobody will take it from anybody.
Amen
With Love from Rev Margaret
If you find these reflections helpful you probably have friends who would also enjoy them. Help us get the word out:
If you love the story of Martha and Mary, you might also like to read this reflection:
Rev Margaret is the Parish Priest at St Paul’s Ashgrove in Brisbane, Australia. Like most Anglican churches, St Paul’s struggles to make ends meet while holding on to our calling to generously reach out with the love of God. If you are in a position to contribute to our ministry, please use these bank details: Name: Ithaca-Ashgrove Anglican Parish; BSB: 704901; Acc No: 00004420. Every contribution makes a difference. Thank you!
The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Lk 14:26). (1989). Thomas Nelson Publishers. Literally, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple.” Hate, in Biblical language, is an overstatement for choosing one over another. This doesn’t work in the English language, so a literal translation leads to a misunderstanding.