Augustine, Sermo 104 (Classis I, de Scripturis)

SERMON CIV. Again on that passage of the Gospel of Luke, where [it speaks] of Martha and Mary. Chapter X, verses 38–42.

CHAPTER I. — 1. The duties of Martha and Mary are compared. When the holy Gospel was read, we heard that the Lord was received as a guest by a devout woman, and she was called Martha. And while she herself was busy with the task of serving, her sister Mary was sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to His word. The one was labouring, the other was at leisure: the one was giving out, the other was being filled. Yet Martha, labouring much in that busyness and business of serving, appealed to the Lord and complained about her sister, that she did not help her as she laboured. But the Lord answered Martha on Mary's behalf; and He who had been appealed to as judge became her advocate. "Martha," He says, "you are busy about many things, when one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her." For we have heard both the appeal of the appellant and the sentence of the judge. That sentence answered the appellant and defended the one who had been received. For Mary was intent on the sweetness of the Lord's word. Martha was intent on how she might feed the Lord; Mary was intent on how she might be fed by the Lord. By Martha a banquet was being prepared for the Lord, in whose banquet Mary was already delighting. So while Mary was sweetly hearing that sweetest word and was being fed with a most intent heart, when the Lord was appealed to by her sister, how do we suppose she feared that the Lord might say to her, "Get up, and help your sister"? For she was held by a wonderful sweetness, which is surely greater for the mind than for the belly. She was excused; she sat on more securely. But how was she excused? Let us attend, let us look into it, let us search out what we can, so that we too may be fed.

2. Martha's service was not rebuked by Christ. What then? Do we suppose that the service of Martha was rebuked, whom the care of hospitality had kept busy, who had received the Lord Himself as a guest? How could she rightly be rebuked who was rejoicing in so great a guest? If this is true, let people give up what they minister to the needy; let them choose for themselves the better part, which shall not be taken away from them; let them be at leisure for the word, let them gape after the sweetness of doctrine; let them be busy about saving knowledge; let it be no concern of theirs who is a stranger in the village, who lacks bread, who clothing, who is to be visited, who ransomed, who buried: let works of mercy be at rest, let knowledge alone be pursued. If it is the better part, why do not all

do this, when we have the Lord Himself as patron in this case? For we are not afraid in this matter of offending His justice, since we hold His sentence as our patroness.

CHAPTER II. — 3. Mary's better part. And yet it is not so; but as the Lord said, so it is. It is not as you understand it; but it is as you ought to understand it. See, pay attention: "You are busy about many things, when one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the better part." Not you a bad one, but she a better one. But why better? Because you are about many things, she about one. One is set before many. For the one does not come from the many, but the many from the One. Many are the things that were made; One is He who made them. Heaven, earth, sea, and all things that are in them, how many they are! Who could count them? Who could conceive their multitude? Who made these things? God made all. Behold, they are very good (Gen. 1:31). Very good are the things He made: how much better is He who made them? Let us consider, then, our busy occupations about many things. Service is necessary for those who are to refresh bodies. Why this? Because people hunger, because people thirst. Mercy is necessary for the wretched. You break bread for the hungry, because you have found someone hungry: take away hunger, and for whom do you break bread? Take away being a stranger, and to whom do you show hospitality? Take away nakedness, and for whom do you prepare clothing? Let there be no sickness, and whom do you visit? Let there be no captivity, and whom do you ransom? Let there be no quarrel, and whom do you reconcile? Let there be no death, and whom do you bury? In that age to come these evils will not exist: therefore neither will these services. Rightly then did Martha, for the Lord's bodily — what shall I say, need or will? — minister to mortal flesh. But who was in the mortal flesh? "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God": see what Mary was hearing. "The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us" (John 1:1–14): see whom Martha was serving. Therefore "Mary has chosen the better part, which shall not be taken away from her." For she chose that which will always remain: "it shall not be taken away from her." She wished to be busy about one thing. Already she was holding to: "But for me to cleave to God is good" (Ps. 72:28). She was sitting at the feet of our Head. The more humbly she sat, the more abundantly she took in. For water flows together into the lowliness of the valley, and runs off the swellings of the hill. So the Lord did not rebuke the work, but distinguished the office. "You are busy about many things: but one thing is necessary." Mary has already chosen this for herself. The labour of multiplicity passes away, and the charity of unity remains. Therefore what she chose "shall not be taken away from her." But from you what you have chosen — this certainly follows, this is certainly understood — from you what you have chosen shall be taken away. But it shall be taken away for your good, so that what is better may be given. For labour shall be taken away from you, so that rest may be given. You are sailing; she is already in port.

CHAPTER III. — 4. Two lives figured in Martha and Mary. You see, then, dearly beloved, and, as far as I judge, you already understand, that in these two women, who had both been pleasing to the Lord, both lovable, both disciples — you see then, and you understand something great, whoever of you understand it, which you ought to hear and know, even you who do not understand — that in these two women two lives are figured, the present and the future, the laborious and the restful, the troubled and the blessed, the temporal and the eternal. There are two lives: about them you

think more fully. What this life holds — I do not mean the evil life, not the wicked, not the criminal, not the dissolute, not the impious, but the laborious life, full of troubles, chastened by fears, made anxious by temptations: this very innocent life I mean, such as it befitted Martha to have — look into this, then, as far as you can; and about it, as I said, think more fully than we speak. But the wicked life was absent from that house; it was neither with Martha nor with Mary: and if it was ever there, it fled when the Lord entered. There remained, then, in that house which had received the Lord, in the two women two lives, both innocent, both praiseworthy: one laborious, the other at leisure; neither criminal, neither slothful. Both innocent, both, I say, praiseworthy; but one laborious, the other at leisure: neither criminal, which the laborious life must beware of; neither slothful, which the life of leisure must beware of. There were, then, in that house these two lives, and the very Fount of life Himself. In Martha was the image of things present, in Mary of things to come. What Martha was doing, there we are; what Mary was doing, that we hope for. Let us do this well, so that we may have that fully. For what do we have of it here? How far do we have it? As long as we are here, how much is it that we have of it? For even now we are doing something of it: withdrawn from business, with household cares set aside, you have come together, you stand, you listen. In so far as you are doing this, you are like Mary. And you do more easily what Mary does than I who dispense. Yet if I say anything, it is Christ's: it feeds you for this reason, that it is Christ's. For the bread is common, by which I too live with you. "But now we live, if you, brethren, stand in the Lord" (1 Thess. 3:8). I would not have you stand in us, but in the Lord. "For neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters; but God who gives the increase" (1 Cor. 3:7).