A journey of the soul – Day 10

The Bible gives us few glimpses of Jesus’ domestic life as an ordinary human being. Yet, there are touching scenes of Jesus in ordinary situations close to those he loved.

We read in the beginning of the Gospel according to Mark about the time Jesus went with Simon and Andrew to visit their house, after going to synagogue. When Jesus learned that Simon’s mother was ill, he went in the house to greet her. He took her hand and healed her, after which, she got up and served them a meal.

In Luke, we find ourselves in a very human and even humorous situation, with the two sisters, Mary and Martha, interacting with Jesus in two very different ways. There was Mary, on the one hand, hanging onto every word Jesus said as they chatted, possibly about what people were saying about him or the meaning of the parable that he had just told the people. Then Martha, not able to contain herself for another minute storms in and complains to Jesus about having to do all the housework while Mary sits idly by his feet. How typically human! What does Jesus do? He is not angry or irritated. Acknowledging each one’s specific nature, it is almost as if he is saying, “Relax Martha, do what you do best while Mary has chosen to do what is best for her at this point in time.”

In Christ’s mind, homeliness and holiness were interwoven. He came to earth as a human and being human means dealing with relationships that are closest to our hearts. How wonderfully human of Jesus to see this and how godly of him to indulge in the intimacy that an ordinary family could offer him.