I heard an alternative interpretation of this two Sundays ago that made me think again about my Women's Group Experiences(tm).
It would have been VERY VERY UNUSUAL for a woman to be allowed participation in religious instruction (esp with men). So POTENTIALLY, Martha is trying to say, "Hey Jesus, I see that my sister is being socially ina…
I heard an alternative interpretation of this two Sundays ago that made me think again about my Women's Group Experiences(tm).
It would have been VERY VERY UNUSUAL for a woman to be allowed participation in religious instruction (esp with men). So POTENTIALLY, Martha is trying to say, "Hey Jesus, I see that my sister is being socially inappropriate and am giving you the opportunity to tell her to leave," and POTENTIALLY, Jesus's response is really saying, "Don't worry, she's fine, she's choosing to take part in something that's usually inaccessible and I'm not going to take that away from her."
(The Greek word for 'part,' as in 'the good part' is elsewhere translated as something akin to partaking in an inheritance.)
I heard an alternative interpretation of this two Sundays ago that made me think again about my Women's Group Experiences(tm).
It would have been VERY VERY UNUSUAL for a woman to be allowed participation in religious instruction (esp with men). So POTENTIALLY, Martha is trying to say, "Hey Jesus, I see that my sister is being socially inappropriate and am giving you the opportunity to tell her to leave," and POTENTIALLY, Jesus's response is really saying, "Don't worry, she's fine, she's choosing to take part in something that's usually inaccessible and I'm not going to take that away from her."
(The Greek word for 'part,' as in 'the good part' is elsewhere translated as something akin to partaking in an inheritance.)
OH, I like that. It makes all three of them more sympathetic.