Pentecost Week Sixteen - Day Two - Get On the Bus

Tuesday – Get on the Bus!
 
New Testament: Luke 10:39-40
Old Testament: Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Today is going to be a little different because this scripture begs us to dig into cultural context today. The ONLY way one can understand even a little bit about what Luke is doing here is to know a lot about historical context.

I can explain it superficially, but I want to try something else.
If you would, indulge me  so I can try this today.

Our scripture is about Mary and Martha!  Right?

But do you you know the story about Claudette and Rosa?

Our culture is selective, elevating certain stories while burying others.

My story about a 15-year-old poor black girl growing up in the south!
Not just in the south  - but in Montgomery Alabama in 1955.  Does the place and date ring a bell?

One day, she got on the bus and refused to give up her bus seat.  She got arrested.
Sound familiar?  You thinking this is about Rosa Parks? Nope – not her.

Her name was Claudette Colvin.  She got arrested and quickly became a cause for the NAACP to initiate a protest and start a bus boycott.

But wait – that was Rosa Parks.  Yep, sort of... Rosa Parks just “happened” do pull the same stunt and got arrested and then the movement got rolling.

Wait – but Claudette was first? Yup - Seems that before the NAACP could get organized and get things in motion, Claudette turned up pregnant, unwed, and, well – this complicated things. Socially inappropriate and all.

Claudette wasn't the "right" black girl to get arrested.

Leaders at the NAACP, like others in the community, feared the media would focus more on her status as a pregnant teenager than on the injustice of segregation.

They chose to bury her story, opting for the more respectable Rosa Parks, whose narrative was cleaner and easier for a broader audience to accept.

Just as we might hear Claudette's story and instinctively think, "Well, that's understandable. She wasn't the right one," the culture of the 1950s did the same. Her act of defiance was messy, not respectable, and for over fifty years, her name was buried.

This brings us to a much older story. The story of Mary at the feet of Jesus. (Luke makes this story look so easy).

Over two thousand years ago, Jesus came to the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha.
Culturally, Mary was doing an unconventional, messy thing. First-century Jewish culture, influenced by neighboring Greek and Roman cultures, relegated women to the private sphere.

Women were denied a full education and were not to speak publicly in the presence of men. Certainly not a Rabbi.

Mary dared to sit at Jesus' feet to listen and learn. This was a privilege reserved for male students.

Martha, meanwhile, was doing the respectable thing, busy with all the preparations society expected of her. But she knew her sister was pushing a cultural point.

Perhaps Martha was upset with Mary, or jealous of her, or was simply trying to be non-confrontational to others that might be present.

So, Martha complains, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?"

See what Martha did there? She moved the conversation off the cultural taboo  - and made it about what she was NOT doing that WAS socially acceptable.
Her actions are respectable, and Mary's are unconventional.

It's easy to hear Martha's thoughts, much like the NAACP leaders considering Claudette: "This isn't the way it's done.

I'm doing the hard, respectable work. Mary is a distraction. The whole thing looks messy and disorganized." This is not a good look!

This is exactly what Luke brings to us as the reader - showing us how Jesus is ushering in a new kingdom of God, turned upside down!


Reflection 
How often do we measure ourselves by the standards of what is culturally acceptable or "respectable"?

 Both Mary and Claudette show us that sometimes faithfulness means stepping into the messy, the unconventional, and even what others might reject.

Mary’s boldness to sit at Jesus’ feet defied the expectations of her time, just as Claudette’s courage on that bus defied the social norms of hers.

In both stories, we see that God values the heart behind the action, not the neatness of the circumstances. Read that sentence again…. and apply it today….

What about us? Are we willing to choose what is good, even if it's not popular or expected?
Are we willing to embrace the "messy" moments of faith, trusting that God sees and honors them?

And let’s not forget yesterday when I tried to explain why Luke switches to this story.  Keep all this stuff in mind as you ponder these three verses so far.

Prayer
Lord, Thank You for our challenge and for showing us that You honor the sincere, even when it’s messy or unconventional.
Help us to be bold like Mary, willing to sit at Your feet and listen, even when it means stepping outside cultural expectations.
Help us to be courageous like Claudette, standing up for what is right, even when it feels inconvenient or misunderstood.
Forgive us for the times we’ve prioritized respectability over obedience.
Teach us to see others with the same love and honor You give.
May we be people who value what You value and stand firm in the truth, no matter the cost.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.