Luke 10 - She chose the better portion. Mary chose to sit at Jesus' feet...the listen to his teaching...to dwell in his presence (Something which would have been very culturally inappropriate...women were not generally welcome to sit in on spiritual discussions with men). Martha chose to run around like a crazy person trying to make everything "perfect" for Jesus visit. The text doesn't get into it, but I assume that she wanted to make a great impression on the people in her house...I believe that her pride plays a large part in the choice she makes to place work before Jesus. When Martha complains to Jesus about Mary not helping, Jesus states very clearly which of the two women made the better choice about how to use her time - Mary did! How often do we get so caught up in trying to be the best...trying to be "perfect"...trying to be impressive...that we forget to sit down in the presence of Jesus?
I Corinthians 11 - It makes sense to me that if Paul's teachings about hair length and head covering do not apply as law across centuries and across cultures, then maybe his views on men and women should also change so that they remain culturally relevant. Even when he describes the husband as the "head" of the wife in this chapter, he compares it by saying that God is the "head" of Christ. We know from the words of Jesus himself that God and Jesus are one...which seems to suggest a more equal relationship between husbands and wives than has been historically practiced in the Church. Thoughts?
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