Breaking the Word

As they continued their journey he entered a village where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary (who) sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me." The Lord said to her in reply, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her." (Lk 10:38-42)

 

 

Martha welcomed Jesus. She was also busy serving him. In the eastern countries women are busy at home preparing the food, washing the dishes, cleaning the house, washing cloths etc. Home was the domain of the woman of the house. Woman spends all her time energy in the house. Men sit at home and rest. Men work outside the house.

 

Mary sat at the foot of Jesus and listened to Jesus. Mary played the role of a man. She was resting and listening and talking with Jesus. She was crossing her boundaries and entering into the fields of men and playing the role of men. To sit at the feet of someone means to be a student (Saul of Tarsus sat at the feet of Gamaliel Acts 22:3)

 

Jesus affirms the right to be student. Mary stands as a model for all those women who hear the words of Jesus regarding the kingdom so that may later on speak about the kingdom to others. Jesus is asking the women to break the boundaries so that they may become disciples and later preachers of the kingdom. Discipleship and preaching of the kingdom is open to all: men and women.

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away. Thus it will be at the end of the age. The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth. "Do you understand all these things?" They answered, "Yes." And he replied, "Then every scribe who has been instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old." When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there. (Mt 13:47-53)

 

 

The kingdom is like a net thrown in the sea. It is not like a net on the shore. Net has a purpose and the net should be doing what it is supposed to do. Net is supposed to gather. It is to gather all types of fish available in the sea. It is not specifically for a particular type of fish. It is supposed to gather, and gather all types of fish and whatever it finds in the sea. The net is dragged only when it is full. There is need for time lapse.

 

Fishermen sit around the net and separate the good fish from bad ones.  Separation is another major work in fishing. All what is collected is not taken. Good fish are collected for use and the bad ones are thrown away. Only the fishermen will know what is useful and what is not.

 

The kingdom which Jesus has come to proclaim is a movement that gathers all types of people. Kingdom does not present a criteria list beforehand to invite people. Kingdom takes in people of every religion, race, caste, social status. In the kingdom all live together until the last day. Until the day when the angels come to separate. Judgement is done on the last day. There is no judgement passed while in the kingdom.