Ekumeenisen IVSS Churchhear -järjestön konferenssin sanajumalanpalveluksessa
Welcome to this church. The same architect-brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, who built the Helsinki Church in the rock erected it their home church. When it was finished in 1980 it needed hundreds of skilled workers and thousands of people to pay for it. It is the home of Christ here, the central location and fountain for all the work of this parish. I can’t imagine a congregation without work. There is lots of work to be done before the Christian can sit here surrounded by the silence of the broken rocks, sheltered by the cosmic blue ceiling and experiencing religious feelings that are evoked by the contrastive structures of linear and polymorphic elements, of a built site and of the feeling risen by nature. This church has been erected a building according to the standards of quality of any other profane building. But it has become a home which the Lord visits on His journey through the centuries and throughout the world. Here He is served and He himself serves his Christians by nourishing them in Holy Communion. Here His workers are working, and here He does His work.
When Jesus sent out the seventy-two, He told them: The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field (Luke 10: 1-2. – That means there is lots of work to be done. We all know that work in a congregation or parish is plentiful, working days are long and hours are seldom count. Congregational work is quality work done not for the benefit of the worker, not even for the benefit of the person in need or distress, but on behalf of the Lord. That is what He Himself points out: whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me (Mat 25: 40). That means: it concerns the done deed, the committed work.
And now, what do we hear? The person working for the benefit of the Lord Himself is rebuked. How shall we understand that? Does He now forbid what He demands?
There have always been two ways in Christianity: the way of contemplation and the so called active way. There are always two main concerns in Christianity: the concerns of Faith and its translation to Love. Faith itself and as such can only be seen by God. In the world Christian Faith can only be perceived in the form of Love. That is why Jacob says that Faith with-out Love is dead (James 2:17 faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead). And the Apostle Paul seems to submit Faith to Love in stating (1. Cor. 13): ”if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.” ”And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Does the Lord deny Martha’s efforts? Does He not need food, He and his companions?
The situation described by the Gospel is quite similar to the feelings of many families and of many working places. Someone complains about his or her big task, but not so much about the task as such, but because the coworker does less or seems to do so. Martha’s name stems from Hebrew or Aramaic and means ”ruler”, ”dominator” or ”housemother”. In our Gospel she submits her realm to the Lord: Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me! This might seem quite good on the first glance, but there might be a long struggle behind it and the resignation, that my sister won’t listen to me any longer, but she seems to listen to you. So she hides behind the broader shoulders of Jesus and borrows His authority. In doing so she shows her moral disapproval of her sister’s procedure in not complaining to herself but in telling tales about her: Look what a good disciple you have, as she is just lazy in sitting there. Don’t you care? Does that not bother you?
The Lord admits that Martha does a good and great job: Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her. The Lord cares for both of these unequal sisters. He loves them both. Love does not mean to accept and praise everything, but Love needs truth. That is the way of the Lord. In giving His Word he purifies His Christians, and in their lives through sickness and weakness He ”cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2). His Word happens. His rebuke is kind and friendly.
Just that is what we workers of our contemporary times need, as we are worried and upset about many things. We loose our efficiency and skill in the plenty of different matters we try to take care of. We loose our temper; we are upset when our vast work is in vain. Only one thing is needed. We should try to concentrate on one thing. What is important just now? What is the primary demand? You, dear Martha prepare versatile food for us, but we only need something basic for this day. Simple food gives the plenty of nourishment our bodies need. That was the case already when Israel walked in the desert for 40 years, in accordance with the commitment of the Lord. They received manna from heaven just for the day present and for the Sabbath.
Sometimes it is just lack of Faith when we try to es-tablish the basic things of our lives. A little baby in its cradle lives in God, but does not understand that. An old man just before his death looked back on his life with sorrow: Why did I bother for so many things, but did not care for the most essential matter in life: Faith? Faith relies on God the Father the Giver of everything. The Lord Jesus Christ says in His sermon of the mount (Mat. 6: 25-27): Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? We shall do our job, but we shall not worry.
The thing that will not be taken away from us is the Word. The Word forms Christianity. The Word is made visible by your work, through your hands and bodies. God gives His Word even to those who can not hear. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to guide us to the persistent thing in life: to the Word. And the Word will not lead to rebuke. The Word makes us Christians, the Word builds the church. Not through deeds and works the Christian becomes pious and righteous, but through faith, which sanctifies the deeds.
The Word is pure, and purifies the soul. Faith unites the human soul with the Word. According to our na-ture we all are like Martha. But Christ wants to guide us away from our own deeds and transform us on Mary’s place into believers who stick to the Word. Only one thing is needed: Faith and the Word. They are united, as the Word creates Faith. In Faith everyone shall do as much as he or she is able of. Faith can’t be without deeds of love as even Christ’s body can’t be without food. We all shall live and nourish our families, our children, just as we ourselves need food and shelter. In Faith we see the origin of everything in God the Father who gives it to us through the Son, and in the Holy Spirit we receive Love, which gives all good things to our neighbors and families. The Word lasts in eternity. The Word is God’s power that makes us righteous before we can do anything, as Holy Baptism shows. Love won’t free us from death and sin, but Faith and the Word guides us to the eternal Life. Amen.