The One Thing Needed (6)
Many expositions of our passage fail to note its redemptive-historical context. On the other hand, it would be wrong to think that the grand purpose of this passage forbids us to derive from it some narrower lessons. In fact, it is these specific and practical implications that teach us how to daily operate as Christ's disciples in this world, and thus fulfill the broader concern of this passage. A correct approach, therefore, would keep both aspects in mind.
Christ calls his elect to become his disciples, and this means the same thing in our day as it did in Mary's day – we are to hear and obey the teachings of Christ, and to build our lives on his word. To become a disciple means that we are to give our Master and Teacher the priority in our lives. For us to become attentive to Christ's teachings implies that we cannot be equally attentive to other things at the same time. In other words, if our agendas and activities remain exactly the same as before, then there is no sign that we are his disciples at all.
Then, being his disciples will often require us to defy the expectations of others and the roles that they assign to us. Indeed, our passage uses a female disciple to make a point, and in doing so, it makes a point about female discipleship. Whatever roles society and even Scripture assign to women, our passage forever declares that women's first right and duty is to be disciples of Christ – that is, learners after Christ.
Some people may think that this is no longer an issue, at least in their parts of the world, but in many churches even today, while discipleship means "hear and do" for the men, it means just "do" for the women. Sometimes, this is not a policy that has been deliberately adopted, but simply assumed. But at other times, it is a philosophy that has been consciously adopted because of unrenewed thinking or a faulty theology.
(to be continued)
August 17 2005 | Expositions, Spirituality