Folia Theologica 6. (1995)
János Székely: Mary and Martha how to receive the divine guest?
MARY AND MARTHA 165 Summing up, it appears that Lk 10,38-42 and 19,1-10 (together with 9,52-56) are the frame of the lukan travel account. Lk 9,51-10,42 is its first great unity (11,1 is a situation-changing introduction). Lk 10,38-42 stands at the end-position of this first part, 9,52-10,37 then can be considered as a long introduction to it. To corroborate this thesis, I wish to show how much Lk 9,52-10,37 is preparing our pericope. The correspondences in 9,52-57 have been already mentioned. The motives of the wandering (9,51ss. 56s.) the entering (9,52; 10,1.5.8.10) a village (9,52.56) or a house (10,5.7) and of the receiving (9,53; 10,8.10) continue through the whole section. The presentation of the real discipleship consisting in the comunion of way with the Rejected One in Lk 9,57-62 prepares the figure of Mary, an exemplary disciple at the feet of the Lord. The mission of the 70/72 in 10,1-24 is depicted with the help of the sharp contrast of the cities which refuse them (10,10-16), in a similar way as the behavior of Mary will be presented with the help of a sharp contrasting picture of Martha’s worrying. The message proclaimed by the 70/72 is given great depth by qualifying it as a message about the victory over Satan’s reign (10,17-20), as a revelation of the Son (10,21-24), and as a doctrine about practical love (10,25- 37). Therefore it is essential to ’hear this word’ (10,16 bis 24.ter 21. 22) likewise Mary who will hear the words of the ’Lord’ (10.1.17). This word is not just an abstract doctrine but a teaching how to travel on the way of love (’Go, and do the same’ 10,37). This is the ’way’17 18 19 that the 70/72 messengers are preparing for the 70/72 nations of the Mediterranean.20 And it is a ’way of salvation’ (Acts 16,17) to the disciples whose names are written in heaven (10,20), for the lawyer who wants to inherit 17 The correspondence here depends on the solution of the text critical problem mentioned above, note 2. 18 In the sense of G. Sellin. 19 As it is well known, the 'way' is a preferred lukan expression for Christianity in Acts (9,2; 16,17 etc.). 20 This simbolism of the 70/72 nations is alluded in Lukes pentecost story too. In fact the jews celebrate in pentecost the gift of the torah and the covenant at Sinai. According to their traditions God has spoken from the fire and written on the tablets of stone with fire, than 70 thogues of fire have gone from Sinai to the 70 nations of the earth to proclaim in each language the ten words, but non of the nations accepted it, so the thongues of fire returned in heaven. Luke in Acts 2 obviously depicts a new pentecost, when the nations of the earth understand and accept the message of the thongues of fire, and enter in the new covenant.
