Brief synopsis of the readings: We begin in Exodus with the Lord appearing to Abraham at the Oak of Mamre. Abraham looked up and saw three men standing near his tent in the hottest part of the day. Abraham then welcomed them and offered them water, rest and food and they agreed. They ate and drank as Abraham stood nearby. When they were done they asked about Sarah and Abraham said she was in their tent. One of the men replied: “I shall visit you again next year without fail and your wife will then have a son. In Luke’s Gospel we see Jesus coming into a village and staying with Martha and her sister Mary. While Martha served, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and listened to him. Feeling taken advantage of, Martha asked Jesus to tell Mary to help with the serving. But Jesus replied: “Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about so many things and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.”

As I child I was always led to believe that after the meal was over Mary remained with Jesus while Martha got stuck doing the dishes. This may say more about our culture: after the meal is over the men repair to the smoking room for brandy and cigars while the women get stuck cleaning up.

And while there is no reference to the dishes we can certainly see what appears to be an unfair division of labor and Jesus’ puzzling answer at the end. This reading has become so common that we’ve referred to it as “contemplation (Mary) and action (Martha).” Volumes have been written about how both are important and this interpretation implies Martha should put down her serving tray, sit at Jesus’ feet, and later they could both do the cleanup.

But in the last several years I’ve been listening to people like Fr. Richard Rohr OFM who suggest this Gospel is really about sexism. In addition to being stuck with all the serving, Martha was also angry that Mary “didn’t know her place.” In this interpretation Martha believed that hearing Jesus’ message was “men’s work” and women just weren’t supposed to do that. Given that Jesus’ teachings about and to women showed a rare vision for his place and time, there’s merit to this.

I want to give this interpretation its due but I also think we can “look bigger” on these readings. I suggest this may point us to the awe wonder of belief in Jesus and God.

Several years ago I endured yet another ice breaker at an all day workshop. We were asked to identify the three people from history that we would like to have dinner with. Most of us gave the usual answers: Leonardo Da Vinci, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Albert Einstein, etc. But one person put Jesus Christ on his list and that puzzled me. Jesus was God, not someone to have dinner with. But in the years since as I’ve thought about this I’ve recognized that having dinner with Jesus would be fascinating. If I understood only a small percentage of what he was saying (as his disciples normally did) it would be wonderful.

And yet, given that opportunity, Martha was content to continue to serve. Not to be overly critical but we all know Martha’s. They play it safe, they enthusiastically follow the rules without question, they see obedience as the highest virtue. And they’ve covered up any sense of wonder and joy that was right in front of them. Perhaps that’s us sometimes.

When I used to perform baptisms I thoroughly enjoyed it. What’s not to love? Most of the time I baptized an infant who was a few months old, old enough to have adorable facial expressions and eyes that drank up the whole experience. But on a few occasions I dealt with parents and/or godparents who did nothing but worry and obsess. Is the water too cold? Will our baby suddenly start crying and ruin everything? Will Uncle George, who’s climbing the statue of St. Peter, get the baptism on his phone? Meanwhile, a new person is being welcomed into the community of faith and the whole world looks brighter.

And yes, this would happen at weddings also. Can the best man get the groom sober enough to make it to the church? Were these really the flowers I ordered? Meanwhile we are celebrating the decision by two people to bind themselves to God and each other and create a while new family.

In this context let’s look at the first reading. As we may remember, Abraham and Sarah left their homeland to travel to a new land where God promised them more descendants than there are stars in the sky. But they found themselves barren. Did God break his promise? Was God too week to provide what he promised? Did Abraham and Sarah unknowingly offend God?

Now enter the three men. This scene took place in “the wilderness,” a place that was often hostile to human life. According the custom Abraham was required to provide hospitality to ensure their survival. But Abraham appears to go beyond his duty. He not only ensured their safety, he lavished them with more. He promised “a little food” that they may refresh themselves but then selected a tender, choice steer and served it.

The first reading begins with “The Lord appeared to Abraham.” But there’s no swirling cloud, no booming voice. Only three men. Something must have told Abraham that he was being visited by the Lord in the person of these three men. He must have touched on the awe and wonder and that’s what caused him to do what he did

Are there times when we miss wonder? Probably. We find several places in Scripture where angels appear to us beyond our intentions and control I write this not to make anyone feel guilty but to encourage us to look around us with new eyes. If your household begins to fill with dirty dishes please don’t blame me.

But it’s never a bad idea to sit at the feet of Jesus, wherever we find him.