Martha and Mary: Archetypes of Integral Discipleship

The gospel of Luke provides a unique model of discipleship. The story of Martha and Mary in Luke 10:38-42 presents the following of Christ that touches the core of every human response to the divine call for an integrated discipleship. However, any actualization, that is, the application of the text at the present time, has to begin from the proper interpretation of the scriptural text. Although the feminist criticism offers a new perspective of the story of Martha and Mary, this paper proposes a wholistic interpretation of the story of Martha and that of Mary. Martha exemplifies the unpremeditated charity to serve others while Mary exemplifies the role of adhering to the word of God. But discipleship is neither an identification with Martha\u27s role nor an identification with Mary\u27s role. Rather, every disciple has to embody within oneself the person of Martha and Mary