This is a good thing I guess. Our world is filled with a lot of extra words that needn t be said. Sometimes what with televisions and radios and shopping malls the noise we encounter is deafening. No one sits in silence anymore, enjoying the sound of peace and quiet. Two people can t sit together without someone feeling pressured to fill in the void.
Extra words tend to clutter things up.
Our Gospel reading today isn t noted for its wordiness. Jesus is up north of Jerusalem where John the Baptist had been doing his thing. Messengers arrive from Mary and Martha, two of Jesus friends in Bethany, a town just outside of Jerusalem. One you love is sick. A couple of days later he makes his way back to Bethany, and as he approaches, Martha comes out to greet him.