Jonah wanted no part of the mission that God was giving him. He left town and ran the other way, even fleeing by boat. But he couldn't run from God, and neither can we. The storm sent by God threatened to sink the ship. The crew threw him overboard to save themselves, and the giant fish swallowed him. The three days he spent in the belly of the fish became the symbol of Christ's death and resurrection in the New Testament. We cannot run from who we are, nor can we run from the things we must deal with in this life. Sooner or later, it catches up with us as it did for Jonah. It is easier and more fruitful to surrender to the will of God.

The story of Martha and Mary reminds us that things of the spirit always come first. Ideally, this should be harmonised with our words and actions. But it also reminds us of something else: everyone has the right and privilege to sit at the feet of the Master and to become a disciple, regardless of gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, social class, education, or anything else. No one should ever be denied.