Crisis of Faith/Crisis of Love

by Fr. Thomas Keating

Chapter 8

Martha and Mary

Jesus frequently manifests very different reactions to what seem like identical requests. We saw how the royal official asked if he would please come down and heal his son, and Jesus refused to budge. When the centurion approached him on behalf of his slave, he spontaneously offered to go with him. The former needed faith; the latter had faith and proved it. It is to us, then rather than to our requests, that Jesus responds.

In the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, we observe Jesus reacting in a way that reminds us of his treatment of the royal official and the centurion. Martha goes to see him and he remains outside the town. Mary does not go to see him until sent for, and he at once enters the town.

The text reads: “As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him.”21

In spite of Martha’s request, he stayed right where he was. When Mary went out at Jesus’ invitation and showed him her tears, he was deeply moved and immediately came into the town and raised Lazarus from the tomb. The crisis of faith comes into focus right at this point. The purpose of the crisis of faith is to bring us to a radical willingness to live by faith alone and to give up the support of sensible consolations.

Here is the paradox illustrated by comparing the royal official and the centurion, and then Martha and Mary: seek Jesus’ sensible presence-a consoling presence you can feel and understand-and you will not find him. Give up seeking the consolation of his sensible presence, and you will find him.

This idea is expressed by the text of Isaiah quoted in the Epistle to the Romans: “I was found by these who did not seek me. I revealed myself to those who made no inquiry about me.”22

The degree of spiritual maturity that corresponds to the passage from childhood to adolescence is the realization that Jesus is truly God and the full acceptance of that fact by seeking him by faith, without leaning on natural props and sensible consolations of one kind or another.

Martha went to see him, that is to say, she went in search of his sensible presence; but Mary stayed home. Why? Because she possessed him already by faith. When she was sent for, then she was all ready to go. Her admirable discretion is worth observing, especially in the light of what follows. She went to meet Jesus at his call. She humbled herself before doing anything else. When she showed him her tears, Jesus completely melted and gave her more than she dared to ask for.

If seeking Jesus’ sensible presence can be a hindrance, how much more so the seeking of sensible consolations as such, apart from Christ. This is the reason for the asceticism of monastic life. Spiritual writers like St. John of the Cross have observed that when people dedicate themselves to the contemplative path, they quickly enter into this crisis of faith. People who do not give themselves to prayer in a serious way, enter it less promptly or perhaps not at all. This may be because their lives are often filled with distractions that dissipate the time and energy needed to face God and themselves.

But put them in a milieu where sensible consolations are reduced, or teach them not to seek them too ardently, and gradually this crisis begins to come upon them. First of all Jesus becomes a greater reality in their lives as a human friend. Then gradually he withdraws and the reality of what living by faith means strikes home. Christ puts to them the question that he so often put to his disciples whom he was trying to lead into this same crisis: “What’s the matter with your faith?23. . .Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?"24

In the gospel he complains of lack of faith over and over again.25 Whenever he finds a spark of it, he calls attention to it with admiration and delight26--and even with a certain astonishment because it is so rare.

Seek him for his sensible presence, and he hides. Seek him by faith, that is, for himself, and you will find him. That seems to be the meaning that emerges from the comparison between Martha’s prayer and Mary’s prayer. Both used exactly the same words, but the same words obtained totally different results.

More information can be obtained by reading the book Crisis of Faith/Crisis of Love by Fr. Thomas Keating.  It is offered in our bookstore.