A sermon on Mary and Martha - Luke 10:38-42

Intro:.
A...Today's.woman.has.no.easy.task..
......1...She.has.appliances.and.conveniences.within.her.home.to.make.the.household.chores.easier....
...........a..."Stuff".has.changed....
...........b...There.were.no.microwave.ovens,.ice-maker.refrigerators,.cell.phones,.and.many.of.the.other.modern..
................technologies.found.in.today's.home..
......2...Yet.in.spite.of.all.these.changes.that.supposedly.add.to.the.convenience.of.the.home,.women.today.are.busier.
...........than.ever..
...........a...Expectations.have.changed.(just.as.their.kitchens.have.changed)....
...........b...Today.she.is.not.only.expected.to.cook.the.bacon,.she.has.to.help.bring.it.home.as.well...(Even.though.she.may.
................work.40.hours.on.the.job,.she.is.still.expected.to.be.the.main.housekeeper—to.keep.the.house,.cook.the.
................meals,.wash.the.clothes,.and.take.care.of.the.children)..
B...Luke.10:38-42.
......1...I.realize.that.this.passage.is.not.about.mothers...(As.far.as.I.know,.the.Scriptures.never.mention.either.Martha.or.
...........Mary.as.being.mothers...Tradition.says.Martha.was.the.older.sister.who.was.widowed.and.who.took.her.brother.
...........and.sister.under.her.care)..
......2...What.we.do.know.about.them.was.that.they.lived.in.Bethany,.just.outside.Jerusalem—and.that.these.two.
...........sisters.faced.important.decisions—as.do.Christian.women.and.mothers.today..
C...Even.though.they.were.sisters,.they.were.very.different..
......1...I.would.suggest.that.our.text.applies.to.mothers,.women,.as.well.as.to.men..
......2...See.where.you."fit.in".today....
.
I...There.was.a.difference.in.FOCUS.
.
....A...Webster.defines.focus.as.the.point.where.reflected.rays.come.together—the.center...(What.was.it.that.these.two.
..........sisters.were.concerned.about;.what.was.the.focus.of.their.lives)?.
.
..........1...Martha.was.concerned.about.serving..
...............a...It's.safe.to.assume.that.she.was.excited.that.Jesus.was.coming.to.her.house....
...............b...It.was.customary.to.prepare.a.meal.for.any.guest.and.she.wanted.to.do.it.well...Ex:..
..........2...Martha's.service.was.not.a.bad.thing;.the.problem.was.much.serving....
...............a...The.Greek.word.here.for.serving.is.diakonia;.the.English.word."deacon".comes.from.this.word..
...............b...Serving.is.not.a.bad.thing,.but.Martha.had.allowed.it.to.become.the.focus.of.her.attention..
.
....B...Now.think.what.a.tragedy.it.is,.to.have.the.Lord.of.the.universe.in.your.house—and.you.are.too.busy.to.hear.
.........what.He.has.to.say....
.
.........1...May.I.make.a.hard.statement?..(Did.you.know.that.we.have.people.sitting.in.the.assembly.each.Lord's.Day,.
..............in.the.presence.of.the.same.Lord,.and.their.thoughts.are.10,000.miles.away?..They.are.too.busy.to.hear.was.
..............Jesus.is.telling.them.through.a.sermon)..
..............a...There.are.mothers.and.fathers.who.labor.hard.on.the.job,.working.to.build.a.future.for.themselves.and.
....................their.children,.but.they.give.very.little.time.or.attention.to.their.own.spiritual.needs.or.those.of.their.family..
..............b...Do.not.put.all.of.your.energy.into.that.which.is.only.temporary!.."Do.not.labor.for.the.food.which.perishes,.
....................but.for.the.food.which.endures.to.everlasting.life,.which.the.Son.of.Man.will.give.you,.because.God.the.
....................Father.has.set.His.seal.on.Him."..Jn..6:27.
.
..........2...Now.notice.Mary—she.was.sitting.at.the.Lord's.feet,.listening.to.His.word...(Mother,.Father—are.you.hearing.
...............His.word.today?..Are.you.taking.the.time.each.day.to.listen.to.Him?..Are.you.listening.to.him;.are.you.focused.
...............upon.Him?..(Mary.was.focused.on.Jesus.and.His.word.and.she.chose.the.better.part)..
.
II...There.was.a.difference.in.FELLOWSHIP.
.
......A...Pay.closer.attention.to.Mary—she.was.literally.sitting.right.in.front.of.the.feet.of.Jesus..
.
............1...She.wanted.to.get.as.close.to.Him.as.she.possibly.could;.she.didn't.want.to.miss.a.word.of.what.He.was.
.................saying....
.................a...Mary.knew.that.to.really.hear.Jesus,.she.had.to.shut.everything.else.out.and.focus.on.being.close.to.Him..
.................b...Ex:..Men,.have.you.ever.been.distracted.and.missed.a."bite".when.you.were.fishing?..Wives,.have.you.ever.
.......................been.talking.to.your.husband.and.he.kept.looking.past.you.to.see.something.on.TV?...
............2...We.are.not.told.that.Martha.was.in.a.specific.location;.we.are.just.told.that.she.was.cumbered.about.with.
.................much.serving..
.................a...One.version.uses.the.word."cumbered";.the.RSV.translates.it.as,."But.Martha.was.distracted.by.her.many.
.......................tasks…"..(Martha.was.drawn.away)..
.................b...Martha.was.allowing.her.tasks.to.draw.her.away.from.Christ....
.
......B...Hard.question:..How.many.times.have.we.welcomed.Christ.into.our.homes.and.lives.and.then.allow.other.things.
............to.consume.us.and.draw.our.attention.away.from.Him?.."Now.he.who.received.seed.among.the.thorns.is.he..
............hears.the.word,.and.the.cares.of.this.world.and.the.deceitfulness.of.riches.choke.the.word,.and.he.becomes.
............unfruitful."..Mt..13:22.
.
............1...When.we.become.overwhelmed.with.work.or.any.activity,.we.lose.fellowship.with.Jesus!..
.................a..."Therefore.we.must.give.the.more.earnest.heed.to.the.things.we.have.heard,.lest.we.drift.away."..Heb..2:1.
.................b...Ex:..I.read.about.two.pilots.who.were.30.minutes.late.in.landing.their.plane...When.the.stewardess.stepped..
.......................into.the.cockpit,.she.found.each.of.them.busily.playing.away.on.their.laptops...(They.had.lost.track.of.time.
.......................due.to.the.distraction.of.their.personal.computers)..............
............2...Ex:..I.read.a.story.of.a.man.who.had.just.bought.an.expensive.boat.and.kept.it.in.the.harbor.on.the.coast.of.
.................Florida...A.hurricane.warning.went.into.effect,.the.storm.was.brewing.just.off.of.the.coast.and.was.about.to.
.................hit.land...The.boat.owner.didn't.know.what.to.do;.he.had.made.a.huge.investment.in.this.boat.and.he.didn't.
.................want.to.lose.it...A.friend.advised.him,."Don't.attempt.to.tie.your.boat.to.the.dock.or.anything.on.land...It.will.
.................be.torn.to.pieces...Your.only.hope.is.to.anchor.deep...Take.four.anchors,.and.drop.them.deep,.and.let.the.
.................boat.ride.out.the.storm.".
.................a...Brethren,.if.you.don't.want.to.drift.away,.if.you.want.your.life.to.mean.something,.if.you.want.to.leave.
.......................your.children.an.example.of.what.it.means.to.be.a.Christian.and.go.to.heaven,.then.you.must.anchor.deep.
.......................in.your.fellowship.with.the.Lord.and.not.drift.away!.
.................b...Remember.again,.that.Mary.had.chosen.the.better.part..
.
III...There.was.a.difference.in.FEELINGS.
.
........A...Notice.what.Jesus.said.about.Martha:..You.are."anxious.and.troubled".(RSV),."worried.and.distracted".(NRSV),.
.............."worried.and.upset".(NIV)..
.
..............1...Song:.."What.a.friend.we.have.in.Jesus,.all.our.sins.and.griefs.to.bear...What.a.privilege.to.carry,.everything.to.
...................God.in.prayer...O.what.peace.we.often.forfeit,.O.what.needless.pain.we.bear,.all.because.we.do.not.carry.
..................everything.to.God.in.prayer.".
.............2...Martha.had.the.One.Who.could.speak.peace.to.the.storm,.the.Prince.of.peace,.right.in.her.home,.and.yet.she.
..................was.far.from.peaceful!.
.
........B...It.is.a.scary.world.we.live.in...(We.send.our.children.to.school.every.day.and.wonder.if.we.will.ever.see.them.
.............again...School.shootings,.bomb.threats,.kidnappings,.drugs,.alcohol,.etc..can.all.be.found.in.our.schools...If.you.
.............don't.want.to.go.crazy,.you.better.have.the.Prince.of.Peace.as.the.center.of.your.life)!.
.
.............1...Note.Mary..
..................a...The.Bible.doesn't.say.what.she.was.feeling;.it.just.tells.us.that.she.was.sitting.at.the.feet.of.the.Master..
..................b...She.focused.upon.Him.and.His.words,.but.I.know.she.was.feeling.peace..."You.will.keep.him.in.perfect.
........................peace,.whose.mind.is.stayed.on.You,.because.he.trusts.in.You."..Isa..26:3.
............2...Note.what.Jesus.said.to.Martha..
.................a..."One.thing.is.needed.".
.................b...Our.days.are.filled.with.activities.and.busy.schedules,.but.Jesus.said.one.this.is.needed/necessary...(Martha.
.......................was.busy,.but.what.would.it.had.mattered,.in.the.big.picture.of.eternity,.if.supper.had.been.a.few.minutes.
.......................late)?...
..........................A.woman.can.have.an.immaculate.house,.but.her.heart.can.be.empty.of.Christ..
..........................A.man.can.move.up.the.corporate.ladder.of.success,.but.then.miss.out.on.eternity..
.
Concl:.
A...Review:.
......1...There.was.a.difference.in.focus,.in.fellowship,.and.in.feelings..
......2...Mary.chose.the.better.part..
B...What.will.you.chose.today?.

 

--Mike Benson