I want to remind everyone here who has the certainty of a relationship with Christ, the assurance of salvation, that there's no question in your mind that you believe that Jesus is the way the truth in the life, and you've believed in Him as the way that you've like. I want you to hear this. You are going to meet Him. That's an appropriate response. Some sooner than others. But all of us who profess faith in Christ are going to see Him. It's not just something we like in a song, are here in a book called the Bible. It is really true because it says it's true. You're going to see Him. You're going to be in His presence, and it will last forever. I want you to think about that. All morning, all day, and from now until you do, He will be seen by all who believe. Gospel of Luke, chapter 11. This morning we are looking at a passage which is very familiar, and some of you may even begin to think, what more really can I learn about Martha and Mary and their encounter with Jesus? Well, I'll tell you there is much to learn because learning doesn't really happen until obedience is present. And if you think you know all about Martha and Mary and the two dispositions of these two women, and yet you really consistently seem to be more like Mary, than Martha and Mary, I'm not sure you really do know this passage all that. Well, so brothers and sisters, Luke 10, beginning in verse 38. Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who said at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching, but Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me. The Lord answered her. Martha, Martha. You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her. This is the word of the Lord. Father, without the work of your Holy Spirit, we will just continue to repeat what we seemingly know about this passage but will not move to the depths of what it really is about. So would you show us? And then Christ, to the power of the Holy Spirit, would you enable us to be different, especially in a climate in a world that's moving so fast and is so loud, help us, Christ, help us to change and to choose the better thing, the one necessary thing. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen. This morning what I want to do is I want to compare and contrast these two women and then I want to look deeply at what Jesus says to Martha. But before we do that, I want to make some introductory observations that I think are important for us to see about this text because in many ways, we say things about this text that this text is not about. So I'm going to make a few observations before I get into the comparing contrast. And here's what they are, number one. This passage is not just for women. So men, if you have checked out thinking, well, this is a day which we've highlighted the women's ministry and now we're reading a story about Mary and Martha again, I guess it's not for me. Well, let me remind you, there is a man in this story. His name is Jesus. He is the man. And so this passage is for all of us. Secondly, this passage is not saying that cooking and cleaning and hospitality are not important. Jesus cared about people eating. That's why he fed 4,000 plus and then 5,000 plus. Jesus cares about food. He actually is physical. He himself eats. So this passage is not saying that cooking and cleaning and great hospitality are not important. They are important. This passage is also not about a responsible sister versus an irresponsible sister who's lazy. This is not what this passage is about. Jesus does not honor laziness. He doesn't review Mary for being lazy. This passage is also not about how men misunderstand how women feel about their house when entertaining others. Though we do, we do. We don't get it. Really, we don't. That's not what this passage is about. Talking about this passage with my wife, she said to me, you just don't understand. I said, I don't have to. Jesus is the one who's speaking here, not Mark. Jesus is a man. He's the man. He made you. He fully understands you. She kind of shook her head. Knowing that there was truth in what I said. And then I said to her, you know, Christina, it would be like a man saying, you know, you just don't understand. I struggle with lust. And so I really can't take serious what Jesus said about lust because it's not possible for me to not lust. Very important for us to understand. Here's why I hear so many people, so often making permanent associations with Martha. Don't do that. Don't make a permanent association with Martha. In other words, don't say, I'm Martha. I'm a Martha. There's a lot of Martha's in this body. Don't make that permanent association. And be careful not to make the permanent association with Mary. I'm a Mary. I really do get it. In fact, let's pray right now. You see, Mary is fully human. And I promise you throughout her life, there were moments when Mary didn't just simply sit at the feet of Jesus, but anxiety would have consumed her too. I promise somewhere, though, it's not recorded. She sinned and wasn't at the feet of Jesus. Don't make those permanent associations because of doing that, you may see yourself as someone who can really never change. And this is about change. It's about a choice. Jesus says, Mary chose the better thing. So if you see yourself as a Martha, incapable of being like Mary, you're making a permanent association. Don't do that any longer. The only permanent association you should make is that you are a daughter of God. You are a son of God. As we say earlier, you are his and he is yours. That is permanent. There's nothing if you're truly in Christ that you can do to make that go away. Martha was his, just as Mary was. Don't make any other permanent association because all those who think they're Martha, because Jesus said, I'm going to bring it to completion, you can change. So what is this passage about? It's rich, it's deep, and it is so full of hope because at the heart of it, the essence of it, it's discipleship. This is what discipleship is all about. It's about being at the feet of Jesus, gazing at Jesus. More than anything else, that's what this is about. And so let's go on. Now let's compare these two sisters and contrast these two sisters and see what it is that Jesus has to say. Here's the first comparison. Martha, if you look closely at verse 38, it says, now as they went underway, Jesus entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. First comparison. Martha is the one who welcomes Jesus and invites Jesus into the house and he comes. But Mary is the one who engages Jesus. Though Martha's the one that text tells us who welcomes, invites Mary is the one who engages Jesus. So often in our life, we have heard that knock in Revelation 320. Jesus said, here I am. I stand at the door knock. He hears my voice and opens the door. I will come in and step with him and he with me. God's spirit moving, knocking on the door, the door opens, Christ enters in. It's called justification is an act. A one-time event where Christ saves us and reveals that powerful work in us. But so often, though we know we've been saved by grace, we quickly move into a works posture where we feel like once again that we must impress or earn the favor of Christ. And there's something of that happening in Martha's life in this home, her home. As she invites him in, he gladly comes. But as he enters in, her thought moves towards work. I've got to make things ready. I must clean, I must cook, I must prepare, but not Mary. And Mary is not being lazy. I'm confident that there were other times when Jesus came and they served side by side. But in this event, Mary was engaging Jesus. She was engaged by Jesus, which leads to the second comparison. While Martha invites Jesus and Mary engages Jesus, we see that Martha is on her feet. She's on her feet, busy moving about the house, making the preparations, making the portions, doing all that is necessary to please, entertain and even impress this guest. But Mary, and this is discipleship, is off of her feet. Martha, on her feet, busy. Mary is off her feet at the feet of Jesus.
Do you see it? When you think of discipleship in your own life, of growing in faith, you think of it primarily as you on your feet, busy, busy, busy. Or do you see it, is off your feet, sitting at the feet of Jesus. Why was Martha on her feet? The text tells us that she was distracted by many things. Verse 40. But the word it actually uses is much serving. Martha is on her feet, distracted by many things. In the Greek, that word for distracted means to be drawn away, pulled away. So these stresses, these anxieties, these challenges are occupying Martha's mind so that they're pulling her away from where she should be at the feet of Jesus, her guest. God is in her home. Mary realizes something, and knows that the better place to be is at his feet. She's not pulled away. But Martha is distracted by many things, which leads to the third comparison. Mary is listening. It says in the text very clearly, Mary is listening to the teachings of Jesus. At his feet, verse 39, and she listened to his teaching. Last week, I told you that we're going to start a series on September 11th, where we're going to look for about a year at the five discourses of Jesus found in the gospel of Matthew. And I urge this to understand that in order to truly understand these great teachings of Jesus, we must learn to listen. And that's what we're seeing here. Mary is listening. The word for teaching is logos. It is the word of God. She is listening to what Jesus has to say. And nothing in that moment as she gazes upon him is more important. The distractions of cleaning and cooking and preparing are all there, but she's not consumed by them. She's consumed by his teaching. Mary is listening. But Martha is speaking. I'm sure the first speaking was quiet. Perhaps in her mind, maybe under her breath. The things she was saying about Mary, and Mary's unwillingness to move towards the kitchen and help. But suddenly, that speaking begins to consumer, the thoughts consumer, and so she begins to speak. If Jesus is teaching in order for Martha to speak, she had to interrupt Jesus. And she interrupts Jesus with this statement. It's a statement of indictment. Lord, do you not care? I could stop there. Do you not care about me? Do you not see what I'm doing? Do you not see what she's not doing? Do you not care? And she describes it. That my sister has left me to serve alone. Now, what's what happens? As Martha is speaking, and Mary is listening to Jesus' teaching, Martha begins to teach Jesus. Tell her then to help me. Tell her that's the lesson. She's lazy. You are guessed. Get up off your feet. Help me. Mary's listening. Martha's speaking. But Martha's about to listen. Because Jesus speaks. And now he's not simply teaching Mary, but he's directly teaching Martha. He is looking at the sin in Martha's life. And he says Martha, Martha. How you view God has a lot to do with how you might hear those words. Some of you might sense that they're Martha, Martha. I'm teaching Mary. And if you were spiritual, you would be like her at my feet too. Some of you may see Christ speaking that way, but it's not the way. It's not that way. It's compassionate. It's direct. It's full of truth. And he seeks to get her attention. That's why there's the names twice. Martha, Martha. Now listen to what he says. You're anxious and troubled about many things. Jesus could have used one word, but he used two different words. Both describing, distress, and anxiety. Martha really was being pulled apart, pulled away from, drawn away from Jesus, and then pulled apart externally and internally by the things that were going on in that house. And Jesus is telling her, Martha, Martha. You are distracted. You are troubled. You are anxious about many things. And then he says this. But one thing is necessary. Really? Really? Do you believe that? One thing, spoken by Jesus, the creator of Martha, the creator of Mary, the creator of Mark, the creator of Christina, the creator of wit, the creator of Bill, the creator of all of us says, One thing is necessary and a human being, who's sinful because she's a human being. Name Mary has chosen the good portion. She chose it. She chose the one thing. And the one thing was to get off of her feet and sit at the feet of Jesus. Not worrying about the things that were pulling her away. But Martha is consumed about many things. And you know what she seeks to do? Pull her sister away. Draw her sister away. Oh, moms and dads and grandparents, how guilty might we be of pulling our own spouse, our own children away because we're troubled and anxious about many things. And the reason we're troubled and anxious about many things is because we don't believe that only one thing is necessary, not really, not really. And so we jump up on our feet and we speak under our breath and then maybe directly. And then by his grace, Jesus says, Tim, Tim, Mark, Mark, Terry, Terry, and he shows us his grace in this passage. He says Mary has chosen the good portion. You know what the word portion means? Essentially, you can make the connection and it means food. Mary is here in this house feeding on the bread of life. Feeding on the one great meal, while Martha, you're busy making meals for me. And then he says something so amazing. Martha, this good portion will not be taken away from her. Wow, Martha, Martha. She hears these words from Jesus. Words she will never forget. And thousands of years later, in a church like ours, where that word service actually means ministry. Like Martha, so many of us are busy on our feet moving fast, not stopping, not listening to what God has called us to. One thing to his feet. How can we do that in a world that is so noisy and busy and demanding that's ran by, quote, Martha's, that is, themes Martha's, who calls Mary's lazy. How can we do it? I want to offer a few minutes, a very practical listening. If we do not take Jesus serious at the end of his sermon on the mount, that there's a wise builder who listens and obeys and a foolish builder who really isn't obeying what he's heard, we're going to be in trouble. We truly aren't taking Jesus serious, and we must at every word he spoke. And the only way I think that we can do that is by practicing here what Mary did, and we get off of our feet and sit at the feet of Jesus. So a few things to consider. First is this, have you welcomed Jesus into your life? I must ask that Sunday after Sunday. This congregation is too large where people could easily enter in and not know that they haven't yet professed faith in Christ. You can't listen to the one you don't know. And so my first question is like Martha, have you invited? Have you welcomed? Have you recognized Jesus knocking on the door of your heart that you might have salvation? It begins there. If you have not, then start by simply praying today. I thought I was a believer. I knew I wasn't a believer. Today I want to be a believer. Pray the sinner's prayer and know that Christ has called you His own. And that is now your new permanent association. You're in Christ. For those who know that they professed faith in Christ, I ask you this, have you made the choice that Mary made to be at the feet of Jesus? Is that something that you long for, that you regularly say, I want that in my life? If not, begin to ask Him for it. Ask that He would enlarge your heart, as the Salma says, for Him, that you would find your rest in Him, that your restlessness, as we prayed earlier, may go away. And then, practically, what might you do to sit at the feet of Jesus? This is where many of us have been confused. We have associated, fitting with Jesus, sitting at the feet of Jesus, simply by becoming smarter Christians. You can know so much about religion, so much about Christianity, like the Pharisees thought they did, and really not know Jesus, and not sit at the feet of Jesus. What does it mean to sit at the feet of Jesus? It means this, to listen, to His teaching. Listen, to His sermon, and then chew on that sermon. Take your bullet in home, go over that confession of sin again and read deeply of Psalm 23. Find yourself in a place where you actually are in a posture of listening. I encourage you to take a Bible, if you don't have one, grab the blue one, right on the pew. I won't call you a thief. Take it. If you go guilty, bring it back next week. Love to see you, or go down to our bookstore and buy a Bible. Take a Bible. Read it. And take with you a journal, a notebook, something to write. I encourage you not to take a bunch of other books, because the temptation will be to read about Jesus, or even about people who listen to Jesus, and not listen to Jesus. Enter in to a place of quiet solitude where you try by God's grace and power to listen to His Word. Will it be easy? No. If you can remove yourself from the noise of the world, just wait and see how loud it is on the inside. But by God's grace and power, you can move through that distraction. Listen, as I read just a paragraph, from one who practices this regularly. He says about us seeking to be quiet and listening to the teaching of Jesus. Obviously, we will be constantly distracted. We will think about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow. We will have long imaginary discussions with our friends or enemies. We will plan our next day, prepare our upcoming talk, or organize our next meeting. Often, we are so restless and so unable to find inner quietitude that we can't wait to get busy again, thus avoiding the confrontation with the chaotic state of our minds and hearts. Still, here's the hope. When we remain faithful to this discipline, even if it is only for 10 minutes a day, we gradually come to see that there is the living God living in us. Where God dwells and where we are invited to dwell with God. And once we come to know that inner place, a place, I love, I say this, more beautiful and precious than any place we can travel to, we want to be there. And to be spiritually fed, what happens is that he, because he said he would, moves us along as we listen to his teaching. He moves us along in a way where suddenly the discipline or the duty is replaced by dependency and a desire. Where suddenly you are now saying, I can't live without this. I must have time alone in stillness, listening to the teaching of the Lord. Without we will continue to roam rampant, fast, chaotic lives. Notting men to truth that we hear from a sermon or in a book we're reading, or in a sermon we listen to on a CD, but with no real attention, given to quiet, listen to what Jesus is teaching. My prayer is that as we approach the sermon that Jesus preached, we will find ourselves begging God to draw us near and to quiet the many noises that are seeking to pull us away. And it will happen and you will taste it and then you will want more because you've heard your Savior's voice through His Word and through His Spirit. Amen.