Spiritual Growth

The Highest Priority

10.2.22 [Luke 10:38-45] River of Life (17th Sunday after Pentecost)

Nobody fights like family. Maybe there is just something about sharing so many things, so many experiences, so much time and space with a relatively small group of people that seems to produce squabbles. Nobody squabbles quite like siblings. We all have those stories, right?

Growing up, your brother or sister said something or did something and it just set you off. And vice versa. Even with the rise of spacious minivans and captain’s chairs and tablets, siblings still find reasons to fight on long car trips. Nobody squabbles quite like siblings.

The Holy Scriptures are filled with plenty of sibling squabbles and the vast majority of them are in the Old Testament. In fact, it’s really quite amazing how often it comes up when you start looking for it.

Of course, sibling squabbles start out savagely, with Cain and Abel. But it’s not like they’re the only ones. Jacob & Esau jostled for their father Isaac’s blessing. Rachel & Leah contended for their husband Jacob’s affection. Joseph’s brothers hated how much their father fawned over Joseph so they kidnapped him and sold him into slavery. But even as Israel’s descendants grew more numerous the sibling squabbles didn’t disappear. Aaron and Miriam grew jealous of Moses as they wandered in the wilderness. Right before David defeated Goliath, he made his brother, Eliab, hot with anger for even coming to the battlefield. The Holy Scriptures are filled with sibling squabbles because these are the real words of God and the lives of real people.

What struck me in reviewing all these sibling squabbles was the timing. Each of these sibling squabbles happen between what should be mature adults. We may think of sibling squabbles as being only an issue in childhood, but it’s not in the Bible. And it’s not in our lives, either.

In today’s Gospel, we have what we might see as yet another sibling squabble. This time between two sisters from Bethany—Martha and Mary. But hold on. There are typical sibling squabble elements missing.

First of all, a good sibling squabble usually involves both siblings saying or doing something. This one is really one-sided. Mary doesn’t say anything in our text at all. And, if you were to have asked Martha right around v. 40, Mary isn’t doing anything. And as Martha describes it, that’s precisely the problem. Listen again closely to her complaint: (Lk. 10:40) Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me! Now, I don’t know if two siblings can grow up in the same household without having this issue at least a time or two. There is always this tension where one sibling thinks they are doing all the work and the other isn’t pulling their weight. And they could be right.

But we have to ask ourselves, is that’s what’s happening here? Is Martha doing all the work while Mary sits in the comfy chair eating bon-bons? What exactly are they fighting over?

Look at what Luke tells us. (Lk. 10:39) Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. Mary is listening and learning from her Lord. She doing spiritual homework. And Martha is fuming with jealousy. Martha looks at all the things that need to be done to welcome the Lord and (Lk. 10:38) his disciples into their home and she feels like Mary isn’t doing her fair share. So she appeals to Jesus to make things right. (Lk. 10:40) Lord…tell her to help me!

We’ve all been in this tense moment before. So what typically happens when a Martha yells at you? You give in to the upset person and just do what they say so that things don’t escalate. Or you yell back, right?

And it so easily could have gone that way, right? Jesus could have turned to Mary and said: You know, you really ought to lend Martha a hand. Love your neighbor as yourself, right? Or since he’s Jesus, he could have told Mary and his disciples that he was going to hit the pause button on the day’s lesson and that everyone should help Martha make preparations. Or, I suppose, Jesus could have snapped at Martha for interrupting him and questioning whether or not he cared about her.

Aren’t there moments when you wish Jesus would say or do something? Maybe you look around at all that needs to be done in your home, in your church, or in your community—and you kind of just wish Jesus would show up and crack the whip a little bit? Get your family to be a little more forgiving and loving towards one another. Get your fellow church members to be a little more generous in the offering plate and a little more enthusiastic about evangelism. Get your community a little more interested in their eternal condition. Lord, tell them to get to work!

If you have ever served in a church, in any capacity, you have felt and thought—and even probably talked—like Martha. You’ve looked at your brothers and sisters in Christ with the scorn that Martha had for Mary.

But it’s more than that. Because we get like Martha even when there isn’t a Mary anywhere to be found. When we look at all we need to do, all the things on our to-do list, all the people who need something from us, we get (Lk. 10:41) stressed and upset. Relationships & finances & health concerns pull us in many directions. So many times, it feels like there are not enough days in the week or hours in a day. At times, it feels like there is not enough of us to go around. So many times, being worried & upset about many things leads us to take it out on the people closest to us.

But even when out of frustration or anger we snap at our Lord, as Martha did, he does not respond in kind. Instead he is tender and loving. Twice, Jesus says her name. (Lk. 10:41) Martha, Martha. There is nothing dismissive about the way Jesus says this either. Jesus knows what’s going on in her heart and mind. He knows that she may have the best of intentions and want nothing more than to be a gracious host to Jesus. But this is a crucial moment for Martha, a crucial moment where she needs to come to grips with something important about her Lord.

You see, that’s another pattern we see in the Holy Scriptures. The Lord repeating someone’s name at a critical juncture in their life. (Gen. 22:11) Abraham! Abraham! the Lord called out as Abraham was about to sacrifice Isaac. (Ex. 3:4) Moses! Moses! the Lord called out from the burning bush as he was commissioning Moses to serve as Israel’s deliverer. The Lord called out the names of the prophet Samuel and the apostle Saul or Paul twice as he changed the course of their lives. And as the hour of Jesus’ death drew near, Jesus said to Simon Peter, (Lk. 22:31-32) Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. When the Lord says your name twice, it’s because he loves you. When the Lord says your name twice, you’d better listen to what he says next. Martha is being pulled in many directions by all the things she felt like she needed to do. But only one thing was needed. The highest priority was abiding alongside Jesus.

And this shouldn’t surprise us. Imagine your anniversary is coming up. So you decide to go all out and serve a fancy seven course meal complete with candle light and soft music. You know, real romantic mushy stuff.

If you like to cook, it sounds like a great idea. But it’s not. Because you’re going to spend a bunch of time looking up recipes, shopping for all your ingredients, preparing the courses and the table, cooking all the food and doing all kinds of little last minute things. And you know what you’re going to miss out on? Spending quality time with the person you love more than anything. And you know what that person is likely to say? Don’t do all that stuff for me. Just be with me. Let’s go out to eat together. Let’s relax and enjoy each other’s company and not worry about so many things. I don’t want you fussing in the kitchen. I want you celebrating with me at the table.

That’s what your beloved Savior is saying to you, today. Jesus doesn’t want you worried and upset about all the things you think you need to do. He wants to celebrate with you. And he’s done more than make dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant.

Jesus has descended from heaven, shared in your humanity, and made your sin problem, his problem. He has carried all the guilt and shame that worries and upsets you upon his own shoulders. He has done all the work of redeeming you from your sins by himself. God in the flesh has come to help you by defeating your greatest enemies: sin, death, and the devil. You no longer need to be worried about the future or upset about your past failings. Jesus has taken away your sins and given you something far better—his righteousness. That’s the gift that he gives us here. As we gather in the house of our God, we come with hearts and minds that are distracted by so many things. We feel pulled in a thousand directions. Christ invites us (Mt. 11:28-29) Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. I am gentle and humble in heart. In me you will find rest for your souls.

He reassures us by reminding us why he came. (Mk. 10:45) The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. He restores our souls and refreshes us as we gather around his table and receive the meal he has prepared for us, for the forgiveness of our sins. Our Lord has come to help and strengthen us. That’s the Most High’s highest priority.

And ours, too. Yes, there are many times we feel exactly like Martha did in this moment. We look around and see how many hands could help, but don’t. There are moments when we snap at our spiritual siblings for failing to help us. There will be a time in life when we get frustrated about our own limitations, too. When we no longer have the strength, the energy, the mental acuity we once had to continue to serve as we once did.

And do you know what our merciful Savior says? Here’s my pierced hand to help you. There’s only one thing needful. It is a good thing for God’s people to serve their Lord. It is a better thing for them to savor all that their Savior has done. So, sit awhile. Abide with Jesus. Enjoy the forgiveness of sins. Be energized by the certainty that everything for your salvation has already been accomplished. Only after we sit at Jesus’ feet will everything else fall into its proper place. Then we will see that the Most High has made taking care of us his highest priority. Amen.