CPS: The good part in life is what we do with Jesus and today I want to give you two principles that will help you choose the good part of life.

The Good Part Luke 10:38-42

Thanksgiving is soon approaching. and what I look most forward to is Hope’s cornbread dressings! If we have a thanksgiving meal with family Hope brings dressing but you got to be quick if you want some because it goes fast! Typically I place myself at the back of food lines. But at Thanksgiving, I choose to get my share of the good stuff! You can bet that Ill get a good part of that dressing!

The word part literally means share. There is something in life that is of the most importance, our share in Jesus!

Today we will see two sisters who had the same opportunity to get the good part of a meal. One chose worship and fellowship WITH Jesus and the other neglected Him with busyness.

CPS: The good part in life is what we do with Jesus and today I want to give you two principles that will help you choose the good part of life.

I. Today let us set our hearts not to be distracted by the Temporal Things

Its easy for good Christian people to get distracted, we led busy lives but distractions cause us to miss perhaps the greatest spiritual blessing on earth worship and fellowship with Jesus!

Jesus comes to town and Martha invites Him into her home and cooks a huge meal but in her busy service she becomes distracted and misses out on the good part.

A. Martha’s Character

Martha often gets a bum rap, but she was a woman of faith with great Christian characteristics.

1.Martha Was a Woman of Faith

in John 11 we find that her brother was sick unto death. She and Mary sent messengers to Jesus. She knew who to trust during difficult times. When Jesus came she trusted in Him to do the impossible John 11:21-22 “Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. “Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”

Martha makes one of the great professions of faith in the Bible; John 11:27 “She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.” The NLT translates this “I have always believed.” she trusted Jesus from the moment she met Him!

2. Martha Was Hospitable

She was Hospitable! The Bible says “Martha recieved [welcomed] Him into her house.” Receive is the Greek verb hypodechomai, it means to receive as a guest in one’s home, or to give lodging. Hospitality is something that is lost on us Christians today. But in ancient Israel it was God’s way of providing for His servants as they traveled.

God used hospitality to provide for Elijah as he was sent to Zarephath 1 kings 17:9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.” God provided for Elisha as he traveled through Hospitality. 2 Kings 4:8 “Now there came a day when Elisha passed over to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman, and she persuaded him to eat food. And so it was, as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat food.”

Jesus relied on hospitality to meet the needs of the 12 disciples as He sent them out to preach in Matthew 10. Again Jesus relied on hospitality as He sent the 70 out in Luke 10. Martha was hospitable!

3. Martha was a servant

The Bible tells us that she prepared a meal for Jesus and His followers. The number of guest is not known but it was at least Jesus and the 12 but it could have been a many as Jesus and the 70!

B. Martha’s Distraction

Martha got caught up in the busyness of her service and became cumbered [distracted.] Cumbered is the Greek verb perispaō which means to be distracted and anxious. This is the idea of being anxious in both mind and appearance.

Her attention was drawn away by the burden of her duties and she rebukes Jesus. Martha “came up to” Jesus, this is the Greek verb ephistēmi it means stepping up to or bursting upon. It is an explosive act. This word is translated as confronted Luke 20:1 “On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted (ephistēmi) Him.

Jesus shows her grace, He shows concern for her anxiety saying Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things. Notice the verbs Worried and Bothered.

Worried is the Greek verb merimnaō it means be anxious about, to worry, to have anxiety, to be concerned. It is the idea of being divided and distracted.

Bothered is the Greek verb thorybazomai, it is used 1 time in the N.T. it means to be worried.

Martha’s anxiety was not only inward it was outward as well for all to see.

Let me ask you a question… What lies at the bottom of the ocean and twitches? A nervous wreck!

MARTHA WAS A NERVOUS WRECK!

Why… because of all these things!!! Jesus is saying your anxiety is due to all these dishes! This food!!!! The Temporal Things, the things of the world that will pass!!! Martha was working for and serving the food that perishes!

John 6:27 “Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

Hey Christian do you ever get distracted and WORRY about the temporal things, the things that wont last forever?

›PREACH! Work, Ministry, Cell Phones.... diverting attention!

The greatest sermon ever preached tells us over and over not to worry over the temporal things even things as good as food!

Matt. 6:25 ““For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Matt 6:27 ““And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life?”

Matt 6:28 ““And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin,”

Matt. 6:31 ““Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’”

Matt. 6:34 ““So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”

George Mueller once said “The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith”

NB) Martha’s service was good. Look… the Lord was in her house and a meal was in order. But the Lord was in her house and she neglected Him as she prepared an elaborate meal that He did not need!

Jesus is telling Martha, you are missing out on the good part… you distracted and worried over all these dishes (that in hours will go into the waste) when just one dish would do!

Today let us simplify things and purpose in our hearts not to get distracted by the temporal things.

II. Today let us set our hearts to be focused on the Eternal Things.

There is a stark contrast between Martha and her sister Mary. Martha is seen being busy serving but Mary is seen receiving the good part, time with Jesus!

I have mentioned before that Mary is my favorite character in the Bible. If I could aspire to be like one person in the Scriptures it would Mary of Bethany! She knew how to be still and be in the presence of Jesus!

Mary sat at Jesus’ feet! Sat is the Greek verb parakathezomai which means to sit beside. Mary is seated beside Jesus’ feet. This is the only use of parakathezomai in the Bible yet this is not the only instance where Mary is found to be at the feet of Jesus.

Mary is mentioned three times in the scriptures (Luke 10:38-42, John 11:32, and John 12: 3) each time she is shown to be at the feet of Jesus. Mary had an uncanny way of absorbing the presence of Jesus and focusing on Him as though He was the only thing in this world.

In this text seated at Jesus’ feet gives the idea of focus and discipleship. People normally sat on chairs or, at banquets, reclined on couches; but disciples sat at the feet of their teacher.

As she sat Jesus spoke, Luke tells us that Mary heard His word. Word is the Greek noun Logos, which means message. As Jesus proclaimed the Gospel and Kingdom truths Mary learned and worshiped her Lord.

She was focused on Jesus, even though the setting around her chaotic!

Martha said that Mary was neglecting her role as co-hostess but I say Mary Choose the good part of Jesus.

In verse 40 Martha tells Jesus “my sister hath left me to serve alone.” The term “Hath Left”is the Greek verb kataleipō which means to leave without help. This verb is in the imperfect tense and is active, which means she keeps on leaving. It seems that at Martha’s urging Mary has broken away from Jesus but she kept coming back. Her attention was not on the manna but on the Master.

Today it would be good if we put ourselves in the place of Mary who chose not to be distracted by the temporal things around her and sit focused at the feet of Jesus!

Jesus says this is the “one thing that is needful,” this is an allusion to the Ps. 27:4 “One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord And to meditate in His temple.”

The Lord was in Mary’s home and she took full advantage of it, choosing the good part of the meal… the company of Jesus!

The good part is worship and participating in unbroken fellowship with Jesus!

Conclusion: The best things in life aren't things at all it is a person! Jesus!

To be plain.. service is important and Jesus appreciates all that we undertake for Him but Martha was so preoccupied with her work and her own burdens that she ignored her guest and missed the greatest and most lasting blessing!

But Mary was occupied with Jesus.... what we do WITH Jesus is far more important than what we do FOR Jesus.

Service is great and this text does not teach us to choose between service and fellowship we must have both.... Mary had done her share of the work in the kitchen and then gone to feed on the Lord’s teaching! She worshipped and had sweet fellowship with Jesus and that leads to obedience and unadulterated service!

We see this in the service of Mary during the last days of Jesus’ life as she anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume and dried the with her hair. And Guess what, Martha learned her lesson too in that John tells us (John 12:2 that Martha simply served.

There was much food in Martha and Mary’s home that day but only one dish was the good part. The presence of Jesus!

What are you doing with Jesus? I pray today that we can leave the worries and distractions of a busy life and choose the good part.. to sit at the feet of Jesus focused and absorbing in His teachings and His presence for this is the greatest and most lasting blessings of the Christian life.