Luke 10:38-42: Growing in Intimacy with Jesus

Introduction

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/washingtons-hair-presidents-day-auction_n_60240b4ac5b6f38d06e8d0d9 - This past President’s Day you could have owned a part of history - a lock of George and Martha Washington’s hair or John F. Kennedy’s Harvard sweater. Last year, a lock of Lincoln’s hair sold for $81,000.

We all a piece of history. We’re fascinated with men and women who have paved the way for us to enjoy the lives that we get to live. Your story is part of a better story than the story of this country. Your story is embedded in the story of Jesus - the greatest leader who has every existed.

Ultimately, history is His story of His faithfulness to you. A story of redemption in which He suffered on a cross for you to purchase your salvation. George Washington was a great leader, but he doesn’t know your name. He’s not alive. He’s not at work in your life right now, and he didn’t purchase your salvation. Only One has been faithful to you: Jesus.

We long to live our lives faithful to the One who has written our history of redemption. We long to hear Him say to us, “well done, my good and faithful servant.”

Yet, we struggle with faithfulness (2 Tim. 2:13). Thankfully, Jesus is the Fruit of the Spirit for you. He is faithful for you, and He lives inside of you empowering you to live faithfully before Him.

Faithfulness is allowing the trustworthiness and dependability of Jesus motivate you to be trustworthy and dependable over a long period of time.

How do I grow in faithfulness? Three commitments you need to make to grow in faithfulness this morning.

I have to stop letting my sinful attitudes pull me away from Jesus.

In an ancient culture, not many virtues were as highly regarded as hospitality. A rabbi like Jesus depended on the hospitality of others. As Jesus traveled from town to town, there weren’t Holiday Inns. There was no AirBNB, no Chik-fil-a, Door Dash, Uber Eats, etc.

Luke 9:58: the Son of Man has no place to lay his head. In Luke 10:1-12, Jesus and followers dependent on hospitality of others. He told them to take nothing with them and depend on the hospitality of others.

Just outside of Jerusalem, in the small village of Bethany, a brother, Lazarus, lived with his two sisters, Mary and Martha.

Martha was the epitome of hospitable - don’t know how this family knew Jesus, but Martha wanted to make an impression.

While Jesus and his disciples settled into Martha’s home, Martha was hard at work. She made sure everything was in its proper place, and in the kitchen, she was hurriedly preparing a feast. Familiar scene. You remember growing up going to grandma’s house - no one sees grandma because she’s hard at work in the kitchen preparing a feast.

From our perspective, Martha is the epitome of faithfulness. After all, she’s serving Jesus, and she’s serving Jesus well. She’s giving her absolute best. She’s devoted in her service. She’s working hard.

We want more Martha’s in the world - men and women who work hard, serve tirelessly, and give their best.

In the midst of her hard work, she sees Mary out of the corner of her eye. If you were in the house that day, you might think that Martha was the epitome of faithfulness while Mary was the epitome of laziness.

“Jesus, don’t you care? You see Mary’s laziness? Tell her to do something...” Martha knew Jesus would side with her.

Hudson telling me I tried to cook - Feeling under appreciated - like Martha...

Shocked by His response: “Martha, calm down. Mary’s done the right thing...” Martha thinking, “Sitting around is the right thing?”

In this moment Mary was more faithful to Jesus than Martha. Mary was the one who had her eyes set on the Faithful One.

Possible to do a lot of Christian stuff without having your eyes on Jesus.

Nothing wrong with Martha’s service, but a sinful heart kept Martha from growing in faithfulness to Jesus.

Beware of a distracted heart. She was so caught up in duty for Jesus that she had no time for devotion to Jesus. Nothing wrong with what Martha was doing. She was doing good things! It’s what she wasn’t doing. Jesus doesn’t come to your house often. While everyone needed to eat, dinner could wait.

Dinner can wait… There’s probably much in your life that can wait - even good stuff - that’s keeping you from what doesn’t need to wait. A lot of you are doing the right stuff, but you neglect the best stuff: devotion to Jesus. Maybe you can even make a list of all you’re doing for Jesus, but you can’t really tell me who you’re becoming in Jesus because you lack in devotion.

Beware of a self-pitying heart. A self-pitying heart says, “Jesus, look at me! Look at what I’m doing! Aren’t you proud of all I’m doing!” You feel sorry for yourself because you don’t feel like you’re noticed or that any one cares about all your hard work. We’ve all been there. And, deep down, you just want some attention; to be noticed. You’re saying, “Look at me,” while Jesus is saying, “Look at me. Look at my faithfulness to you. Gaze at me.” Faithful to God on your terms vs. faithful on His terms.

Beware of a resentful heart. Martha angry - angry with Jesus. “Why doesn’t He scold Mary?” Angry with Mary. “Who does she think she is?” That resentment can lead to self-righteousness. “I’m better than...”

These sinful attitudes can keep us from growing in faithfulness because these sinful attitudes are self-focused rather than focused on the faithfulness of Jesus. Rather than rejoicing in who Jesus is and devoting ourselves to Him, we feel sorry for ourselves. We become increasingly critical, and find fault with others. Repent of these sinful attitudes!

I have to get serious about devotion to Jesus.

Martha was serving but consumed by what she could do for Jesus. “Look at me. I want to impress you.” Mary serving by opening her heart to what Jesus wanted to teach her. “I’m looking at you. I’m impressed by you.”

What it must have been like in that moment for Mary. This was a rare opportunity. I don’t know exactly what Mary knew about Jesus, but there she sat at the feet of Jesus expressing devotion to Him.

Mary sat. (Imagine a grown woman sitting Indian style before Jesus.) A posture of submission and faith. Remember story of Jairus? He fell at the feet of Jesus (Lk. 8:41). Mary sat - Jesus had something for her. She wanted to savor every word He said.

Mary focused. Martha was distracted. Mary was not. Who knows how many were crowded in their small house that day. All 12 disciples? Just a few? Noise and commotion in the home. Maybe neighbors stopping by - they were curious about Jesus. The noise - disciples talking in a different part of the room. Martha making noise in the kitchen. But, Mary not distracted - would she ever have a moment like this again where she had the undivided attention of Jesus. For Mary, Jesus was the most important person in the room, and Mary made Jesus feel like He was the most important person in the room. Is Jesus the most important person in this room this morning?

Mary listened. What did they talk about in those moments when Mary sat at the feet of Jesus? The weather? Judean politics? Sports? NO! Jesus feeding Mary the words of life. Like he had told the disciples, He was telling Mary what was coming. That He was going to die for her and rise again for her.

Coaching basketball with a teenager. “I didn’t know what to do.” You just got to yell. Jesus didn’t have to yell to get Mary’s attention - and when you know who He is - He doesn’t have to yell at you either.

Jesus wants your company more than your service, but you’re much more willing to give Him your service than your company, because your service doesn’t cost you intimacy and transparency. If you actually get alone with God, He might challenge you, convict you, and transform you. You don’t want that...

Easy to get people to serve… not so easy to get people to gather for prayer. Why? Doing trumps knowing. Christian faith isn’t a call to come and do but to come and know.

A faithful life flows out of a devoted heart. We’re faithful to God because we’re devoted to the One who devoted Himself to us. You’re not going to be faithful to what you’re not devoted to. How to I grow in devotion? Seems to be the lifelong struggle...

You need to sit. A commitment of the will. Submission. He’s God, I’m not. I answer to Him and Him alone. I sit in His presence knowing that the Judge of the universe is a kind and gracious God. “Not your will but my will,” or, “Not my will, but your will.”

You need to focus. A commitment of the heart. Like my wedding day - hundreds of people in the room - my eyes were on one… my bride. Focus on the One who loves you more than anyone else in this world will ever love you. A world of distractions - what are you allowing to distract you from your relationship with Jesus?

You need to listen. A commitment of the mind. Jesus has something to say that’s worth hearing because He has the words of life. Like a coach telling what play to run because the coach knows how to win the game.

Until you make the decision to regularly sit, focus, and listen, you’ll always struggle with faithfulness.

Jesus told Martha: this is the ONE THING that is necessary, yet we spend so much time allowing are minds to focus on and be consumed with what’s not necessary.

Jesus doesn’t scold people for sitting, focusing, and listening. This is what He invites us to!

I have to show the world who Jesus is.

Some time later, Jesus back in Bethany. (John 12:1-8)

A lot has changed. Lazarus died. BUT… Jesus brought him back to life.

A familiar scene: a feast for Jesus. Martha serving. Mary probably helped too.

Then, she does it again. She comes to the feet of Jesus, but this time with a jar of expensive perfume - worth a year’s wages.

Probably a family heirloom - She poured it over the feet of Jesus. The room filled with the aroma. She washed His feet with her hair. In that moment, her focus was totally on Jesus, and everyone else’s focus was on her.

She didn’t care about what people thought… She had sat at the feet of Jesus. She knew Jesus was going to a cross to die. When Judas objected to what Mary had done, Jesus said, “She’s preparing my body for burial.”

What Judas didn’t know was that Mary was testifying. In this act, she was saying to everyone in the room, “I know who this is! He’s the Messiah who has come to die for me!” She was showing everyone at dinner who Jesus really was. She was putting Jesus on display as the King who would die and rise again!

And that’s what He did… just a week later, Jesus went to a cross, died, and rose again for you: to show you the faithfulness of God. He is so faithful to you - doing what was necessary to purchase your salvation. This morning, if you’ll turn from your sin and unbelief, and trust Him, you can be saved.

Essence of faithfulness - “Jesus, you can depend on me to daily show the world who you are, that you are God who is worthy of praise and adoration.”

Three simple questions:

Who are you showing the world that you trust? You are testifying every day that your life is is someone’s or something’s hands.

What are you showing the world that you prioritize? What do others see getting your time and resources?

What kingdom are you showing the world that you are trying to build? Your own kingdom? Building a successful life or a Christ-centered life?

Fruit of Spirit - world needs to see faithful Christians. People who are devoted to Jesus and His mission.