Distraction and Devotion

[SLIDE 1] Introduction

Good morning everyone.

What a wonderful day it is for us to gather and worship the Lord together.

Today, I want to talk about, “Distraction and Devotion.”

Illustration

I don’t know what is the most busiest season in your life.

[SLIDE 2] It could be the Christmas season or Thanksgiving.

It could be the Lunar New Year or Mid-Autumn Festival.

It could be the peak season in your company.

It could be moving houses.

For students, it could be finishing your final exams and projects.

Context

Our sermon text is a practical one.

It is possible that you may not be familiar with this passage.

It is a simple and concise message with a tremendously difficult application.

It addresses topics such as distraction, busyness, and anxiety.

On the other side, it also addresses topics such as discipleship and learning from Jesus.

[SLIDE 3] In Luke 10:38-42, we have Jesus and two women: Mary and Martha.

Perhaps, the busiest season for Martha was Jesus coming over to her house.

Many of us may sympathize more with Martha than Mary.

Martha was busy serving and being a good hostess while Mary was listening to Jesus.

But, Jesus is going to correct Martha’s mindset.

Jesus is going to teach Martha and all of us the issue of Christian priority.

As a reminder, I have focused on the topic of priority since our monthly combined service resumed in January.

[SLIDE 4] Today, the main idea for this message is this:

“Christians are to prioritize their devotion to Jesus rather than being distracted from Him.”

This passage emphasizes the importance of intentionally making time to focus on our relationship with Jesus.

It should challenge us to be careful of distractions that may divert our attention away from Him.

We’ll explore this idea as we walk through this passage verse by verse.

Exposition

[SLIDE 5] Take a look at verse 38.

We are given the setting of this story.

Jesus, his disciples, and perhaps more who accompanied Him have been travelling on the road.

Jesus entered a village.

This village is most likely Bethany.

It is about 2 miles east of Jerusalem.

According to John 11:1, Bethany was where Mary and Martha lived.

They also have a brother named Lazarus.

But, he’s not mentioned in this passage.

Martha welcomed Jesus into her house.

She was the older sister.

She may have owned the house.

So, she’s the main hostess.

Through her hospitality, she wants to show Jesus and others how much she loves them.

You can imagine that it’s a bit of a threat to have the Son of God and his followers in her home for a meal.

Martha might have felt that she needed to meet God’s highest expectation.

[SLIDE 6] Take a look at verse 39.

We are introduced to Mary.

She’s not same person as the mother of Jesus.

She was Martha’s younger sister.

We are also told what she was doing.

She sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.

This was the posture of Mary when Jesus entered into house.

Sitting at the Lord’s feet means being in the position of a committed disciple of Jesus.

What an opportunity to learn from the teachings of Jesus.

I would totally want to be a part of this Bible study with Jesus!

We’re not told exactly what Jesus taught Mary.

He could have been teaching about the kingdom of God.

All disciples of Jesus should imitate Mary’s posture.

What does it look like to be a disciple of Jesus?

It means being His student.

It means following Him as your Master.

Learning from Him as your Teacher.

In our context, it means reading and studying the Bible.

God’s word is where you can learn and listen to the teachings of Jesus.

This gets back to the basics of the Christian life.

It is the reading and studying of God’s word.

There is no such thing as a Christian who is not a disciple of Jesus.

[SLIDE 7] Take a look at verse 40.

We are given the contrast between Mary and Martha.

While Mary was listening to the teaching of Jesus, Martha was distracted with much serving.

The Greek word for distracted can also mean, “to be extremely busy.”

It literally carries a sense of being pulled away.

So, Martha was both distracted and extremely busy with much serving.

She was quite busy and overburdened with service.

Martha desires to be a good hostess by serving Jesus.

It is possible that she was trying to listen to Jesus...

But she was distracted with her work.

She was pulled away from listening to Jesus.

What does Martha do then?

She goes to Jesus and speaks to Him about Mary.

I want you to observe three things behind Martha’s statement.

First Observation: she calls Jesus, Lord.

Notice the irony in the speech.

She recognizes Him as the sovereign ruler.

He’s the one who has authority and dominion over the church and over the world.

He’s the one who has authority over Martha.

Yet, it sounds like Martha is in charge here.

The tone in Martha’s speech is anger and irritation with Mary (and possibly also with Jesus).

Second Observation: Martha complains to Jesus.

She asks, “DO YOU NOT CARE that my sister (Mary) has left me to serve alone?”

Jesus, are you not concerned that Mary is not serving with me, right now?

The Greek phrasing of this question shows that Martha expected a positive response from Christ.

She was expecting Jesus to say, “Yes. I am concerned, and I will do something about it.”

But, we’ll learn that Martha’s expectation was not met.

Third Observation: Martha commands Jesus to do something.

She says, “Tell her THEN to help me.”

I think Martha is putting herself in authority by commanding Jesus, her Lord.

Martha seems to be positioning herself as a victim.

She feels overwhelmed by her responsibilities.

She thinks she is unfairly burdened.

Her frustration increased when she perceives that Mary is not helping her.

Jesus, if you really care, then speak to her because it is wrong for me to serve alone.

You can sort of hear her tone, right?

[SLIDE 8] How does Jesus respond to Martha? Take a look at verses 41-42.

Even though he’s a guest and she is a hostess, Jesus is not going to tolerate Martha’s complaints and request.

The Lord (gently) corrects Martha.

He says to her, “Martha, Martha.”

Why did Jesus addressed her twice?

He’s expressing His tenderness, affection, and concern towards her.

Yet, Jesus does so with a correcting tone.

Jesus further says to her, “You are anxious and troubled about many things.”

Anxious is referring to mental anxiety.

To be troubled refers to outward agitation.

When you put both together, you get a restless and distressed individual.

Brothers and sisters, if you are anxious and troubled,

Do you hear Jesus is speaking to you, right now?

Do you hear Jesus’ loving correction in your life?

[SLIDE 9] Jesus then points Martha to Mary.

Martha may be anxious and troubled about many things in the house.

But, the one necessary thing in life that Martha lacked was the good portion that Mary chose.

What was the good portion that Mary has chosen?

Learning the words of Jesus at the feet of Jesus.

It was her priority during this time.

If Mary has chosen this good portion, Martha should not take that away from her.

But, Jesus is also saying that Mary's devotion and commitment to discipleship will not be taken away from her.

Some Christians can be unfairly critical of Martha.

It seems like Martha made a bad choice.

Martha was spiritually immature for not learning from Jesus.

Martha is more practical than spiritual.

But, we have to be careful of perceiving Martha negatively.

Like Mary, Martha was a believer in the Lord Jesus.

She was serving the Lord.

Martha lovingly welcomed Him and others to her home.

She was showing hospitality.

She genuinely loved the Lord Jesus and supported His ministry.

So, we do not want to make the mistake in thinking that her service is a bad thing.

We are to serve the Lord...

But we have to be careful of serving others at the expense of being fed spiritually.

A healthy balance of serving and listening to the Lord is the lifestyle of a disciple of Christ.

Through this story, we can come away with five applications.

Application

[SLIDE 10] First, we should “Serve the Lord with a joyful heart.”

Martha was serving Jesus as a hostess.

If she served the Lord with a joyful heart...

If she served Him without complaining...

then maybe Jesus did not have to correct her.

However, she did so with frustration and distraction.

She was comparing herself with Mary.

But, that is where Jesus was critical of her.

[SLIDE 11] Second, we should “Be Concerned About Ourselves.”

There is time to be concerned about others.

However, we have to be careful.

We can be quick to be critical of others.

But we’re (very) slow in being critical of our Christian living.

One Bible scholar said this:

“Martha is perfoming a worthy task...

but she is consumed with what others are doing.

Jesus does not criticize her for what she is doing...

but for being concerned about others’ activities.”

[SLIDE 12] Third, we should “Guard Against Distractions.”

A famous preacher made an insightful comment on distraction during worship.

Many of us struggle with wandering thoughts during worship.

Distraction ruins precious opportunities for spiritual growth.

Even when the service is well-prepared to offer spiritual refreshment and biblical instruction, those who are distracted find no benefit.

As a result, they leave feeling unsatisfied.

It’s simply because their minds were not focused on worshipping God.

Did you know that learning the Bible is an act of worship?

It is possible that you’re trying to learn God’s word, but you are also distracted.

You may be thinking about the next activity after church.

You may be checking other things on your phone.

You may be thinking about when this sermon will end.

But, since God is here, would your mind truly want to wander?

We have to guard our minds from wandering.

Listening to sermons is a spiritual discipline.

[SLIDE 13] Four, we should “Choose The Good Portion.”

Perhaps, the most challenging part of this message is choosing the good portion amidst the chaos of our busy lives.

The good things in life, such as family, job, and serving, can sometimes choke out God’s life in us.

Brothers and sisters, some of you may complain about the struggles of life.

You may be lost in your life at the moment.

Your relationship with God feels stagnant.

But, your complaints about life's hardships should be corrected by the Lord.

“You are anxious and troubled about many things.”

And the Lord is pointing you back to the one necessary thing.

Choosing the good portion.

Choosing to come back at the Lord’s feet, open the Bible, and listen to His words.

No spiritual discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word.

Specifically, let me encourage all the parents.

I know how busy life is as parents. I have two kids, so I sympathize with you.

Sometimes, being parents suck the life of us.

It’s a struggle to find time to be with the Lord.

And I encourage you to find creative ways to listen to the words of Jesus.

For example, reading the Bible together as a family.

Even if the kids don’t understand.

That’s okay!

You’re setting a spiritually healthy pattern and structure for your family.

Fathers, did you know that you’re the head of the family (1 Cor 11:3 and Ephesians 5)?

God has given you the spiritual leadership to lead your wife and children.

So, I encourage you to take the lead.

[SLIDE 14] Fifth, we should “Be Served By Jesus Before Serving Others.”

Brothers and sisters, if you’re feeling restless and distress...

If you have exerted all your physical, mental, and spiritual capacity to serve others...

Perhaps, it is a sign to take a step back...

And humbly come back to Jesus Christ.

I like what Haddon Robinson said about this passage:

“Mary chose the better part because a ministry to our spirit must precede a ministry to others.”

In other words, we need Christ to serve us with His word...

so that we would be equipped to serve others with a joyful heart.

Conclusion

[SLIDE 15] As a reminder, the main idea for this message is this: “Christians are to prioritize their devotion to Jesus rather than being distracted from Him.”

We will continue to struggle with the reality of busyness and distraction.

But, let us not forget that devotion to Jesus should be our priority.

I encourage you to examine your week.

Ask yourself, “Where does spending time learning from Jesus fit in your schedule?”

If not, then will you place Him as a priority in your busy and chaotic schedule?

[SLIDE 16] May the Lord help all of us as we enter into another week.

Benediction

May the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Wrapping Up

It is more than just eating.

We are here to fellowship with one another.