Mary & Martha

Introduction

Opening Illustration: I remember one summer when I was a child, our family had taken a vacation to a place with an arcade nearby. For that week I collected my tickets, and I had my eye on one prize. It was a kid’s size toolbelt equipped with all the tools: a mini metal hammer, a mini metal screwdriver, a real mini tape measure. I was imagining building a house with this thing. Oh how I worked for that toolbelt. And on the last day sure enough, I had collected enough tickets. Well I got the toolbelt, and I put it on, and immediately had an awfule sensation that all was not as it seemed. The strap broke before I got home. “That’s alright” I thought, “I can live without a strap.” But then the little tape measure wouldn’t retract. As the optimist that I am I thought, “Well I can fold up the tape measure and put it in the pouch. At least I have the hammer and screw driver. But then I used the screwdrive and cracked it on my first turn. The lesson from that day extends through so much of life doesn’t it? Those things we choose, that seem to us in the moment that they will bring the greatest happiness and the greatest strength, so often turn out in the long run to be worthless.

Personal: But Christian, there is one portion, one choice, one prize that will never let you down. And that is the grace of God offered through Jesus Christ. It is the only good thing that is truly substantial and satisfying. The grace of God is durable and cannot be taken away from you. It is with you in good health and poor health. You can have it when you are young and take it with you into the grave. It will stay by your side in prosperity, and as it turns out will multiply and show its greatest power in times of adversity. Is the grace of God your deepest and greatest portion every day? Is abiding more deeply in Christ your deepest goal?

Series Context: We are picking back up our sermon series through the Gospel of Luke. Luke, who wrote this book, was a doctor and a historian who set out to right an accurate telling of the life, death and resurrection of Christ and the explosion the early first century Church.

Context: We are picking our journey up at the end of chapter 10, right where we left off before the summer began. Jesus is well into his ministry at this point. And today, Jesus will enter the home of two women, Mary and Martha. These two women will represent for us today two very different lives, one life worried and distracted by many other things. And another singularly focused and delighting in Christ. And the main idea I would like you to remember from this story is simply this: The true Christian’s portion and delight is the grace of God.

Luke 10:38–42 ESV

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat 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.” But 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.”

If the true Christian’s portion and delight is the grace of God, what can we learn from these two women to help us more deeply abide in that portion every day. I’d like to suggets four comparisons between these two women to help us understand how deepen this portion in our life.

Meaning & Application

I FIRST COMPARISON: CLINGING TO CONTROL VS. SURRENDERING CONTROL TO CHRIST

The first comparison between these two women is comparing their attitude. Martha’s attitude is one of clinging to control, while Mary’s is one of surrender to Christ.

The Text: We see this principle work itself out in a few places in this text.

Martha Setup: Martha’s name quite literally is the feminine form of the word for “Lord or Master.” Perhaps the best translation would something like “Mistress.” No man, besides Jesus, is mentioned in this story. So it is very likely that Martha was a single woman, with no husband, who was living with her sister Mary in their home. And we see in the opening verse that Martha does a wonderful thing by “welcoming Christ into her home.” She’s showing good hospitality to Jesus. But there are clues throughout this passage that she does not quite understand the situation.

Her Attitude: Her entire attitude and demeanor is one of attempting to control the evening. Her problem is not that she is serving Jesus. It is a wonderful thing to serve the Lord, and to serve others. All through Scripture, we are encouraged to serve extravagently. And in fact, we could make a good case that had Martha had the proper attitude that both of them would be commended as offering two very beautiful and important forms of worship. Martha’s problem is her attitude. She’s serving, but she’s serving with a grumbling heart.

Commanding: And that grumbling is flowing out of a deep place in Martha’s heart that wants to be in control, and wants things to happen the way she thinks they should happen. The grumbling while serving is simply the symptom. The problem is much deeper. The problem is that she wants to in control; she wants to be Lord of the moment.

Meanwhile Mary: Meanwhile, Mary doesn’t say a word in this entire passage. The whole time she is simply surrendered at the feet of Jesus.

Make It Practical: As Christians, in a very real sense, the most basic step of faith we take is surrendering control of our life to Christ. The Christian journey in fact begins by accepting defeat at the hands of sin, and utterly forsaking any notion in your mind that you or me could save ourselves. We were dead in our trespasses and sins. Yet Christ in his infinite mercy extended grace to us who did not deserve it. He poured out his love for us on the cross in order to forgive our sins. Truly, a Christian is one who has given up control utterly and totally to God. Yet, day to day, I find myself struggling to know how to live this out well. How do we choose the greater portion each day by surrendering our moments to Christ?

Practically: Proverbs 16:9 says,

Proverbs 16:9 “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.”

Does it mean that it is somehow ungodly to have a plan, to work towards that plan, to build a budget, and set goals, and seek to attain those goals? No, nothing of the sort. When the Israelites were building the temple, they had a plan, and they labored and worked over many years to see that plan fulfilled. And they accomplished their goal. There is nothing inherintely wrong with planning. But there is a lesson here, one that I must learn along with you. When God redirects the ship, when he establishes our paths in a different direction that anticipated, what comes out of us? If grumbling, then very likely we are still holding onto a Martha-like control. O how we grumble. Grumbling over circumstances is a very clear sign that we have some development to go in surrendering like Mary to Christ each of our moments.

Experiential: Look back at the last little time your plans were disrupted, and don’t let yourself off the hook too quickly. What came out of you?

II SECOND COMPARISON: FROM WORRY & ANXIETY TO WONDER & PRESENCE

The second comparison between these two women is that while Martha is full of worry and anxiety, Mary is full of wonder & presence in the face of Christ.

Women: There is a layer to this text that may be hidden from our eyes because of our modern culture, and it has to do with what is not said directly in the text, but that an astute of culture might pick up on.

Others in the Room?: We don’t know if there was anybody else in the house during this moment. We know that Mary and Martha lived with Lazarus from other parts of Scripture. But this text is clearly not hilighting that Jesus 12 disciples were with him and had also come into Mary and Martha’s house. They seem to have faded into the background. The one clue may be in verse 39, where we read that Mary

Luke 10:39 “… sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.”

Now either Mary was solo in the room with Jesus and he was teaching her directly, or what is more likely, at least a few of his disciples, and probably Lazarus and another neighbor two were all sitting on the floor in the family room, as Jesus taught them from the Scriptures.

In That Situation: That would have been a very common scene in first century Israel. In that common scene, the women would be in the kitchen preparing the food for everybody, and the men would be with the rabbi in the Family Room, listening to his teaching.

Insight into Both: That context gives us a little insight into both of these women. You can understand a bit more why Martha might be so agitated. Let’s just pretend there are five other grown men in the room. That’s quite a lot of cooking to get done, if you’re going to host well. And so on Martha’s end, she’s peering into the family room saying “What are you going to leave me by myself.” But you can also understand Mary a little bit more too, can’t you. Jesus, whom she had had some previous encounters with, was in her house. And when she sat down with the men, to listen and learn alongside them, he did not shoe her away. In fact, by the end of this passage, he encourages her that sitting and learning at his feet is exactly where she belongs. And so, you can imagine the wonder building up in Mary, “I can sit with the men and learn directly from Jesus. I’m a woman! I’ve put my ear to the wall a dozen times before this while I was kneading dough, but I’ve never been in the room.” Mary wasn’t going anywhere.

Anxiety Statistics: Let's speak about anxiety for a moment. We are an anxious people. I read a Forbes article recently that offered the following statistics.

More than 31%Trusted Source of U.S. people will experience an anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetimes.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the U.S. and affect over 40 million adults, or 19.1% of the population.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most common anxiety disorder in the U.S. with 6.8 million adults affected.

Young people are more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety than older adults, with nearly 50% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 reporting depressive disorder or anxiety symptoms.

Women are more than twice as likely than men to experience an anxiety disorder.

Experiential: And perhaps I can take these general statistics and just ask you personally. Do you struggle with anxiety. With worry about tomorrow? I, in no way want to downplay how serious this issue is in our culture. But I do want you to look at Mary for a moment. She’s got something better than any medication can offer. Something better than any counselor can ever talk you through. She has the better portion.

You Don’t Belong: Mary doesn’t just know that Jesus is in the room, but she is experiencing the overwhelming wonder of sitting at the feet of Jesus, of absorbing his counsel, the author of creation himself. Once she didn’t belong in that room, but Christ invited her in, and didn’t shoe her away. Christian, you are invited to this as well. You were an enemy of God because of your sins, but Christ loved you so much that he invited you in, even more he adopted you as a son and a daughter and lavished you with love. Every day, he invites you to live in the place of a wonder at the whole thing. That wonder, that awe at the grace of God, that humble gentle worship of a spirit who sits at the feet of Jesus, has a drastically powerful effect on the stresses we carry each day.

III FROM GRAVITY OF SELF TO GRAVITY OF CHRIST

The third comparison we see between these two women is that while Martha voice is full of self-centered speech, Mary’s silence is full of Christ-centered listening.

Martha: First, look at Martha. Martha says a whole lot in this encounter. In verse 40 we read the following statement

Luke 10:40 “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.””

Me, Me, Me: How many times do you read the word “Me” in that statement? The answer is three times. But if you count the word “alone” which really just means “by myself”, then the aswer is four times, in one sentence. Martha fills the air with “Me, Me, Me.” This is what I want. This is what I demand.

Demanding: Not only are her words full of “me,” but they’re awfully demanding not only of Mary, but of Jesus. Martha has the gaul to question Jesus, “Lord do you not care…” And then to command Jesus what to do. Remember, on what level I have great sympathy for this women, she’s cooking for a number of people all on her own. But she has picked up quite a way of speaking to Jesus hasn’t she?

Mary Listened: Mary on the other hand says nothing this entire encounter. All we are told about Mary is that “she sat and listened to his teaching.” In fact, this is not the first time in the Gospel of Luke we encounter a woman who is praised for her actions despite her having no words. In Luke 7, we encountered the sinful woman who anointed Christ’s feet with perfume. Her silence was louder about her character than any words she spoke.

Deeper Issue Than the Tongue: There are two levers to push on with this comparison. On the one hand is the Biblical instruction to watch our tongue. But the issue is actually deeper than just getting control over our tongue. This comparison runs right down into the depths of our hearts posture towards God. On the other hand is the practical skills to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen like Mary.

Taming the Tongue: Let’s consider both of these. First, taming the tongue. Learning to tame the tongue is a deep Biblical principle of wisdom that runs straight through the entire Bible.

Proverbs 10:8 “The wise of heart will receive commandments, but a babbling fool will come to ruin.”

Luke 6:45 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

James 3:6 “And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.”

You want to manifest the glory of God in the presence of others, learn to tame the tongue. There is something very profound about someone who knows how to listen very well, and when their words are used, they are poignant, and spirit filled.

Illustration - Older Pastor: Recently I sat down with a Pastor I greatly respect. He was telling us about some things happening in his Church. And there was a phrase he kept using so joyfully that it caught me off guard. He would tell me of some new initiative the Church was getting after. And I would ask a question about how it worked, and how they got it going. And it would always begin this way, “Oh it was a wonderful providence of God…” And then he’d tell the story. See this man saw all of life as one unfolding drama of God’s glory. And even as he told small stories about chapters in the life of his Church, he could not but help to refocus the attention on Christ.

Mary - Listening: The other side of this is learning from Christ. Rather than speaking our own opinion, we learn to fill our hearts and minds with Christ’s opinion.

Luke 10:39 “And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.”

Just as Mary sat under the teaching of Christ, so can you. The Scriptures are God’s Word recorded for you. When you read and delight in God’s Word, it is as if Christ is in your room speaking to you, and you like mary are sitting at his feet receiving from him.

Experiential Questions: In this season, is God’s Word transforming you? Do you sense God speaking to you when you read the Scriptures? Do you have a daily habit of reading God’s Word?

Experiential Learners: Reading the Bible is not just a magical work we can do that suddenly transforms us. No, the Words must get passed are mind. Mary didn’t just listen, she listened and absorbed, and worshiped all at once. The Word of God penetrated her very being and shaped her as a person. I suspect that when she left that room, she was reflecting on Christ’s Words and Christ’s Words were becoming her very own heart. I have a professor that says we must move from being simply “observers of the text” to being “living witnesses of the text.” When we read the Bible we encounter God on his terms, and it must change us.

We must transition from self-centered speaking to Christ-centered listening.

IV FROM DOING FOR JESUS TO BEING WITH JESUS

Fourth and finally, we see the comparison of Martha’s “doing for Jesus” compared to Mary’s “Being with Jesus.”

The Text: This is clearly Jesus’ main point as he confronts Martha. He says to her,

Luke 10:41–42 “But 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.””

Both Can Be Celebrated: While Jesus will critique Martha for her attitude and posture, I believe that both women can be celebrated in one regard. Both Mary and Martha are demonstrating two sides of a worshipful life. Mary’s stillness before Jesus is an image for us of that quiet humble life of devotion to God through prayer and reflection. Martha’s serving the Lord and desire to feed him, is a picture of a life of serving others, which Jesus elsewhere considers part of our Christian worshipful duties. Some folks very naturally love serving, and you can’t stop them, and there is a genuine faith-filled posture they have that is to be celebrated.

The Attitude Behind the Service: The issue for Mary is not in the serving itself, but in the attitude behind the serving. Nevertheless, there is something that Mary has to teach us today about the true and proper fuel for our soul, being with Jesus. “Mary has chosen the good portion.” She has chosen to just be, and listen, and love Christ. And just as that was not taken away from her, so it will not be taken away from you. O how we complicate the Christian faith.

Illustration - Aged Saints: Further, is not this something that or very aged have to teach us. That though they may not have the strength, energy, or endurance to be as productive as they once were in younger years. There is something profoundly remarkable about an older saint joyfully basking in God’s goodness, just being a son or a daughter who is loved by the King of Kings, and who is eagerly awaiting their homecoming.

What Does It Mean: What does it mean to be like Mary and choose the good portion. Permit me to give you some practical tools that you might put in use in your busy lives to foster a Mary-like abiding in the goodness of God. I will provide you with five very short, and very simple ways to foster a God-cherishing in your heart.

Begin Each Day With God’s Word: First, begin each day with God’s Word. Have a plan, and develop the muscled discipline of reading God’s Word each day. This is your invitation to sit with Jesus at the start of each day, and let him speak his words to you. If you are not a morning person, become a morning person.

Morning, Noon, and Night Prayer: Second, develop a habit of morning, noon, and night prayer. This can be as simple as five minutes each time. But build the habit, that at a very minimum, each morning, noon, and night, you will pull away from your busy life, and connect with God in the intimacy of prayer.

Removing Distracting Media: Three, remove distracting or harmful media from your life. All through the Bible we are commanded to keep watch over what our eyes see, because those images rattle around brain and cause all kinds of disheveled and ungodly thoughts. Monitor what your eyes are seeing with diligence.

Acknowledging God in Creation Daily: Fourth, take just a moment, every day to acknowledge God in and through creation. If all you are able to do is look up at the clouds, see them, and marvel at God’s creation. Stop and feel the bark of a tree as you walk by it. See a spider spin its web. Pause for a moment, and give glory to God the great artist!

Contemplate Heaven Often: Fifth and finally, train yourself to contemplate heaven often. Think of what it will be like to see him face to face. Think of what it will be like to live without the temptation to sin, and without the pain of our hardships in this life. Think of what it will be like to join with all the saints both dead and alive in the chorus of the angels. Linger, long enough to feel it.

We must shift from “doing for Jesus” to “being with Jesus.”

Conclusion

Oh Christian, remember this, your true possession—the grace of God through Jesus Christ—will never be taken from you. Kings must one day hand over their kingdom to their heirs. Rich men must hand over their riches to he who comes next. Great and skilled men and women will grow old and their productivity will fail them, their minds will be less sharp. But there is one portion that cannot be taken from you, Jesus Christ. Make him your greatest portion today. Do not rest until you have.