The Overwhelm and the One thing

Luke 10:38-42

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.”

“Kung Fu Panda” (2008) Po wants to learn kung fu fast — but Master Oogway tells him to slow down and be still. Only when he stops striving does he begin to truly learn.

Finn the fish was tired of swimming. “I wish I could fly like the birds,” he said. So one day, he leapt out of the water—straight into the air!

For a moment, he felt free… then plop! right back into the lake.

Gasping, Finn realized, “I can’t breathe up there!

Luke 10 as a whole emphasizes what it means to follow Jesus:

Earlier in the chapter, Jesus sends out the 72 disciples to serve and proclaim the Kingdom (vv. 1–24).

Then a lawyer asks Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” — leading to the parable of the Good Samaritan (vv. 25–37), which teaches active love.

Now in Martha and Mary’s story, Jesus balances that teaching — yes, serve others like the Samaritan, but don’t neglect sitting with Jesus.

The Overwhelmed and the one thing

Who is overwhelmed?

Its really easy for us to read this short passages and sorta turn these two sisters into cartoon Characters- like good vs bad

Mary who is really centered, shes really in touch with her spirt and shes chill and is just wonderful

Unlike the neurotic dingbat sister of hers Martha - and she is just wrapped around the axel and she has no chill at all

Who Is Martha?

Martha was a Jewish woman who lived in the village of Bethany, just a few miles outside Jerusalem.

She lived with her sister Mary and brother Lazarus — all three were close friends of Jesus.

The name Martha means “lady”

She appears in three main passages in the Gospels:

Luke 10:38–42 — when Jesus visits their home and she gets distracted by serving.

John 11:1–44 — when her brother Lazarus dies, and she runs to meet Jesus, showing strong faith.

John 12:1–2 — when she serves a dinner in Jesus’ honor right before His death.

Later in the Gospel of John, Martha shows that she’s learned from this earlier moment. When Lazarus dies, she runs to Jesus instead of running around in busyness.

Martha’s next appearance involves the sickness and death of her brother Lazarus. After sending for Jesus she meets him with the gentle rebuke that if he had been there her brother would not have died. Jesus challenges her by asking if she believes that whoever believes in him will never die. She responds with one of the more lofty confessions in all the NT: “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one coming into the world

Who is Mary?

Mary of Bethany was the sister of Martha and Lazarus.

She lived in the small village of Bethany, about two miles from Jerusalem.

Her family was close friends with Jesus — He often stayed at their home when traveling to Jerusalem.

She’s different from other women named Mary in the Bible (like Mary the mother of Jesus or Mary Magdalene).

Mary of Bethany is mentioned three main times in the Gospels — and every time, she is at Jesus’ feet.

“When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet, saying, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’” (John 11:32)

Again, she’s at Jesus’ feet — this time in sorrow. Her response is emotional and honest. She weeps — and Jesus weeps with her.

What is making her overwhelmed?

Look in verse 41- you are anxious and troubled about “many things”

what are the many things? External and internal

External- Exceptions, or cultural expectations, in 1st cen. Judaism what are the expectations for a women?

What they are not is to- to sit at the feet of a rabbi is not the formal position on a disciple/ a student of Tora sop Mary is going agaisnt cultral expectations

Internal- “Lord do you not care” I have mental picture of how things should be and things are right if they conform to my menal picture and they are messed up if that don’t conform to my mental picture- and she has a mental picture on how this dinner party should be going but its not going they way she's wants it to go go because one of the workers is sitting at Jesus’s feet and it Frustrates her

I told you to hang on the word Irony pull it back out

The irony is that Martha is working so hard for Jesus that she's missing Jesus x2

As you and i are trying to stay on top of everything, every text, every feed, every cool new podcast- what If Jesus walked up next to us and said why are you doing this? did i ask you to stay on top of everything? Martha did i ask you to make everything your making?

My grind is not bad things….. Its not like do kill people today? did i run coke today, do i rob the bank and then do my HW

good thing good thing good thing

The one thing

First thing Jesus he sees her.

the little i know about 1st cen Judaism- I don’ t think there were lot of men who saw a women

Notice he dosen’t talk about her activity at all but rather he talks about who she is

Lookin' out at the road rushin' under my wheels I don't know how to tell you all just how crazy this life feels I look around for the friends that I used to turn to to pull me through Lookin' into their eyes, I see them runnin' too

see me im tired im ground down

other people may no see you but Jesus Christ can see you

Martha….Martha…. lovers language

he dosen’t talk about her activity at all but rather he talks about who she is

We want Jesus to just tell us what to do and what Jesus tell us is who we are and about the heart

Jesus is not what comes within a man that makes him unclear but its from within

Its not what goes into a week that makes it crazy but from within- what comes out is overcommitment, people pleasing, perfectionism, fear of missing out, and insurcuity about stillness- all of these things come from within which can make a week crazy. Jesus looks at the heart

42 Look how Jesus responds:

“But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary…’”

Explanation

Jesus gently repeats her name — He’s not angry; He’s loving.

He sees her anxiety and invites her to rest.

“One thing is necessary” = relationship with Jesus comes first.

Application

Jesus doesn’t need your performance — He wants your presence.

You don’t have to earn His love; He already delights in you.

Resting in Him actually frees you to serve from love instead of stress.

“The Good Portion” = Jesus Himself

In Scripture, God Himself is often called our portion — the best thing we can have in life. Here are a few examples:

Psalm 16:5 — “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”

Psalm 73:26 — “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Lamentations 3:24 — “The Lord is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in Him.”

So, Jesus is connecting to that Old Testament idea — He’s saying:

“The best portion — the best thing you can choose — is Me.”

Jesus is claiming to be God and Mary is doing the very thing she was created to do

Closing thoughts

You and i will have to say NO to a lot of good things so that we can have what is great

“Good is the enemy of great” Jim Collins

good thing good thing good thing

You and i Will have to say no to good things repeatedly to measurable things to post-able things so that we can have what is great

Some of you go to great schools- and partty that is you are always checking boxes jumping through loops, hit those grades, hit those marks

And good job for what you have done but that may mean that your way of doing life is so active and busy that you may not ever notice it

You and i will have to say NO to a lot of good things so that we can have what is great

1. We have to make Church a pritory

2. We have to make youth a pritory

3. Can you start your day in stillness - 3 mins remember that God is God and we are not

And maybe your in a hard season where it feels like life is throwing the kitchen sink at you “Lord do you not Care”

look at verse 38 as we end

Where are they going? they are going to Jerusalem they are going there for Jesus to die

Jesus has paid for your anxiety

And Jesus broke the power of sin so that people like me and you can actrally change

you no longer have to be defined by what you do but you cab be defined by who you belong to

you can actually experience that Jesus is your portion