Sermon Tone Analysis
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I'm not sure if Martha knew that her temper tantrum would wind up in Luke's Gospel if she would've made kept a lid on it.
But her embarrassment is actually our gain, in we discover one of the most essential (and most neglected) keys to intimacy with God.
This account opens with Jesus and his disciples's journeying through the town of Bethany, just 2 miles east of Jerusalem.
It's here, as Luke described it, that "a woman named Martha opened her home to him."
Now Luke does not say, but I am assuming that Martha opened her home to the disciples as well.
Now Luke does not say, but I am assuming that Martha opened her home to the disciples as well.
Which means she had a minimum of 13 extra places to set and to worry about.
And it's unlikely that she had an advance schedule of Jesus' itinerary.
Every indication is that it was a spontaneous, unexpected visit.
Put yourself in Marthas sandals… Suppose your pastor and 12 of his buddies pulled into the driveway late one afternoon and said, "Luther!
Brenda!
Good to see you guys!
We were just driving by and thought we would drop in for a bite to eat!!"
How would you respond?You would try and act enthusiastic.
"What a privilege!"
you would say with a smile frozen on your face!
As they came in you would start apologizing for the sink full of dishes, and lawn more parts spread all over the living room floor.
At the same time you would be mentally rummaging through the cupboards, wondering how you were going to stretch one box of hamburger helper into a full-scale banquet.
Can you see Martha?
She's not running a restaurant – she's running a home.
If the town of Bethany had a Pizza Hut she might have, in a very nice way, pointed Jesus and his disciples down the road.
But that wasn't an option.
Martha now had an unexpected crowd for dinner.
And though she probably had the best intentions, it's almost inevitable that some kind a struggle was going on inside of her.
Being a sincere and industrious woman, Martha buckled down to make a serious meal.
It's a fair guess that she assumed her sister Mary – probably her younger sister – would join her in the kitchen.
So imagine her reaction when she sees Mary's sitting at Jesus's feet, listening to him teach.
Here is Martha, sweating over this huge task of hospitality, while her sister is relaxing, unaware and unaffected.
Do you think that may have tested her attitude just a little?
By this point dinner wasn't the only thing boiling in Martha's kitchen.
What began as a genuine act of kindness has taken an unexpected turn.
She is now angry, and doing her Best to project guilt on to Mary.
"Lord", she snaps, interrupting his teaching, "don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work myself?
Tell her to help me!"
Obviously, this was not a polite exchange, and Martha of course, had no idea it would go into the biblical record.
But at this point she's a frustrated lady, reacting sinfully to what she felt was real insensitivity.
Marthas reputation has suffered over the years, so let me add this in her defense.
She learned from the Lords tactful and gentle correction, as later accounts in the gospels make clear.
Also, she is to be commended for serving.
Serving is a theme emphasize throughout Scripture.
It was her sinful attitude, not her serving, that got Martha in trouble.
In seeing activity as a higher priority than listening to the Lord, Martha erred on three fronts.
She charged God."Lord, don't you care…?"
To my regret, I have said or thought the same thing many times.
If we fail to develop a lifestyle of listening, we inevitably begin to doubt God's love.
We become highly susceptible to false interpretations of our circumstances, and are likely to be governed by our emotions.
When we haven't been waiting on God and listening to his voice, we easily become suspicious of his care.
Yet few things grieve God more than being accused of not caring.
Do you know why?
Because there isn't anyone who cares for us like God does.
No one cares like the Lord.
We will become aware of and secure in his constant care as we study Scripture and listen to his voice.
She became distracted.Distracted defined is "suffering conflicting emotions; distraught."
When we do not make time to wait before God, we are easily distracted.
Our perspective becomes distorted, our emotions churn, and anxiety begins to build.
Martha couldn't have fit that description any better.
And don't think Martha is alone in this – everyone is well acquainted with distraction and worry.
Because when we stop listening, we start worrying, and worry is a serious affront to God.
In effect, it says, "I don't trust you, Lord."
But when we were ship and wait on God, worry is rarely an issue, because in God's presence we receive assurance of his sovereignty, wisdom, and care.
Those circumstances may remain unchanged, we now have an E ternal perspective which removes the worry from the heart and replaces it with peace.
She accused and condemned her sister.Failure to wait on God and listen to his voice often culminates in criticism of and comparison to others.
We are often tempted to resent others particularly if they appear "more spiritual."
But if we are honest, will admit we sometimes react sinfully to others in exactly the same way Martha reacted to Mary.
What this reveals, among other things, is that we haven't been waiting on God.
I'm affected by the way Jesus responded to Martha.
He might've stirred up and declared, "do you have any idea who you're talking to?
How dare you command me!
I created you!"
Instead, he sat there, waited until she had finished exposing her sinful heart, and simply said "Martha, Martha."
By the way… If the Lord uses your name twice, brace yourself for rebuke.
It's time for all seat backs to be please forward entry tables to be returned to their original and upright position.
"You are worried and upset about many things" Jesus told her. "But only one thing is needed.
Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
Please note that Jesus didn't empathize with Martha.
Despite the zeal with which she had served, he didn't excuse her attitude in the slightest.
For Marthas activity, although zealous, was neither led by the Spirit normal divided by gods grace.
Rather, it was a work of the flesh, which can snare of the Christian and fruitless legalism and dad works.
Quite often the result is self – induced frustration, anger, and discouragement.
Once we've been reconciled to God through the person and finished work of Christ, it is important that we cultivate a relationship with God by practicing the spiritual disciplines (worship, prayer, studying scripture, etc.).
In this, let us endeavor to imitate not Martha, but Mary, who in the words of Christ shows "what is better, and will not be taken away from her."
To imitate Mary and her devotion to the Lord is to choose not only the better thing, but the eternal.
A radically different approachWhat does it take to please God?
To know him more intimately?
To discern his will?
To serve his purpose?
First, it takes a listening heart, for discipleship begins with contemplation, not action.
If you are not regularly hearing God's voice, ask yourself, "am I regularly making time to listen?"
If your schedule reveals that you haven't made listening a priority, you shouldn't be surprised that you are not having fresh, intimate encounters with God.
Listening requires that we spend unhurried, on interrupted, undistracted time waiting on him.
Jesus instructed us to find a room where we can go in and shut the door behind us.
Yet many Christians consider prayer a time to talk to God, if not at him.
But he has much to say to us, and we can only hear him if we are listening instead of talking.
At the other extreme, we can become overly intense, trying to make God speak.
As you wait on him he will speak.
He has promised to speak.
He is at communicating God who desires to teach.
Remember, we didn't discover God; he revealed himself to us.
There is no divine reluctance to communicate that we must overcome by sheer force of effort – as if that were in our power.
A primary aspect of listening involves the reading and study of Scripture.
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