The Time Barrier

Introduction:

Striving toward the high call of Jesus is a daily joy and struggle. It is a joy when our mind and body are focused on Jesus and obedience comes easy. It is a struggle when our mind and body are distracted leading to disobedience in doing the very activities we want to do. In the past weeks there have been highs and lows in following Jesus. What I have found is my joy must be tied to being close to Jesus.

While away in El Salvador I found the long days of talking, walking and sharing the gospel a joy and the burden light. Comparing that trip to the normal schedule kept between pastoring, fathering and being a husband, I find myself wearied. Preparing this weeks sermon on how priorities and time management is key to serving our neighbors well I realized how little time and preparation I give to my schedule. The easiest thing to distract me from what is most important in life is to never sit down and prioritize what is most important. The urgency of the immediate will always distract away from the necessity of God given priorities.

What is the one thing that we have been placed on this earth for? If each of us had to write down the overarching principle that should guide our time and priorities, what would it be?

As I sit in my office writing this introduction to the sermon, I find myself panicked because of weather and the choice to postpone a canvassing event. The weight of getting to know people in an impactful way is weighing on my soul. When we keep eternity in view it clarifies what is most pressing to accomplish on this earth. The Westminister catechism says it this way. What is the chief end of man? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.

If this is the summation of the reason you and I exist, do our priorities and the standards that govern our time match?

I wonder how many of us have ever given thought to what principles and priorities should decided and govern how we spend our time.

If loving God is priority one, how does that affect your days?

If loving others is priority two, how does that affect your days?

Take a moment and evaluate your tv habits, technology habits, social media time, hobby time…are you content with how your time is spent? Is God honored by how your time is spent? Have you prayed and asked God how you should spend your time?

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke Martha, Mary, and Jesus (10:38–42)

Martha “had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said” (v. 39). This seemingly objective statement is actually the description of a model disciple in Judaism.

At the current pace of life and the current responsibilities your possess is there space to add another thing?

IN his book What’s Best Next, Matt Perman uses the example of a highway to prove the point that we cannot overload our schedules…

We go through all of this introduction to ask, what are the excuses used by you to not spend time with those who live closest to you?

Luke 10:38–42 ESV

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10

Background:

This section of scripture comes directly after the good samaritan parable. Jesus is contrasting not only how different Mary is from the Lawyer, but is showing us that religious duty and personally duty are trumped by listening and following Jesus.

Distracted

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke Martha, Mary, and Jesus (10:38–42)

“All the preparations” (v. 40) have made her anxious and distracted by “many things” (v. 41). Jesus does not condemn Martha, but reminds her with gentleness and firmness of a better way. “One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her”

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke Martha, Mary, and Jesus (10:38–42)

While Mary is absorbed in Jesus’ presence, Martha is left with “all the preparations” (v. 40; Gk. lit. “much service”) without Mary’s help or the help of a servant. In Near Eastern culture, then as now, this was a considerable obligation. Patience decreases as pressure increases

How are we distracted today?

It is vital to take a step back and ask ourselves if we live at a pace that allows us to be available to those who live around us.

Lies we believe about our schedule:

Lie 1: Things will settle down someday

Lie 2: More will be enough

Lie 3: Everybody lives like this

Does the word hurried or distracted come to mind when you think of the life of Jesus?

Psalm 90:12 ESV

12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.

Psalm

One Thing

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke Martha, Mary, and Jesus (10:38–42)

“All the preparations” (v. 40) have made her anxious and distracted by “many things” (v. 41). Jesus does not condemn Martha, but reminds her with gentleness and firmness of a better way. “One thing is necessary. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her”

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke Martha, Mary, and Jesus (10:38–42)

“One thing is needful” directs Martha’s attention away from the menu to the “one thing” of absolute importance—hearing Jesus’ word (v. 39).

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke Martha, Mary, and Jesus (10:38–42)

Jesus does not condemn Martha’s hospitality but directs her to a new understanding and employment of it in light of the gospel, an understanding that will prevent it from impeding discipleship and redeem it on behalf of discipleship.

Seeking Jesus

The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Luke Martha, Mary, and Jesus (10:38–42)

Finally, and most important, in announcing that only “one thing is needful” (v. 42), Jesus has subtly but deliberately placed himself above Torah. The “one thing needful” in the Jewish synagogue—by all accounts—was study of Torah. Jesus does not direct Martha or readers to Torah, but to himself. In so doing, he has given a definitive and final answer to the question of the lawyer in vv. 25–26. Not in fulfilling the two greatest commandments—whether love of God or love of neighbor—is eternal life inherited, but in sitting at Jesus’ feet and hearing his word.

So if our lives are out of balance and we don’t have time to get to know the person next door, the solution is clear—identify and eliminate the nonessentials. Following are three life-balancing principles that will help you do just that: (1) make the main thing the main thing, (2) eliminate time stealers, and (3) be interruptible.

It’s one thing to be home; it’s another thing to be present. It’s going to take some real discipline with our calendars and our hearts to become the kind of neighbors that Jesus wants us to be. But it’s worth it.

Pathak, Jay. The Art of Neighboring (p. 58). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.