Jesus IS the Gospel

Jesus was at the home of Mary and Martha, two of his favorite people

Martha was bustling around preparing the meal for their special guest

Mary sat with Jesus listening about all he had to say

Martha expected Mary to help her in the preparations, as was required by their culture

Martha worried that there was too much her to do alone

She accused Jesus with her question

She appealed to Jesus sense of compassion and justice

Martha told Jesus to command Mary to help her.

Martha was expecting Jesus to intervene, to take command of the situation and tell Mary what to do.

Martha certainly was not expecting Jesus to turn it around and point out a “better way.”

Martha wasn’t necessarily doing anything wrong, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t a better way

Jesus previously taught in Matt. 6:25-26 not to worry for anything.

Jesus certainly never expected any elaborate meal

Even though Martha wanted to make a good meal for the group, the stress of it caused her to make demands of others.

Martha did not expect Jesus to turn it around on her and say that Mary chose the “better way”

Jesus way would not include making others to things because of other’s expectations

Besides, Jesus did not have much time to teach them.

If Mary, or any other person were hungry enough, they would have helped Martha after listening to Jesus.

This is what we do in fasting, suspending our need for food to draw closer to God.

Mary and Martha knew Jesus personally as friends and were grateful for Jesus bringing back Lazarus to them, yet they revered as the Lord.

Paul revered Jesus Christ as the Lord and gives the Colossians solid reasons for doing so.

Jesus was not a demigod or higher order angelic being

The Colossians were trying to meld Greek asceticism with with Hebrew theology

Paul wrote to them to clarify the Supremacy of Jesus Christ as Lord.

All of Creation was made BECAUSE of him.

All of Creation is sustained by him.

All of the church (Called out Ones) acts as His body.

He died to reconcile all things to himself (to make them good)

Because we made ourselves enemies by choosing to disobey

By his death and resurrection, he made us holy

IF, we continue to be rooted (grounded, established, firm) in faith, AND, hold onto our hope, which is in Jesus, we are perfected in the love of God.

Not by authority over angelic beings. Not by religious rites that appease some deity. Not by some familial inheritance.

We are holy perfected in love because and by the love of Jesus Christ, and that is all the Good News we need.