Grabbing the Broom But Missing the Point

Opening illustration:

What does it feel like to be wrong?

We someone very wrong but very confident.

Big Idea: Good can be the enemy of great

or: “It is a good idea to do things that cannot be undone”

Passage: Luke 10:38-42

Serving Jesus is a good thing, but it is better to actually be with Jesus and learn from Him.

Martha is wrong but not in doubt (v. 40). It is so easy to think that other people are doing wrong things and we are doing the right things. Growth happens when we are open to being wrong. Good can be the enemy of great because we can stop asking ourselves if the thing we are doing is wrong! If we were sinning, there is a voice that says we need to stop. If we are doing good things, then we are so confident we don’t even consider if there is a better portion. The real enemy (satan) doesn’t ever want us to ask this question. “Is there a better portion that I am missing?”

Sometimes satan wants you to sin, other times he is content with just getting you to be distracted.

Jesus’ encouragement to Martha is to focus on what is necessary. Paul says the same thing in

1 Corinthians 10:23 ESV

“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.

CHANGE THE QUESTION. Not, “Am I allowed to do this?” but “Is this good for me? Is this necessary?”

Jesus is saying that Martha has the wrong priorities: she is missing the thing she needs to do and is instead doing things that are good to do.

Almost everything we do gets undone. Jillian and scrap-booking. But it is not really true: the kids grow up and more scrapbooks are required.

Reflect: how are you spending your time? If Mary were here today, would she be doing the same?

Who is Mary’s Lord? Clearly Jesus. Who is Martha’s Lord? The answer is not as clear.

Organization?

Cleanliness?

Order?

Image?

We can tell that Jesus is not her Lord because she doesn’t like the way that He is acting (v. 40)

What is Martha working on? We don’t really know. Being a good host is the most logical guess. It likely included food, as this was an essential part of welcoming someone into your house.

Here is how Martha is missing the point:

If Martha is scrambling to clean, she needs to realize Jesus in the light of the world who shines His light into the darkest areas of our lives, sees our dirt, and loves us anyway.

If Martha is scrambling to feed Jesus, she needs to realize that we do not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

If Martha is trying to make Jesus comfortable, she needs to realize that He is the one who has come to comfort us.

If Martha is avoiding time with Jesus because she thinks she is unworthy, she needs to know that there is equality at the cross. Jesus has come for those who know they are unworthy.

Martha shows us a scary reality: it is easy to serve the Lord and ignore Him. If we become focused on the work that we are doing rather than the heart that is behind it, we open ourselves up to being Martha. Our actions do not earn the right to be at the feet of Jesus, but being at the feet of Jesus fuels our actions.

How does Jesus respond to her? He does not say she has done something wrong, but that there is a better option.

He WANTS to give Martha something that death cannot touch, something that is better, something that will not be taken away from her.

He wants to give you the same things. Will you receive it?

Jesus has come to give eternal life to those who are willing to sit at his feet. He is not doing this because he needs workers/people to serve Him. He does this because He loves us. Because when we sit at his feet, we remember that we have nothing to worry about!

CYC:

Sit at His feet (Tim Keller story)

Don’t serve Jesus so He will love you, serve Him because you love Him (“Furthermore, when you’re not assured of God’s love for you, your motivations for obedience will become corrupted. You’ll do good works in the hopes that God will approve of you because of them. This is not really love for God; it’s self-preservation. Only the security of knowing God has accepted you can free you to seek God for His own sake. Apart from that assurance, you can fear God like a slave master, but you’ll never love Him like a father.—J. D. Greaer, SAJIYH)

Choose what is better