Luke 10:38-42 Mary and Martha

Illustration

(As a Parent … we teach our children about Gifts … ) etc

PONDER IN Depth this sermon

God’s best gifts are not put in the places you most expect … they are often in the places we least expect … in the times of desperations and sufferings… in the times of confusion and not assurances … Our confusion leads us into the assurance of Christ … a deepen relationship with Christ ... // for Martha where she thought she was blessed in serving Christ at that moment, the true blessing was in the least expected position … Mary was at the feet of Jesus … and this Jesus said was blessed … “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken from her” = this gift and this assurance will NOT EVER BE TAKEN FROM HER … wow … (too much serving can rob us of intimacy with Christ … for Martha it was not gaining but losing … wow … this is the reality for the muslim, do do do… but not ever being …) … notice the difference between the STANDING and the SITTING at the Lord’s feet … (google picture)

-It is heart breaking … the world religions … hold onto the cup … but they dont drink … they get weary … and they die from weariness

(Imagine being Mary and having your heart lifted up … jesus said you chose the good portion … well done my good and faithful servant) … that moment itself was a teaching Mary was sitting under

Ponder: Jesus did not lash out at martha … he resonded with gracious gentleness … Jesus could have said “no martha you are wrong … “ frammed it in a way that is painful etc *** .. jesus said “martha Martha … it was intimate … by name jesus addresses her and the heart issue // “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks .. “

https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Mary-Bethany.html

There are Two Postures

Standing vs. Sitting

STANDING

If you are standing too long you get weary and the same is for us spiritually

The illustration of holding a glass of water: Ps 16:5

When you are holding the glass of water for 1 minute it is not heavy

When you are holding the water for 1 hour it gets tiring

when you are holding the water for 1 day it gets unbearable:

when you are holding the water for 1 week it leads to death

How do we avoid this?? we put the glass down

SITTING

“Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching” (Lk 10:39)

The Standing leads to weariness but sitting leads to rest (body and soul)

Recognize: this moment of sitting at the Lord’s feet you are not doing the work, but he is working, you sit there and drink (from the source of living water).

Mary listened to the Lord’s teaching … this is the true posture of worship

In Eternity we will be in rest and worship: “give us a taste on earth Lord” - Prayer

A Weary Soul is a Bitter Soul

“Lord, do you not care … Lord do you not care that … my sister has left me to serve alone”

A bitter heart leads a person to say “Lord, do you not care?”

Look at the detail of the human body Ps 139:14

“14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

it leads us to look at the good and call it evil “my sister has left me to serve alone”

Martha did not affirm Mary but condemned Mary

Yes we are to serve the Lord but here is the truth Mt 9:13

“13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.””

It leads a heart to be entitled “tell her then to help me!”

The Lord is quick to address entitlement

The Lord Answers: One thing is Necessary

“but the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha”

The Lord is quick to address the root of the problem

“you are anxious and troubled about many things”

The Lord reveals truth “one thing is necessary”

“Mary has chosen the good portion”

“which will not be taken away from her”

The good things God gives cannot be taken away from you

Your Worship, Your Prayers, Your Faith, Your Hope, Your Love

None of these things can be robbed from you and taken away

Luke 11:9–13 ESV

9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

God the Father gives good gifts to his children … the good gift from the father is mirrored with the good gift of the Holy Spirit …

Being the presence of Christ is equivalent of God’s presence being manifested through the work of the Holy Spirit

We no longer have Christ, but we have the Holy Spirit (Jn 16:7)

“it was for our advantage Christ depart that he might impart his Spirit”

Where is the Position of our heart?

I have been there… i have tried holding the glass for 1 hour … man, i have been there in seminary holding the glass for a whole day (1 day) … just because I was in seminary did not mean I was refreshed, drinking from the source of living water

I got weary, i missed the good thing: his presence

I can imagine as Mary is sitting there listening to Jesus she is filled with hope that her master said “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her”

Think about how this alone would sustain her through her next trial of the death of Lazarus … Then lead her to anoint Christ 6 days before his death Lk 12:1-8 at Bethany (a heart of worship brings us to where we need to be in Christ)

(MARTHA’s work’s were not going to sustain her for what was about to come … the death of Lazarus) Jn 11:20, Jn 11:21-22

BEING IN THE LORD’s Presence prepares us for great sorrow, it shall sustain us … in the end it shall lead us to the Glory of God … PONDER

By faith … Mary sat and waited on the Lord (“Mary remained seated in the house”)… Jesus attended to Martha and did heart surgery … the reorientation of her heart shifted in this very moment… “Now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you” … she later confesses Christ as the Son of God, who is coming into the world // this was one of the most climatic moments of Jesus ministry before he was to be sent to the cross by far … raising Lazarus from the dead yes, but changing Martha’s heart ***

Lazarus being raised from the dead was a great miracle but the greater miracle was Martha’s heart transformation through Christ … “confessing Son of God”

The one thing Necessary is a heart changed… a dead man coming to life … a life that confesses Christ as the life and resurrection … WOW … This is the greater miracle

Out of the overflow of Mary’s heart … she anoints Jesus at Bethany with 300 worth (1 years wages) of perfume… 6 days before Jesus was to be crucified and be the one to die // (the one thing Necessary Mary had sustained her through the trial of Lazarus… through and through) Greater Glory is revealed