Sermon Tone Analysis
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We get to study two very special women today.
Mary and Martha.
Jesus had foes, fans, and friends.
Foes chose not to like Him.
Fans chose to like Him for a season.
The thing that is similar between fans and foes?
They choose you.
Friends you choose.
So that’s a special, unique relationship.
There were many who had chosen to be Jesus’ foes.
There were many who had chosen to be Jesus’ fans.
There were only a few that Jesus had chosen to be His friends.
Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were Jesus’ friends.
Martha was a home owner.
Her sister Mary and brother Lazarus lived with her.
Many bible scholars think this could have implied her being a widower.
It does not say this was planned.
Unplanned visits and meals can stress us out.
Especially back then with no Costco near by.
• Every time Mary is mentioned in the New Testament, she is sitting at Jesus’ feet.
She is at His feet after her brother, Lazarus, has died (John 11:32).
She is at His feet in worship in John 12:3.
* She is at His feet in this story.
SITTING AT THE TEACHER’S FEET
In Greco-Roman culture, when a student wanted to show the utmost respect to their teacher they would sit at the teacher’s feet.
It was the humble posture of a learner.
By situating themselves at such an intimate position in relationship to the one who was instructing them, it showed how much they valued the education they were receiving and their close connection to the instructor.
The Greek word “mathetes” means “one who is an understudy, one who knows that the teacher offers them insights they could never gain on their own.”
It is a signal of the student’s recognition of the superiority of the teacher to them.
To sit at someone’s feet was an official position.
In that day, you were not accepted to a school.
You were accepted by a teacher.
So you didn’t apply to Harvard.
You applied to your rabbi.
And if you applied to your rabbi and they examined and investigated you, then you would be accepted and you were given the honorable position of sitting at their feet while they lectured and instructed.
And so your commitment was more to a teacher, a professor, a rabbi, than it was to an institution or an organization.
And lots of people would want to sit at Jesus’ feet, but only a few were allowed to, and Mary was among them.
That’s why we see with the Apostle Paul, in Acts 22 when he’s reflecting back on his former life, before he met Jesus as savior he says that he was formerly trained by, quote, “sitting at the feet of the rabbi Gamaliel.”
That’s his articulation of his academic pedigree and instruction.
So when we see Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, that means she has been selected as one of his honored students to be a disciple of his and to receive formal ministry training from none other than the Lord Jesus Christ.
She was hosting the King of kings and Lord of lords.
The Messiah.
In her home.
She wanted to make sure everything was perfect.
- First time a pastor came to our home for a meal.
Vs. 40: distraction: Interestingly, one of the meanings of the word distraction comes from a French term related to a cruel form of torture.
This medieval French torture was set-aside for the very worst offenders.
The offender had their four limbs tied to four horses, you can figure out what happened next; they got dis-tracted!
Distraction can kill us and our walks with God.
Can you be overextended, overcommitted?
Yeah.
Can you reach the point where you have nominated yourself to do too much and you get distracted?
Are you being pulled in four different ways? - End with this.
Martha was distracted by what?
Serving.
The problem is not serving it is knowing when to stop serving and sit at the feet of Jesus.
Busy ppl are annoyed with ppl that are not as busy as they are.
Have you ever been annoyed when it feels like you are the only one cleaning up?
And to make a point you clean a little louder.
Big exhales, banging cups, pots, or pans hoping that the others that are not helping notice.
(Oh, I am the only one?)
Vs 40: We all have the family member that disappears when it is time to clean up.
Lord don’t you care that my sister is letting me do all the work?
- This is tattletale-ing.
I’m on my way to Jerusalem to atone for the sin of the world.
I care.
“Whenever what you are doing for Jesus gets you upset with Jesus, then you have missed Jesus.” - Dr. Tony Evans
Tell her to help me?
You are so upset, that you are now telling God what to do?
The Lord said Martha’s name twice.
When ever the Lord say’s something twice before His statement you better pay close attention.
(Remember when your Mom would call you by your first name it mean’t one thing.
When she called you by your first name and middle name, it can mean something totally different.
If she calls you by your first, middle, and last name.... your dead.
So listen closely at what I am about to say to you… Are you listening?
You are worried about many things.
“But few things are needed”.
Here’s what Jesus is saying, “Martha, there’s a lot you can do, but there’s something that’s most important.
In fact, Martha, you could take everything you’ve ever written on every to-do list and combine their importance and they’re not as important as getting time with me.”
Jesus affirms Mary’s choice.
• The principle that Mary grasped was “Man shall not live on
bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the
mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).
• Martha is busy, but Mary is busy being blessed!
• Listening to Jesus should always be our first priority.
Paying attention to His Word is the starting place for our spiritual lives.
Through prayer and the Word, we should sit as His feet, just as Mary does.
• Jesus says that only a few things are really necessary.
We
sometimes make our faith too complicated.
• Jesus isn’t hungry for a seven-course meal.
He is hungry for you!
• Mary made the best choice.
She understood why they’d all gotten together in the first place.
But few things are needed.
Chosen what is better.
Mary has chosen the good portion.
If Jesus was at your house for a meal.
You would give Him the best piece of steak or the “good portion”.
Once you’re done with a meal, it’s over.
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