Serving & Sitting
Luke 10:38-42

I’m in a hurry to get things done, I rush and rush until life’s no fun

            All I really got to do is live and die, but I’m in a hurry and don’t know why!

 

Maybe some of you remember hearing this refrain on country radio back in the 1990’s. Every time I hear this old Alabama song, its convicting truth resounds through my heart and mind, and I say to myself, “I really need to stop and apply the words of this song to my life—if I could just find the time to do it!”

How about you? Do you ever feel like your life is moving too fast? Do you ever feel stressed out or burned out because you have so much to do and not enough time to do it? Do you find yourself constantly worrying and bearing the weight of anxiety?

I think about this song every time I read Luke’s story about Jesus having dinner at the home of Mary and Martha!

 

1) Martha’s Dinner Party (38)

As Jesus and his disciples were traveling throughout Judea, they came into the tiny village of Bethany which was situated on the slope of the Mount of Olives a few miles to the east of Jerusalem. In this town lived a woman named Martha who lived with her sister Mary. Now we don’t know exactly how it happened, but somehow Martha found out that Jesus just arrived in town. Being the outgoing Type A personality she was, she decided to exercise her spiritual gift of hospitality by opening her home to them. At the very least she was having them over for dinner, but she was more than likely putting them up for the night.

Now it is always a little nerve-racking when you have people over for dinner, let alone spend the night. But when was the last time you hosted a party of 13? And remember, we’re not talking about some Friday night slumber party for teenage girls; these were distinguished guests. It isn’t every day that the Son of God drops by for dinner and dessert. You would want to make a good impression, and so did Martha!

Do you see Martha walking in the back door? Her arms are full of extra food and supplies. She is tying her apron around her waist and bouncing around the kitchen like a pinball. The bread is in the oven, the lamb is roasting on the fire, and she is cutting fresh fruits and vegetables. If there was ever a biblical candidate to host their own show on the Food Network, it would be Martha. She had more pizzazz than Emeril, more southern charm than Paula Dean, and she could pull a Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meal in only 15 minutes, but the deck was stacked against her this day. Has Martha Stewart ever cooked for the Son of God? I don’t think so!

Just when she thought she had a handle on all of the preparations, she hears “Knock, knock!” Jesus and the disciples are at the door! But there was still so much to do!

Has this ever happened to you? Have you ever had someone show up way too early for dinner? That happened to Jennifer and I a few years ago. We were having some folks over for dinner at 6:00 p.m. We hadn’t set the table, chopped the salad, nor put the meat on the grill yet, but then again, we had plenty of time, or so we thought.

            All of the sudden we heard “Ding dong!” I looked at the clock and it read 5:25 p.m., and I said to Jennifer, “Who could that be?” She shrugged her shoulders as I opened the door. There before us stood our guests with smiles a mile wide. Needless to say, I wasn’t smiling as wide as they were. I murmured to myself, “Who in the world shows up for dinner 35 minutes early?” I believe this was the type of anxiety Martha was experiencing!

 

2) Mary’s Conversation (39-40)

Just as Jesus and his disciples got settled in, Martha’s sister Mary got home. Mary was thrilled to see Jesus! Martha was thrilled to see Mary! Finally, Martha had someone to lend a helping hand. Sure, she was good in the kitchen, but she wasn’t a miracle worker! Martha interrupted the conversation and hinted, “I’ll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me.” Mary haphazardly said, “I’ll be there in a minute,” and resumed her conversation with Jesus. Martha was mildly annoyed by Mary’s apathy toward the preparations that still needed to be made, but she was still grateful to have another set of hands in the kitchen.

After about 10 minutes Mary still hadn’t made it to the kitchen. Martha’s frustration mounted when she went back into the other room and saw Mary just sitting at Jesus’ feet doing anything. She waited for a pause in the conversation and again motioned for Mary to come to the kitchen. Mary held up her index finger to indicate that she would be there momentarily. Martha stomped back into the kitchen to chop a few more vegetables (as loudly as she could). All the while she was steaming like a tea kettle because Mary wouldn’t lift a finger to help her.

Meanwhile, another 10 minutes go by and still no Mary. Martha peeked her head through the door and saw that Mary hadn’t moved an inch since her last request. When she sees this, her cheeks get flushed and her temper boiled over. She stomped into the living room. Her entrance was so dramatic that all conversation stopped and everyone looked up at her.

This time she didn’t even acknowledge Mary, but she took her complaint to a higher power. On the verge of tears, she looked at Jesus and said, “Don’t you even care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” She surely thought that Jesus would be on her side. Jesus would not tolerate such laziness or injustice. Maybe Jesus would spontaneously break into a sermon about the importance of hospitality and hard work. She certainly wasn’t prepared for Jesus’ response!

 

3) Jesus’ Priorities (41-42)

After Martha made her plea, Jesus sat back with a peaceful and compassionate smile on his face and said, “Martha, Martha!” Just by repeating her name he was already telling her to settle down; assuring her that everything was going to be okay. Then he added, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” By this he meant that all of these preparations weren’t as necessary as she thought. Now don’t get me wrong, Jesus appreciated what Martha was doing; who doesn’t appreciate a nice place to stay and a home cooked meal, especially when you’ve been traveling? But Jesus is simply telling her to relax.

But what does he mean by “only one thing is needed”? The one thing that was truly important was for her to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to him and fellowship with him. Then he makes a comparison to Mary’s choice. He says that Mary’s choice to sit at his feet was better than Martha’s choice to be consumed with serving him. Mary’s priorities were better than Martha’s and Jesus says that it will not be taken away from her.

Now the text doesn’t tell us how Martha responded to Jesus’ gentle rebuke, but I imagine it was something like this: “Oh my gosh, you are right! This whole time I’ve been distracted by all of the preparations and I have neglected the guest of honor. Jesus, I am so sorry. Mary will you forgive me?” And then she sat down right beside her sister and listened to Jesus. They probably ate a little later that night!

 

This story teaches about proper priorities in our relationship with Jesus. Throughout history, there has always been a tension between commotion and contemplation in the spiritual life. Spending time with him is more important than doing things for him. Listening is better than activity. Worship should be a higher priority than service!

            I would be willing to bet that we have a few Martha’s hear this morning. Action and activity come more naturally than sitting still and quietly listening. Serving Jesus is often easier than just sitting at his feet.

How is it in your life? Is it easier to help a neighbor in need or to spend time reading your Bible? Does making something for someone come more naturally than spending an hour in silent prayer, just listening to Jesus? Do you find it easier to serve Jesus than to fellowship with him?

            Just sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him is difficult. Americans are addicted to action and activity. Reflection doesn’t come naturally for most of us. How many times have you heard someone say, “Don’t just stand there…do something!” When Haddon Robinson preaches this text, he titles it, “Don’t just do something, sit there!” That is exactly what Jesus is saying in this passage.

            So, I ask you this question: Can you put aside all your busyness and distractions? Can you give up the motion of your own feet to sit at Jesus’ feet? Will you spend time with him, listen to him, and fellowship with him? Can you be a Mary in a Martha world?