Rev. David Holwick I (Very well-received)
First Baptist Church PERSONALITIES OF THE PASSION
Ledgewood, New Jersey Mary & Martha
March 12, 2000
Luke 10:38-42
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I. What was your busiest day this week?
A. Busyness test: [answer: usually, sometimes, seldom, never]
1. Tension builds within me when I think of all I have to do.
2. I find myself wanting to correct people on minor points, or
actually correcting them.
3. I would feel guilty if I stayed home from a meeting or
activity just because I was tired.
4. I avoid doing things I'm not good at.
5. I get embarrassed when a family member makes a mistake in
front of others.
6. I feel badly about myself when I meet someone who
accomplishes more than I do.
B. We pride ourselves on how over-worked we are.
1) And no matter how much you get done, there is always more
to do.
2) We tend to identify with Martha. And we feel guilty.
a) Martha has become the classic example of the person
with misplaced priorities.
b) On the other hand, her sister has been extolled as the
wise and spiritually discerning one we should all
imitate.
3) Where did Martha go wrong?
II. Martha was a commendable person.
A. Her hospitality.
1) She opens her home up to Jesus in Luke 10.
a) Jesus was not very popular at this point.
b) He who had nowhere to lay His head found a gracious
hostess in Martha.
c) Like the Jewish people of her day, went to great
lengths to make him comfortable.
2) Martha also served Jesus in John 12.
a) Following the resurrection of their brother Lazarus,
Jesus again enjoyed the company of the women.
b) Lazarus is seated with Jesus at the table.
c) Mary is preparing to anoint Him with perfume.
d) And Martha is serving, of course!
B. Martha is a strong person.
1) She is a doer, a take-charge, task-oriented woman.
2) What happened?
III. Where Martha went wrong.
A. Her service became slavery.
1) Was she just having a bad day? Maybe.
2) But perhaps this strong woman let her natural inclination
to serve, blind her to the more important spiritual
realities that were taking place in the dining area.
3) Service to God can sometimes keep us from God if we are
not careful to listen to His voice.
4) Like Martha, when we shift our eyes from Him to the
demanding tasks around us, our distraction can lead to
a progression of small decisions that quietly take
us farther and farther from God.
B. Martha's first mistake: she was distracted by preparations.
1) Martha's distraction implies that she was focusing on
the Lord at first.
2) She welcomed Jesus into her home. She loved him and
maybe listened to him.
3) Then she got caught up in the urgent.
4) Little things always demand to be done. Right now!
a) Do you rule your time, or does it rule you?
Martin Rutte was a very young management consultant.
A friend heard of a new job and recommended him.
The position was at a major advertising firm, and the
president wanted to interview him.
Martin was nervous.
At that stage in his career, it wasn't very often that he got
to talk to the president of a company.
The appointment was at 10:00 a.m., for one hour.
He arrived early.
Promptly at 10, Martin was ushered into a large and airy room,
with furniture upholstered in bright yellow.
The president had his shirtsleeves rolled up and a mean look
on his face.
"You've only got 20 minutes," he barked.
Martin sat there, not saying a word.
"I said, you've only got 20 minutes."
Again, not a word.
"Your time's ticking away. Why aren't you saying anything?"
"They're my 20 minutes," Martin replied.
"I can do whatever I want with them."
The president burst into laughter.
They then spoke for an hour and a half.
Martin got the job.
#4543
b) Martha let the needs and urgency overwhelm her, while
Mary submitted to the voice of Jesus.
IV. Torn in two.
A. Martha's distraction soon mushroomed into worry. 10:41
1) She had isolated herself from his fellowship.
2) The Greek word for WORRY paints a vivid picture of what
happens when we're ruled by anxiety.
a) It originally meant "to be pulled in two."
b) Martha let herself be pulled in a million directions.
c) Because she couldn't be in two places at the same
time, she neither served well nor listened well.
B. Little urgent things can gain a life of their own.
1) They distort our perspective on what is really important.
2) Often we must choose between the little things, and Jesus.
C. Martha's worries exploded in a storm. She became upset.
1) It affected her face, her body movements, and the pace
and noise level of her service.
2) Cupboards started closing with a little extra "english."
The Holwick household has someone who excels in this.
Whenever she is ticked off, the whole world knows.
She stomps up stairs. Slams doors. Twice, in case
you didn't get her point the first time.
Her face wears a scowl and stares straight ahead, of
course glancing in your direction to make sure you
noticed.
We don't call Sarah "Bernhardt" for nothing!
[after the famous hammy silent movie star]
3) Maybe Martha stared glaringly at her sister.
a) And Mary is completely oblivious.
b) Soon everyone noticed something was wrong.
V. Doesn't Jesus care?
A. Jesus appeared to be oblivious to her situation.
1) "Lord, don't you care..."
a) Cast as a negative. Manipulative.
2) "My sister has left me to do the work by myself." 10:40
a) Also negative, and whining.
b) We enjoy blaming others.
3) "Tell her to help me!"
a) Rather than going directly to sister, she seeks to
gang up on her.
B. It is amazing how sin can skew our perspective.
1) We become critical or demanding of others.
a) We think we know the problem and the solution.
b) But the solution was not for Mary to get up and help.
c) Something far more important needed to occur - not
in the kitchen, but in Martha's heart.
2) Martha's slide was now complete.
a) She was distracted, she was worried, she was bothered.
b) She questioned the Lord's love, and she expressed a
demanding spirit toward her sister.
c) Rather than sitting gracefully at Jesus' feet,
she stumbled in front of everybody.
3) But now she was ready to hear. Jesus spoke directly
to her.
VI. Choosing the best.
A. What did Martha need to learn from her disastrous day?
1) To listen to His voice and choose the best.
2) "Only one thing is really needed."
a) Mary heard the voice of Jesus and chose the best part.
b) Martha heard the voice of Jesus and chose
something else.
B. Is contemplation superior to action?
1) Ancient Christians often thought so. Ran off to
monasteries.
2) Even modern commentators blow this passage. #00
a) They want to affirm both Mary and Martha.
b) How can only one thing be needed?
c) Is social justice and service a sin? No way!
3) Emphasis is on our focus, not contemplating our navel.
C. Listening to Jesus does not always require contemplation.
1) Sometimes he calls us to action.
a) This passage follows parable of the Good Samaritan.
b) That story is all about helping people.
2) Jesus Himself was a man of both contemplation and action.
a) At times he was so busy He couldn't eat. Mark 6:31
b) But God the Father never rebuked him. (family did!)
1> Jesus always heard His Father's voice.
2> If his voice called Him to the privacy of prayer,
he went. Mark 1:35
3> If his voice called Him to the sphere of service,
he obeyed. Mark 1:38
3) He always heard and chose the best.
VII. Our lessons.
A. Don't let the little things distract you.
1) Are you tense about what has to get done this week?
2) Ask yourself - will accomplishing these things fulfill
your life?
B. Don't let worry fester and become a rage.
C. Choose what is best, every day and in every situation.
1) What would Jesus have you do?
2) Are you aware of what he taught? Are you eager to learn
more?
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Sermon is heavily dependent on "The Danger of Distraction," by Jonathan
Williams, Discipleship Journal #105, May/June 1998, page 16.
SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 00 "On Misinterpreting Stories You Don't Like," by John Alexander,
Discipleship Journal #89, Sept/Oct 1995, page 71.
#4543 "Time Out," Martin Rutte, from Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work,
Copyright 1996 by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida
Rogerson, Martin Rutte & Tim Clauss, by way of Internet
Chicken Soup of the Day, April 14, 1999.
These and 35,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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Tensions in the teaching:
A. Is studying the Bible and going to church more important than
serving people?
B. Contemplation more important than work and activity?
C. Spiritual work more important than secular?
D. Balance between work and spirituality?
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