The Good Portion Series

I have a problem - a problem with serving food. I always want the bigger portion - if I’m pouring drinks for Danielle and me - I’ll take the one that’s a bit more. If I’m plating food, I’ll put a bit more on my plate. Now, I know she eats less than I do - basically everyone in my house eats less - except for Zack, but he’s not around right now - so I could count it as logic. But it’s not, it’s a problem, I just want more. Maybe it stems from my childhood when my brother and I would fight for food. Believe me, there wasn’t a scarcity. I guess in a way, I’m just selfish.

Danielle, Mel, Zoe - please forgive me.

It seems like this is both a problem of selfishness, but also a problem of delayed gratification. I want a portion now and not what might be better later - a thinner waistline, less indigestion, etc.

That may be my attitude with food, but is it my attitude with Jesus? Do I want a big portion of Him? Am a jealous, zealous, selfish for my time with him?

As we see in the passage that we’re considering today, this may be an issue for all of us. There are ways that we can receive glory, accolades, acknowledgement in good things now, but miss the best thing! We’re okay serving Jesus, but spending time with him can be a chore. It’s as though we feel like God would be more pleased with our service than our attention.

Open your Bibles to Luke 10:38-42.

As we look at this passage, we get an opportunity to witness two people in the same family, in the same house, worshiping the same Jesus in two different ways. One gets the good portion, the other creates her own - and ends up resenting the fact that she’s not being helped or recognized. Her portion was about her. Her sister’s portion was about Jesus.

Luke 10:38–42 ESV

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Two weeks ago, we witnessed Jesus interaction with a religious lawyer who asked the question, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” Then in response Jesus asks him what he reads in the law, the lawyer replied - “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and your neighbor as yourself.” In that man’s correct response he introduced a two-fold manner of love - loving God and loving others. It seems like Luke is using that encounter to show us some of Jesus’ teaching on love and service.

As we see in today’s passage, our love for Jesus can sometimes be distracted by any number of things, even good things.

First of all, we get to notice…

The lure of distracted serving before sitting

Service is a good thing - ministry happens because we serve - pushing buttons, changing cameras, teaching children, preparing crafts, planning lessons, cooking, cleaning, counting, watching, practicing, studying, mowing, weeding, locking, opening. The work that we all do here is good work, but it can be distracting when it is the focus of our attention.

There is something in us that can be duty-bound to serving. In many ways it’s honorable.

Think about this - each night, there are guys here in the church who willingly come to the church after all of the activities are finished. They turn off lights, adjust the temperatures, check the restrooms, lock doors, and arm the alarm. Very few people notice. It’s a vitally important stewardship. Tom, Buddy, Matt, Carl, Steve - thank you! I don’t know their hearts, but knowing mine, there could be a mixture of delight, duty, and drudgery in their serving. There may even be a measure of self-righteousness. All service can be a joy and a justification for adulation. There is a point when our service can be about us and not about the One we serve.

I do wonder if that’s something that Martha was dealing with in this passage. She did a gracious and wonderful thing in welcoming Jesus to her home. Luke notes that it was “her” home. Maybe she was married. Maybe she was single and just self-sufficient. Maybe she was the oldest sibling of a family whose parents had passed. We don’t hear anywhere in Scripture about a Mr. Martha. All we know is that this was Martha’s home - and she welcomed Jesus into it.