Luke 10:38-42- “The Better Part”
Reflective questions:
Given a choice, who will you prefer to be? Yes, yes yourself (but seriously)
Is it a “Martha”? Or a “Mary”? …Really...just who are you now?
Scripture passage:
Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted (“to be pulled in many directions”) by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her" (Luke 10:38-42).
Introduction and background:
The purpose of the gospel of Luke was to present an accurate account of the life of Christ, and to present Him as the perfect human and Saviour. One thing we must bear in mind is that Jesus was deeply interested in people and relationships, then, as He is interested today.
Hebrews 13:8 tells us He is the same; yesterday, today and forever.
After Jesus sent out the seventy disciples, they returned with joy saying Lord, even the demons are subject to your name…but then Christ dash their egos by saying what is really important is having their names written in heaven (Luke 10:17/20). Then Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan, which was in response to question by a lawyer about eternal life.
He ended this discourse showing and emphasizing again the compassionate nature of His character and His love for people and the need for relationship. Thus after these things, he entered the familiar tiny village of Bethany, where His friends, Mary and Martha lived.
Mary and Martha:
Martha means ‘lady of the house’.
Mary means ‘wise woman’ or ‘lady’; it is a Greek form of the Hebrew Miriam or Mariam.
Key Pointers:
• Mary symbolizes right relationship with Christ
Sitting at the feet of Christ symbolizes readiness to receive the word
Submission to the guidance of the word
Respect for Him
Obedience
Total attention to Christ
Fellowship with Him
• Martha symbolizes a relationship that appears right, but was not.
Martha was serving, like servants do, while Mary chooses to be a friend of Jesus. This is import, because in John 15:15, Jesus said I no longer call you servants (His disciples) ….but instead friends…
Martha cares were temporal and wordy…Look at the Sower and the seed in Luke 8:14.
Look at these words and phrases:
Temporal,Worldly living,Distraction,unfruitful,Pleasures of life
Illustration:
For nearly 30 years, India and Bangladesh have argued over control of a tiny rock island in the Bay of Bengal. Now rising sea levels have resolved the dispute for them: the island’s gone.
New Moore Island in the Sunderbans has been completely submerged, said oceanographer Sugata Hazra, a professor at Jadavpur University in Calcutta. Its disappearance has been confirmed by satellite imageryand sea patrols, he said.
"What these two countries could not achieve from years of talking has been resolved by global warming," said Hazra. Associate Press-March 24, 2010
Talking Point:
Friends, this story proves that is the world and those things (which are temporal) will pass away (1 John 2:17). Many times in our Christian walk, we fight with the small things. Yet I am here to tell somebody today, “Don’t sweat over the small stuff”. Stop taking yourself so serious and learn to serve the Lord with gladness and simplicity of heart. Too often:
I. Many people are seemingly serving God, ‘working for Christ’, but have not taken the time to really listen to Him.
II. Others believe that they are ‘building the kingdom’, but God is not the Civil Engineer, Consultant, Architect, Quantity Surveyor or Contractor. Yet the Lord plainly declared in His word ,that ,”except the Lord builds the house, they that labour, labour in vain…”(Psalm 127:1)
III. Still yet some are trying to do things (disguise as ‘ministry’) outside of the will of God, but Christ said in John 15:5,”without Me, you cannot do anything”
God is interested in relationships. Thus He walked in the garden to commune with man (Genesis 2-3). God was "Immanuel” in Genesis and He will be "Immanuel" in Revelation, for He is a God of relationship. No doubt He is "Immanuel” to some of us today. Yet we must not fail to answer the question, “is He our “Immanuel"? Is He your Lord?
God love His people so much, that in the Old Testament, He tabernacle (Immanuel) with them .Just envision it; a pillar of cloud by day, a pillar of fire by night (Exodus 13:21/22) and in the New Testament He demonstrated His love by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. …It makes me feel to shout! Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!
But the Son of God, Immanuel visited Martha/Mary house and Martha didn’t “capitalized” on this visit? Did Martha understand that we must rest in Jesus? Do you understand that Jesus Christ is our spiritual rest?
This involved in church life could be rewarding, but many are making it obligation. Many are making it burdensome. Many are doing it complaining, and thus it has become unfruitful. Many are the Martha’s amongst our congregations today. Yet Christ is in our house and He is saying,
"Come unto me", he calls, "all that labor and are heavy laden, I will give you rest"-Matthew 11:28.
You see friends we must understand that ‘relationship’ means a closer walk with God. Thus we will be able to ‘know’ God more. The sense of knowing is to have an intimate relationship with our maker.
When John was writing his gospel, he understood what eternal life meant. In his record of Jesus’ prayer (John 17:3) this was the words used, "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
So friends, don’t bet on works, programs, participation. These are good and noble. But God is all about relationship.
Therefore when He comes to your home, don’t just invite Him, but be willing to sit at His feet also and supped with Him.
Don’t do your own thing, but see, sense and discern where God is working, and join in.
Don’t allow the cares of this world, worry and trouble to distract you, but instead set your minds on the things of God. For if indeed you do, you would have chosen, “The Better Part”.
Conclusion:
Lastly friends, understand “NOT EVERYONE that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that DOETH THE WILL of my Father which is in heaven. “MANY will say unto me in that day (of judgment) Lord, Lord, have we not preached/prophesied in YOUR NAME, and in THY NAME have cast out devils, and in THY NAME done MANY WONDERFUL WORKS? ….But then the Lord will say move away from me you workers of iniquity, I never knew you. (Matthew 7:21-27)
So you see many may be ‘working for Christ’, with the ‘Martha’s attitude’, or having an attitude of ‘doing’, but sometimes God is not in the scheme of things. Today my choice is clear. I refuse to accept the Martha’s part, for I need “The Better Part” and I have accepted it, will you?
LET US PRAY
Father, in the name of Jesus, have mercy on us, teach us to know your ways and obey them, in Jesus name, amen.
