When Worry Gets Tough
Luke 10:38-42
Morning Service
An average person's anxiety is focused on :
40% -- things that will never happen
30% -- things about the past that can't be changed
12% -- things about criticism by others, mostly untrue
10% -- about health, which gets worse with stress
8% -- about real problems that will be faced
The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety.
George Muller.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself ? Tell her to help me!" 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42
Character Sketch
Martha
Martha was an incredibly giving person.
Martha lived in Bethany, a small village outside of Jerusalem. Martha had a close relationship with Jesus. John records that Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. (John 11:5). Martha was likely the owner of the home in Bethany or at least the eldest woman of the house. Either way she had the responsibility of running the house. Martha opened her home to Jesus and the Apostles to provide both food and lodging for them. This was a large task and she took it on willingly.
Martha was a courageous person
There was a very real danger in being too closely associated with Jesus. The danger was magnified because of their geographic closeness to Jerusalem. The rejection of Jesus and the opposition to Jesus were growing at a rapid rate. Many of those who had been following Jesus had stopped being His disciples and the religious leadership was growing more and more hostile towards Jesus.
Martha was a caring person
Martha was caring for both Mary and Lazarus. No reason is given for this but it is clear that Martha loved them both greatly. Martha was caring for Jesus and the Apostles. Martha went out of her way to open her home and provide for their needs.
Mary
Mary was a humble woman
Mary had a deep devotion to Jesus. Her desire was to be with Him and nothing else would do. Mary could have placed herself anywhere she wanted to be. She could have given herself a place of honor next to Jesus or elsewhere in the room. Instead, Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and that was a place of humility
Mary was hungry
It is clear that Mary had a deep spiritual hunger. Mary listened to the words of Jesus and soaked it up. She was focused on learning from Jesus and drawing closer to Him.
Mary’s actions reveal an inner attitude and desire. She had a spiritual hunger, an openness to listen, a desire to surrender and a willingness to obey.
Worry tends to hit us when…
We get distracted
The word that Luke uses here for distracted is unique and this is only place that it is used in the entire New Testament. Luke describes Martha’s state of mind and behavior with the peripspao. Perispao means to draw away or to draw around. The impression is one that shows a person being forced in a direction or course of action that is not desired. Luke seems to be saying that the situation was drawing Martha away from her desired intent. The concept is a person who is driven mentally, to be over occupied and too busy. Martha allowed the situation to overwhelm her. The word describes a person who feels torn in two.
Martha was so focused on preparing things for her guests that she did not spend time with her guests. Sometimes Christians become so busy with church work that they fail to spend time with Christ. We allow busyness and activity to replace a genuine relationship. We become very busy but fail to develop spiritual depth.
What had Martha so preoccupied?
Martha was focused on serving those who came to her home. It is important to remember that this was not an expected visit. Jesus and the disciples came unexpectedly to visit, likely they were passing through the area. Martha opens her home to them. The immediate need is to serve and feed the guests. Martha jumps to work and starts making everyone feel comfortable and starts to prepare the meal.
The word for preparations here is diakonia which is where we get our English word deacon. The word is used to represent people who helped meet needs of others. When Luke says that Martha was distracted, he qualifies it by saying that her service was the source. Martha was trying to do too many things at the same time. Martha lost focus of what was truly important.
We get upset
Worry tends to strike at times when we are either overwhelmed or when we are already emotionally charged. Martha was both on this day in Bethany. Martha was overwhelmed by all of the tasks at hand and she was emotionally charged because she felt that she was doing the work alone. As Martha worked, she grumbled under her breath, her grumbling advanced into a full blown anger. The result was far from pleasant. Martha erupts in front of everyone and spews words of anger at Mary.
Jesus tells Martha that she is upset by many things. The word that Jesus uses means to make an uproar, to be turbulent or to throw into confusion. Martha had become so upset that she was troubled or distressed in her way of thinking. Martha’s thinking was so unclear that she displayed an uncharacteristic outburst. An outburst that needed to be recorded in the Bible, it must have been big.
Can you picture the scene? Jesus is sitting there with the disciples giving a lesson to the entire group. Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening. Martha moves through the room multiple times trying to get drinks and make sure everyone is comfortable and she spots Mary. Mary was sitting doing nothing and not helping get things ready for all of the guests. Finally, Martha has seen enough and explodes like a shaken can of soda.
Was Martha doing anything wrong making preparations for the guests? No
Was Martha doing anything wrong making her guests feel welcome? No
What was it that Martha did wrong that day so long ago?
Jesus understood the position that Martha was in and His heart went out to her. She was in a bit of a crisis because she wanted to be a good host and a good disciple. Jesus gives her some help in this matter. Jesus has a way of clearing through everything in the path and getting to the heart of the matter.
Jesus reveals Martha’s lack of focus. Jesus saw her efforts and does not tell her that her efforts were wrong. Martha was doing everything that needed to be done and she was doing it all alone. She was busy and wouldn’t slow down. Martha’s problem was essentially that she was too busy. Martha was trying to do too many things, for too many people in too short of a time and the result was that she was becoming frazzled.
Jesus points out the needed priority Jesus said: one thing is needed. What was that one thing? Martha lost sight of the priority of having a relationship with Jesus. She was so busy serving Jesus that she stopped being with Jesus. I think we might be guilty of something similar; we get so busy that we fail to really be with Jesus.
Martha was distracted from her devotion. The fact that Martha was busy was not the problem because we are called to serve Christ but the fact that her service drew her away from her being with Jesus. Jesus proclaims Mary’s choice
Philippians 4:5-6
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
What to do about worry
Rest
During times of stress people often become so focused on dealing with problems and issues that they forget their need for rest. Fatigue only increases the effects of stress on the body. Higher levels of stress create a greater need to get appropriate amounts of rest.
Relax
Many times people falsely believe that rest and relaxation are the same thing but this is not the case. Rest is often a physical reality and relaxation is focused much more on the mind. Relaxation is a resting of the mind, which is often more difficult than resting the body.
Reduce
Release
There are times when stress is high and people just need to let go. The tighter that we hold on to our problems and stress the worse it becomes. The reality is that we often cannot experience peace until we are willing to let go. Letting go is one of the hardest things to do in stressful situations but can be one of our best options. Letting go is not giving up or quitting but rather is handing the situation over to the hands of God. The moment we release our grip, we begin to let God take over.
Refocus
Renew
Conclusion
In 480 B.C. the outmanned army of Sparta's King Leonidas held off the Persian troops of Xerxes by fighting them one at a time as they came through a narrow mountain pass. Commenting on this strategy, C.H. Sprugeon said, "Suppose Leonidas and his handful of men had gone out into the wide-open plain and attacked the Persians--why, they would have died at once, even though they might have fought like lions." Spurgeon continued by saying that Christians stand in the narrow pass of today. If they choose to battle every difficulty at once, they're sure to suffer defeat. But if they trust God and take their troubles one by one, they will find that their strength is sufficient.
Source Unknown.
