Life is filled with distractions (from within and without…)
Title: Being Mindful of the One Thing
Text: Luke 10:38-42 (Reference the context: In 10:25-20 Jesus shared the Great Commandment to love God and neighbor; in 10:30-37 Jesus taught on what it means to love one’s neighbor; and in 10:38-42 an incident from the life of Jesus illustrates how by being mindful, we may love God.)
Thesis: Being mindfully present in the moment helps us discern the one thing worth being concerned about.
Introduction
Pastor James Wright tells of a water fountain feature in his mother’s garden. His mother calls the water feature “Willie’s Dilemma.” If you look closely at the feature you will see a little boy with a puzzled look on his face who wants very much to have drink from the fountain… he is obviously too short to reach the water bubbling from the fountain. There reason he looks so puzzled and perplexed is that in order to get the drink he will have to climb up to get it. And if he climbs up to get it he will have to put down the ice cream cone he is holding in his hand. Hence Willie’s Dilemma… Willie can’t decide what he wants to do. Does Willie want a drink or does Willie want the ice cream? What does Willie want most? What is most important to Willie?
Our story today is something of a Willie’s Dilemma story. The story, lifted from an occasion in the life of Christ in Luke 10:38-42, poses a juxtaposition between two sisters named Martha and Mary. Both sisters were faced with choices and each opted to do what they thought to be, most important.
The difference between the two sisters and the difference in what each considered most important, is clearly stated in verses 39-40: Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what Jesus taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. Luke 10:39-40
On one hand, Mary was sitting at the Lord’s feet, listening to Jesus teach. And on the other hand, Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing.
So how do we begin to sort out the tension and the tugs of between devotion and distraction in this story?
Let’s be begin by allowing for legitimate differences between people.
I. People are different...
Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening… Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. Luke 10:39-40
In our home you will likely find me in my recliner reading a book while Bonnie is bustling about being busy. Of course I feel superior because I can relax and enjoy life while Bonnie feels superior because she, unlike me, is not lazy. People are different.
People are different in temperament.
A. There are legitimate differences in “Temperament.” Mary was Mary and Martha was Martha. They were two very different people. They were wired differently.
Hippocrates believed that four different bodily fluids affected human temperaments. That idea has long been debunked though we now know there is a complex system of hormones which help regulate emotion and cognition. But even back in the 4th and 5th Centuries there was belief that there are four major temperaments of personality traits:
• Sanguine – a person with a sanguine temperament is pleasure-seeking and sociable.
• Choleric – a person with a choleric temperament is ambitious and leader-like.
• Melancholic – a person with a melancholic temperament is analytical and thoughtful.
• Phlegmatic – a person with a phlegmatic temperament is relaxed or laid-back and quiet.
Tim Lahaye popularized these four temperaments years ago when he wrote a very popular book called Spirit-Controlled Temperaments. Christians flocked to buy his book and churches rolled our small group studied to determine who was what in the Christian community and how to bring each under the control of the Holy Spirit.
More recently the Meyers-Briggs Personality Assessment tool boils down individual temperaments into
16 personality types which fall under two categories: Sensing Types and Intuitive Types. So if you have taken the Meyers-Briggs Assessment you might be asked in an interview, “What is your Meyers-Briggs Type?” And you would say something like, “I am an ISTJ.” Or “I am an ENTP.” The I stands for Introversion and the E stands for Extroversion. Every person is primarily an introvert or an extrovert and there are 8 variations of introverts and 8 variations of extroverts.
The results of my Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator scored me as an E N F P. The E stands for extroversion, the N for intuition, the F for feeling and the P for perceiving. All that means in Meyers-Briggs language is that I am warmly enthusiastic, high-spirited, ingenious, and imaginative. I am able to do almost anything that interests me. I am quick with a solution and ready to help anyone with a problem. I often rely on my ability to improvise instead of preparing in advance. I can usually find a compelling reason to do whatever I want to do.
I am an E N F P. An E N F P, like every temperament has strengths and weaknesses. Every temperament of personality type has to recognize those strengths and weaknesses in order to fully maximize who we are as individuals created in the image of God and gifted for service.
On my way home from vacation I stopped at a restaurant. When I came out there was a car parked next to mine with the door open against my car. An elderly lady was trying to get out of the car. Her husband stood by with two canes as she lurched and lurched trying to get to her feet. I noticed that she had not unfastened her seat belt so I suggested unhooking it might be helpful. When she got to her feet and had made her way to the curb, she could not lift her foot up onto the curb so I offered to help. I took her hand and began to gently lift her up and she immediately yelled at me for crushing her hand. I lessened my grip and continued to urge her up onto the curb and she yelled at me again for trying to pull her over. When I offered to adjust my efforts she drew back from me like I was a leper.
Then out of the blue a man who knew the couple arrived, put his arm around the woman, turned her around and said, “Let’s go use the ramp so you can walk in on the level.” So there I was, totally willing to jump in and help the lady but terrible at analytical problem solving.
The point is this. I am who I am and you are who you are. Martha was who Martha was and Mary was who Mary was. We try but we sometimes do not get it right.
Martha was likely an I S T J: Serious, quiet, earns success by concentration and thoroughness. Practical, orderly, matter-of-fact, logical, realistic and dependable. Takes responsibility. Makes up their own minds as to what should be accomplished and works toward it steadily, regardless of the protests and distractions.
Mary was likely an I S F P: Retiring, quiet, friendly, sensitive, kind, modest about their abilities. Shuns disagreements. Do not force their opinions on others. Usually do not care to lead but are often loyal followers. Often relaxed about getting things done because they enjoy the present moment and do not want to spoil it by undo haste or exertion.
After completing his tour of duty in Viet Nam a friend of mine married his college sweet-heart and moved back home where they attended our home church. Almost immediately there were rumblings from the church kitchen. Whenever there was a public occasion like a potluck dinner or a tea or whatever, it was expected that the ladies of the church be busy in the kitchen making preparations and getting the food on the tables. But Barb did not do what the other ladies thought she should be doing. Barb was a social butterfly… flitting about welcoming guests and newcomers and making everyone feel at home. She was good at it and everyone loved her… but the ladies in the kitchen.
I remember my mother remarking, “There we are working away in the kitchen while Barb is out in there chatting it up, laughing and having a good time.” But then my mother said, “But that’s what she’s good at! She meets people so well and everyone loves her.”
My mother nailed it when she said, “That’s what she’s good at!” Not only are we different in our temperaments or personality types, we are all gifted to be good at different things.
B. There are legitimate differences in “Giftedness.”
There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who works in us all. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other. I Corinthians 12:4-7 (I Corinthians 12)
Just as our bodies have many parts and each has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body. In his grace God has given us different gifts to do certain things well. Romans 12:4-6 (Romans 12)
When we look at two individuals like Martha and Mary and when we look around at each other it is important that we see others as individuals, uniquely wired temperamentally and in spiritual giftedness.
Can you imagine what doing church would be like if we all wanted to do the same thing and were good at one thing? We would be one big hand or one big heart or one big voice box or one big foot or one big ear or one big tear duct… you get the idea. In the body of Christ, Christ is the head and we are the parts of his body functioning as Christ in the world.
Back to the church kitchen in my home church… I thank God for people who have the gift of service and helps. The world and the church would be in deep trouble were it not for those who serve and readily lend a hand to do what needs done. But if we were only good at setting up potluck dinners we would be in big trouble. And if we were all only good at flitting about as social butterflies we would be in even bigger trouble.
The story of Martha and Mary is a story that takes place in the context of hospitality. Hospitality was in Jesus’ day and is in our culture, a big deal. But there are different aspects of hospitality…
1. There is the aspect of receiving and preparing for guests.
2. There is the aspect of being attentive to guests.
And it seems it is the tension between preparations and attentiveness that is the rub in our story today.
II. Despite our differences it is imperative that we discern what is most important.
“My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42
My sense is that the real tension in our story is between being distracted and being mindful. Let me be clear… Martha was plenty devoted. Martha was as devoted as devoted gets, but mindful, not so much.
Earlier Luke referred to Martha as being “distracted” by the big dinner she was preparing. Now Jesus uses the words “worried” and “upset” about all the details of her preparations.
The words Jesus used reflect that he observed that she was unduly concerned, bothered and troubled.
A. Distraction keeps us from being mindful in every situation.
Martha was distracted, worried and upset about the details of her preparations. Luke 10:40-41
To be distracted is to be drawn apart or turned aside. To be distracted is to be confused as in being pulled in two directions at the same time. Webster defines distracted as mentally confused, troubled or remote. When we are distracted our attention is diverted from what we should be doing.
I was recently distracted by a distracted driver. I suppose she was on her way to work. She was attempting to apply her make-up while driving down Sheridan with one eye on the road and the other on the mirror. At the stoplight she was fully devoted to applying her eyeliner and continued to do as when the light turned green. She had a call on her cell phone so while driving with her left hand, she held her eyeliner and cell phone in the other hand and carried on a lengthy conversation that seriously impaired her ability to operate the gas pedal and proceeded to impede the flow of traffic.
But perhaps the most telling aspect of being distracted is in the word “remote.” It is not just that Martha was pulled away or drawn apart, she was removed and remote. Jesus was in the living room while Martha was in the kitchen.
In a Big Bang Theory episode Sheldon Cooper’s mother had come from Texas to visit her son who lives in Pasadena, California. In anticipation of this mother’s arrival Sheldon had planned an amazing itinerary of activities for her visit. He announced how they were going to be attending various scientific lectures and visiting the model train museum and so forth. His friend and roommate, Leonard, suggests that maybe his mother might prefer to do some other Hollywood, touristy kinds of things. Sheldon cannot fathom why his mother would want to do such things but his mother interrupted him and said, “I want to go to Hollywood and I want to walk down Rodeo Drive and even though I can’t afford to shop there, I can look down on those who do.” Upon hearing what his mother wanted to do, Sheldon came unglued and angry at his friend and his mother for messing up his plans.
Sheldon was distracted by what he wanted to do and so much so that it never occurred to him to ask his mother what she might like to do. When we are distracted or drawn away in a primary relationship we become removed and remote from that relationship. In Martha’s case she moved from being:
• Distracted to being
• Worried to being
• Upset
Martha became upset when she noticed that she was doing all the heavy lifting while Mary sat in the living room listening to Jesus. Martha simply lost it! So she straightened her apron, dusted the flour off her hands and went into the living room where she stood, hands on her hips and said to Jesus:
“Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” Luke 10:40
Note… Jesus had not said a word to Martha until she complained about Mary’s lack of attention to duty, so to speak. And it was only then that Jesus said, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42
One has to wonder if Jesus was okay with the way Martha was loving him until it became apparent that the devotion and joy had gone out of her serving. Perhaps Jesus was okay with her devotion until it became a controlling obsession that ruined her attitude and knocked her relationships out of whack.
Some suggest that Jesus would have preferred a simple meal. Some translations say, “Only a few things are necessary, really only one.” “Martha, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich would be just fine… I don’t want you all messed up and overwhelmed.” But most likely the one thing Jesus spoke of was Mary’s desire to be with him… to be in his presence. The “one thing” Jesus spoke of was Mary’s desire to sit at his feet and learn from the Master.
I said earlier that distraction keeps us from being mindful in every situation… so being mindful is to be present in every situation in order to discern what is most important.
B. Being mindfully present in every situation is to discern what is most important to Jesus.
As Mary sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught… Jesus said, “There is only one thing worth being concerned about and Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken from her.” Luke 10:39 and 42
In other words, “I am not going to send Mary off to do something else… she is enjoying my presence and that is really important to me.
Conclusion:
One of the best commercials on TV these days is the Pepsi Next commercial. A young mother is sitting on the family room floor with her infant son. She is videotaping him. Her husband comes home toting two twelve packs of Pepsi Next under his arm and announces he has discovered the most impressive thing ever… it’s Pepsi Next with real cola taste but 60% less calories.
The mother immediately jumps to her feet and rushes to begin videotaping the cartons of Pepsi Next… while in the background the baby leaps to his feet, begins to play a guitar, does some really cool moves, walks on his hands and dances about… all irritated that his parents think the Pepsi Next is way cooler and more interesting than is he.
The parents were missing precious moment and memories by failing to discern what is most important. Sheldon missed the moment by failing to discern what was important to his mother and Martha missed the moment by failing to discern what was most important to Jesus. And we miss the moment when we fail to discern what is most important to Jesus as well. Busyness always seems to trump spiritual things like opportunities to sit at the feet of Jesus and busyness often trumps spiritual opportunities to serve as well.
One commentator remarked that this story is not about the role of women in our society, and Jesus’ comments to Martha are not just for women. They are for all of us who find ourselves going in too many directions at once, who find little or no time for reflection about what we are doing, much less what God is doing. It is about anyone who is too distracted to sit at the feet of Jesus and contemplate his Word.
Clearly, sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to him teach is more important than being all distracted and upset about how much we have to do and then complaining to God that others aren’t doing what we want them to do.
Nearly every tension in our lives is a matter of discerning what is most important in the moment. For Willie it was whether he wanted to hold onto his ice cream cone or set it down in order to get a drink of water from the fountain.
This story is a reminder that we need to be mindfully present in every situation, discerning where Jesus is and how Jesus is working and then doing what is most important. Being mindfully present is about discerning those things that are distracting us and removing us from God and the important relationships and activities in our lives and then doing, not what is most urgent but what is most important. Being mindful in he moment is to choose the important over the urgent.
