(38) Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. (39) And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. (40) 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." (41) But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, (42) but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."
Luke 10:38-42 - ESV
Introduction
Good morning, Church,
It is an honor to be back behind the pulpit this week! God has been so gracious and loving to us all.
What a powerful several weeks we have had, celebrating our annual summit and closing here with such a powerful word by Pastor Meraris! WOW
Today, I want to share something from the Lord's heart that will bless you all.
Context:
Jesus finished talking and responding to a religious leader about "Who is our neighbor?"
Jesus explained the parable of the Good Samaritan. While he finished, he headed over to Jerusalem, and on his way, he stopped by a place called Bethany; in that village, he made a pit stop at his friend's house. This is where we pick up.
Let us go to the book of Luke this morning, chapter 10, verses 38-42
Milk: The Lord Steps into the business of our life
My scripture reference
I have noticed that Jesus has an interesting way of interacting with people's lives.
One of the ways that he has done this is found in this passage.
Jesus walks into the busyness of Mary and Martha's House.
He was invited into the busyness of life of these two women.
This week, I was asked How I meet the Lord amid all the busyness.
This passage has a secret answer for us all, and it's the premise of this short reflection: you don't have to do more; just let Jesus step in.
Allow Jesus to meet you during the busyness of your life.
Life can get:
* Hectic
* troublesome
* Busy
* unpredictable
* frustrating
No matter how busy life can get, Jesus has a way to always step into our lives!
No matter how life gets to you, he will always find a way to cross to your village and go to your house!
I believe God will experience Jesus walking into your life this morning.
The questions that beg to be asked are the following:
Who are you going to be when Jesus steps into your life?
Mary or Martha?
Mary
She was also busy with life.
she had things to do
she had to clean the house,
do the dishes,
cook for the potluck,
go to the grocery store,
keep the neighbor's kids safe
go on a Zoom call for customer meetings
and make sure that food is available for unexpected guests.
What differentiates Mary here is her response; she chose to prioritize Jesus's visit and sit at his feet.
Martha
She was busy with life, and when she invited Jesus she:
started to make calls for the visit,
finished the dishes and laundry,
and started her 3-course dinner for her visitor,
she ran to and came back from the grocery store, finding drinks that had been forgotten
She Facetime Lazarus (mira muchcho aqui llego Jesus)
What differentiates Martha here is her response; she chose to prioritize cleaning the house for Jesus rather than being with Jesus.
Martha invites Jesus into her home, but Mary invites Jesus into her heart.
Many people become crabby and irritable when serving the Lord, just as Martha was.
It is easy to look at all we do and to criticize those who don’t seem to do as much. But Martha’s real problem wasn’tMary; it was Martha. She had become distracted and had taken her eyes off Jesus.
Have you taken your eyes off Jesus because you have been too busy?
Meat: We can’t get too involved in the doing that we first are doing it for.
The principle is simple: We can’t get too involved in the doing that we are first doing it for.
Martha did nothing wrong in working hard for Jesus — that was good. Her problem was that she became distracted with much serving. She was distracted from Jesus.
There is no doubt that Martha Loved Jesus!
We know that Martha truly enjoyed Jesus' presence, but she was caught up.
Have you ever been so caught up that you miss things?
I was so caught up with work that I missed important life-related things.
I went to Niagara Falls a few years back and got so caught up in taking the perfect picture that I missed the fact
that I was in. niagara falls.
I went to the Yucatan Peninsula for our honeymoon; I was so caught up in the heat that I missed many beautiful sightings.
I was so caught up with working in the ministry that I missed people's efforts to contact me.
Often, we are so caught up in the storm that we miss Jesus calming it.
We get so caught up in things that Jesus has already fixed, but because we are fixated, our brain keeps reliving thatvery thing we are no longer in.
Martha, like many of us, has been caught up in the busyness of life, and she missed that she was the one who invited Jesus into her house.
(ADD)
Manna: The best portion will always be at his feet.
However, Mary understood that there was something better to do than worry.
She still served, but she took a moment and refocused her eyes from the many tasks to the eyes of Jesus. (Martha did the opposite)
The Spirit of Martha does several things.
It complained to Jesus.
It will compare (Work over Faith)
The Spirit of Mary
Sits and receives her One Thing
Martha Martha
We can almost sense the love in Jesus’ voice as He said this. Martha did well — she wanted to serve Jesus, but she had not added the one thing [that] is needed. The Bible speaks of one thing.
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in His temple. (Psalm 27:4)
When Jesus heard these things, he said to him, “You still lack one thing…come, follow Me.” (Luke 18:22)
Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended, but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of
God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)
“The one thing needful is that which Mary chose — that good part which 6should not be taken away from her.
Very clearly, this was to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear his word.” (Spurgeon)
Don't be so caught up that we lose focus.
While Martha was busy with all the preparations, Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His words.
This wasn’t laziness.
Mary also helped prepare but knew when to stop and be present with Jesus. Mary’s posture — sitting at His feet — speaks volumes.
It implies submission, love, discipleship, and faith.
She recognized that the most important thing she could do at that moment was to be with Jesus, not to serve Him.
People say we need revival; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
People say we need unity; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
People say we need to win arguments; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
People say we need to reach the world; we need to sit at the feet of Jesus and hear His word.
Matthew 11:28
Application: How Does This Speak to Us Today?
Just like Martha, we live in a world that celebrates busyness. We wear it like a badge of honor, thinking that our value is found in how much we do or how hard we work. But amid our busyness, Jesus calls us to stop, sit at His feet, and choose the ‘good part’—to be in His presence."
Think about your own life. Maybe you’re balancing a career, family, church responsibilities, etc. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But the truth is, Jesus isn’t asking for more tasks from you—He’s asking for you. He wants your attention, your heart, and your time. Are you willing to lay down your distractions and be with Him?
As A.W. Tozer once said, ‘We must never rest until everything inside us worships God.’ The most important act of worship is not the work we do for God but the time we spend with God.
Conclusion: The Call to Sit at His Feet
This morning, I believe Jesus asks each of us: Are you willing to slow down and sit at My feet?
Are you willing to let go of the distractions, busyness, and stress and be in My presence?
Mary chose the good part, which will never be taken away. No matter what happens in life or how unpredictable things become, nothing can replace the time spent at the feet of Jesus. This is where we find our peace, strength, and joy."
As we close, take a moment to reflect: Where is Jesus inviting you to slow down? What areas of your life are distracting you from His presence? Today, let’s choose the good part. Let’s choose Jesus.
Dr. Jesus Rodriguez
