(opened this message with a video clip entitled ’The Paradox of our Time’ downloaded from Sermonspice.com. The first paragraph ’show pics’ included pictures of dogs with cats, and other comical unexpected partnerships.)
We live in a world of paradox. At a time of great paradox. In the dictionary, you will find paradox defined something like “exhibiting contradictory aspects.” In other words, seeing two different things at once that don’t go together. Kind of like an intelligent Louisville Cardinal fan. Kind of like some of these pictures. (Show pics.) These would be visual examples of paradox.
And there may not be any greater experience of paradox from year to year than during the next 30 days. Those days between Thanksgiving and Christmas when many people’s lives truly exhibit contradictory aspects.
Think about all that is contained in these 30 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. On Thursday, we sat down with great delight to the most wondrous feast of the year. Couldn’t wait to dive in to the turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, dressing, pumpkin pie. But by yesterday afternoon, I dare say the exact same food evoked much less joyous emotions. In fact, my mere mentioning of the food might make some of you nocuous. Now that we are into turkey soup, turkey casserole, turkey sandwiches. . .
What a paradox. Or how about this one? We go from praising God on Thanksgiving for all that He has blessed us with. All those material blessings in our lives. To just minutes later sharing Christmas lists with anyone who will listen documenting what we still need. The story goes of a little girl who climbed onto Santa’s lap, and Santa asked the usual question: "What would you like for Christmas?" The child stared at him open mouthed and horrified for a minute, then gasped: "Didn’t you get my E-mail?"
There is the seasonal paradox of what we believe in. We claim we believe in the factual existence of Christ, and not that other guy in a red suit. . .but what do our words and deeds say?
Christmas was fast approaching when a father reminded his eight-year-old son that he would soon be visiting with Santa Claus. The boy seemed unusually resistant to the idea, so the dad asked, ’You do believe in Santa, don’t you?’ The boy thought hard, then said, ’Yes, but I think this is the last year.’
This is a season of great paradox. We tell ourselves it is all about a little baby, born in a humble manger, while swiping the credit cards and going deeper and deeper into debt.
As a pastor, I have already prepared for the ultimate paradox which falls every so many years. It will happen four weeks from today. Christmas will land smack dab on a Sunday. A day that in our faith and creeds we will claim to be one of the greatest days in all history, but yet most will not find a way to get to the church for an hour of worship. “After all pastor, it is Christmas day.”
According to a National Religious Broadcasters analysis of 48,000 hours of programming during December 2002, 90% of programming did not have a significant spiritual theme. Some 7% had a religious or spiritual theme but did not refer to Jesus. Jesus was the focus of only 3% of Christmas programming. These 30 days, this season, is one of great paradox.
So I thought it might be good to take just a few moments, and explore a paradox in the Bible that might be a good reminder for us as we zoom through this most wonderful time of the year. It’s a story about two sisters with two very different personalities.
One sister is wearing an apron. She knows how to run a kitchen. Stirring with one hand, cracking eggs with the other. She knows what she is doing as she prepares the food for a large crowd. The crowd is in the next room laughing, and sounding like they are having a pretty good time. But Martha isn’t. In fact, despite what a wonderful time this should be for Martha, much like the wonderful time the holidays should be for each of us. . .resentment is building.
You can almost hear her saying, “That Mary. Here I am alone in the kitchen while she’s out there. Wouldn’t have invited Jesus over if I’d known he was gonna bring the whole army. Those guys eat like horses, and that Peter always belches.”
Then there’s the other sister. . .Mary. Sitting on the floor, just listening to Jesus. Seemingly without a care in the world, or an awareness of just how hectic things should be at this very moment. Two very different people. And Martha can’t take it anymore. So look at what happens in Luke chapter 10, verse 40 (read).
Can you imagine the scene in this room? Everyone probably goes silent. There is that awkward moment of the guests thinking, “Maybe we should go now.” Martha is standing there, looking down at the group sitting around Jesus. Poor Mary, probably has been embarrassed by the behavior of her sister, and the direct accusation of her laziness.
And look at how it is recorded for us. By modern day accounts, we would say that Martha was the focused one. She knew what needed to be taken care of. She was checking items off the kitchen list. But that isn’t how the gospel records it for us. It describes her as being distracted.
As this Christmas season unfolds, and you find yourself looking at those around you and saying, “Come on guys. Get with the program. We have to get this shopping done. We have to finish the baking. We have to get packed for the trip. I need you to stay focused.” We need to remember this passage, and check our hearts to see who might be the distracted one.
Then Jesus breaks the ice. Verse 41 (read). You see, Jesus understands the problem here. Here being there in that living room, but here also being here in 2005 American culture. The problem is not the large crowd Martha has to entertain, or all the family visiting for the holidays. The problem is not Mary’s choice to sit and listen rather than helping in the kitchen, any more than it is the uncle and cousins resting by the fireplace watching football. The problem is not even Martha’s choice to host this meal, anymore than it is your decision to have the relatives to your home for Christmas. The problem is Martha’s heart. According to Jesus, a heart filled with worry and trouble.
Let me pause here a second, and as you look towards Christmas, what is your heart filled with? Is it filled with the thoughts of sitting around the manger? Sitting at Jesus’ feet? Taking in a Christmas Eve service, or a Christmas morning celebration worshiping the king?
Or is it filled with worry? How am I going to afford all these gifts? What if I don’t get what I want? How will I survive the return lines after Christmas? Come on, be honest. Some of you are sitting here in November, and you are already worried about returns in January.
I mean, bless her heart, Martha wanted to do the right thing. But her heart was wrong. Jesus tells her, tells us that her heart was worried and troubled about many things. And as a result she turned from a happy servant, serving the king, into a beast of burden. Worried about cooking, worried about pleasing, worried about too much.
Listen to what the great theologian Erma Bombeck has to say about worrying: “I’ve always worried a lot and frankly, I’m good at it. I worry about introducing people and going blank when I get to my mother. I worry about a shortage of ball bearings; a snake coming up through the kitchen drain. I worry about the world ending at midnight and getting stuck with three hours on a twenty-four hour cold capsule. I worry about getting into the Guinness World Book of Records under ‘Pregnancy: Oldest Recorded Birth.’ I worry what the dog thinks when he sees me coming out of the shower; that one of my children will marry an Eskimo who will set me adrift on an iceberg when I can no longer feed myself. I worry about salesladies following me into the fitting room, oil slicks, and Carol Channing going bald. I worry about scientists discovering someday that lettuce has been fattening all along.” Worry, worry, worry.
But here is the paradox to this whole story. Originally, Martha is worried about something good. She’s having Jesus over for dinner. She’s literally serving God. Her aim was to please Jesus. But she made a common, yet dangerous mistake. As she began to work for Him, her work became more important than her Lord. What began as a way to serve Jesus, slowly and subtly became a way to serve self.
Satan knows this can happen. This tool of distortion is one of Satan’s slyest. Notice, he didn’t take Martha out of the kitchen; he took away her purpose in the kitchen. The adversary won’t turn you against the church; he will turn you toward yourself in the church. He won’t take you away from your ministry; he’ll disillusion you in your ministry. He won’t take away Christmas, he’ll just take away the joy of Christmas.
It often looks like this in the church at this time of year. Satan will take the church Christmas musicals and cantatas that were all about the King, and make them all about who got what solo. He’ll take the children’s department coming on stage and singing some cute Christmas songs, and take that from being all about a baby in a manger to all about what kid gets to stand closest to the mike and what dad has the best camcorder angle. He’ll take Christmas day from being all about the Word becoming flesh, to all about a bunch of people sitting amidst piles of gift wrapping with all their new possessions and all the excitement and energy out of their bodies... and it’s still only 7:30 Christmas morning.
Then we will do what Martha did, and we will become full of worry and trouble. Still have two more gifts to pick-up. Still have to go to that corporate Christmas party. Still have to face my mother-in-law. We will become anxious about many things. Your family won’t appreciate you. The church will overwork you. Your friends won’t support you.
And before you know it, it will happen. Your agenda for the next 30 days will become more important than God’s. You’ll be more concerned with preserving self than pleasing Him.
Look at what Jesus says. Verse 42 (read).
What had Mary chosen? She had chosen to sit at the feet of Christ.
Now don’t get me wrong. Every home, every community, every church needs a Martha. In fact, every church needs a hundred Marthas. Sleeves rolled up and ready. Because of Marthas the church budget gets balanced. The babies get cared for. The buildings get cleaned. You don’t appreciate Marthas until a Martha is missing, and then all the Marys are scrambling around looking for the keys and the thermostats and the overhead projectors.
If God has called you to be a Martha, then serve! Remind the rest of us that there is evangelism in feeding the poor and there is worship in nursing the sick. But in the midst of all the hustle and bustle. In the midst of all the chaos and deadlines. In the midst of keeping the ship on course, don’t confuse yourself with the captain of the ship. Don’t forget that “one thing is needed.”
I have a different thought pattern in regards to Christmas than many ministers. I like to keep the calendar open. I like to slow down the pace. I’ll dump a gift off my list in exchange for admission to Southern Lights, and driving through Christmas displays in a car with the family in a heartbeat. I’ll wait an extra hour to open my gifts so that I can watch my kids open each of their gifts, one at a time and share in their joy any day. And in the midst of all the busyness, worry and trouble of the traffic, checkout lines and newspaper ads. . .I am more than happy to stop and sit at the foot of the manger, celebrating the birth of my King.
So let’s take a moment and do that uncomfortable thing called practical application. Let me ask you. . .as Christmas rapidly approaches. As the hustle and bustle, the traffic and temptations, the crunch, the horrors of the holidays bear down on you, are you prone to be a Martha or a Mary?
Kids, are you more likely to worry about presents or to just enjoy all the fun of Christmas? Are you more likely to be upset if you don’t get everything you want, or to just be happy that Christmas is here? Would you rather be with Geoffrey the Giraffe at Toys R’ Us, or with mom and dad, sisters and brothers, together? Is it family or video games? Sharing or scavangering? Celebrating or comparing?
Teens, are you more likely to play the “too cool for Christmas” game, or to let your friends know what this season means to you? Are you more likely to make fun of your mom, scurrying around trying to get everything done for you, about to have a nervous breakdown. . .or to come alongside and help her so that she too can sit at the foot of the manger? Do you get annoyed when Dad wants to read the Christmas story before you open gifts, or do you sit down and enjoy the gift God has given you in your family?
Adults, is it Martha or Mary? Is it the details of December, or the spirit of the season? Is it the crunch of the calendar, or the Christ of Christmas? Are you more likely to find yourself cursing at a booklet of directions on how to put something together, or singing a booklet of carols in worship to the King? Are you even hearing this message, or is your mind already on the “To Do” list for the next 30 days? Is Jesus speaking to you and saying, “You are worried and troubled about many things.” Or, “One thing is needed, and you have chosen it?”
Some of you are probably saying, “I’m not ready for Christmas. Where did the year go?” But guess what, Christmas is here? And with 27 shopping days to go, you still have the opportunity to take off the apron, step out of the kitchen, and sit at the feet of Jesus. Let’s pray.
