Using Your Work To Draw Near To God - Luke 10:38-42 Series

Luke 10:38 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."

Introduction

Jesus is on the road again. His whole ministry was one road trip after another, and road trips for Jesus went kind of slow because He did them on foot. Hour after hour, walking the hot, dusty, dangerous roads until He finally arrives at a village. Will there be someone in that village who will open their home to Him and all His disciples and give them some food and a place to sleep? Sometimes there was, other times there was not. But this time there was.

Luke 10:38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

Now, what impact would that verse have on the original readers after reading the Good Samaritan story? First Century Christians who are just learning what Christianity is all about – when they read this verse I think they would say, “Bingo – Nice job, Martha. You hit the nail right on the head for what Christianity is all about. Hospitality is right at the core of the Christian life.” The lesson of the Good Samaritan is crystal-clear – religion that leaves a needy person in the ditch is worthless. True religion rolls up its sleeves and serves and gives. And that is exactly what Martha is doing. In verse 40 it says she was making preparations. The Greek work is diakonia. She was doing what deacons do (serving).

And so right on the heels of a story on the importance of hospitality and serving and giving we immediately get this verse about Jesus traveling, He is in need of some food and lodging, and this dear woman steps up and opens her home to Him. So when you read through Luke you get to Martha in verse 38 of chapter 10 and you think, “Ah ha – now here is an example of someone getting it right.”

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.

Ooh – now that would raise some eyebrows in that culture. We do not think anything of it in our culture, but in that culture women were not allowed to do this. Sitting at the feet of a rabbi was the posture of a disciple. If you wanted to become a disciple of a famous rabbi you had to be accepted by him as a student, and that was a prestigious position. And it was never, never open to a woman. Women were not permitted to become disciples of a rabbi or be taught the Word of God. That was only for men. Women were to stick to domestic tasks, like Martha was doing. So the original readers would have seen verse 38 and thought, “Martha – perfect example of what a woman should be doing in that situation. But Mary – she has gone off the rails.” And so there is every expectation that Mary would be the one who is rebuked and Martha praised. But watch what happens.

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

That is a double shock. First the cultural shock of Jesus saying it is OK for women to be right there alongside men as full blown disciples. And on top of that the contextual curve ball that Jesus throws right after the parable of the Good Samaritan about the importance of taking action and serving and giving – now this story of one woman who is working her fingers to the bone serving and another who is just sitting there, and Jesus rebukes the one who is busy and praises the other one.

So what was it that Mary did right and that Martha did wrong? Was Martha wrong to prepare the meal? Raise your hand if you have ever spent an hour preparing a meal. Are all these people a bunch of Martha’s who should have spent those hours in prayer instead? Should we all just become monks and go off to a monastery somewhere and pray all day every day? If we take it that way I don’t know what we are going to do with the Good Samaritan story – or the whole rest of the New Testament for that matter. We know service and ministry are important. It is not wrong to serve.