Opening illustration: Every day I drive the same highway to and from the office, and every day I see an alarming number of distracted drivers. Usually they’re talking on the phone or texting, but I have also seen people reading the newspaper, putting on makeup, and eating a bowl of cereal while trying to maneuver a car at 70+ miles per hour! In some circumstances, distractions are fleeting and harmless. In a moving vehicle, they can kill.
Sometimes distractions can be a problem in our relationship with God. In fact, that was the concern Jesus had for His friend Martha. She “was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” for a meal (Luke 10:40 NIV). When she complained about her sister Mary’s lack of help (apparently due to her devotion to Christ and His teaching), Jesus told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (vv.41-42).
Martha’s distractions were well-intentioned. But she was missing the opportunity to listen to Jesus and enjoy His presence. He is deserving of our deepest devotion, and He alone can fully enable us to overcome any of life’s distractions. (ODB, Bill Crowder)
Introduction: The story of Jesus' visit to the home of Martha follows on immediately from the parable of the Good Samaritan. Martha’s distractions in Luke 10 brought a loving challenge from Jesus. But after the death of her brother Lazarus (John 11:17-27), we see that she was fully focused on Him. She affirmed her confidence that Jesus had a special relationship with the Father (v.22) and then declared her belief in the coming resurrection (v.24). Ultimately, she voiced her clear conviction that Jesus is the Son of God (v.27). Eternal life is not gained in the doing, but in the receiving - in hearing and believing. Mary had found it.
How to battle distractions?
1. Desiring others to participate in your distraction (vs. 38-40)
The problem with Martha is not that she is busy serving and providing hospitality. Certainly Jesus commends this kind of service to the neighbor many times, notably in the parable of the Good Samaritan that immediately precedes the story of Mary and Martha. The problem with Martha is not her serving, but rather that she is worried and distracted. The word translated “distracted” in verse 40, periespato, has the connotation of being pulled or dragged in different directions.
Martha’s distraction and worry leave no room for the most important aspect of hospitality -- gracious attention to the guest. In fact, she breaks all the rules of hospitality by trying to embarrass her sister in front of her guest, and by asking her guest to intervene in a family dispute. She even goes so far as to accuse Jesus of not caring about her (Lord, do you not care…?).
Martha’s worry and distraction prevent her from being truly present with Jesus, and cause her to drive a wedge between her sister and herself, and between Jesus and herself. She has missed out on the “one thing needed” for true hospitality. There is no greater hospitality than listening to your guest. How much more so when the guest is Jesus! So Jesus says that Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.
Jesus’ words to Martha may be seen as an invitation rather than a rebuke. Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. The one thing needed is for Martha to receive the gracious presence of Jesus, to listen to his words, to know that she is valued not for what she does or how well she does it, but for who she is as a child of God.
In a culture of hectic schedules and the relentless pursuit of productivity, we are tempted to measure our worth by how busy we are, by how much we accomplish, or by how well we meet the expectations of others. Preaching on this text may provide a rich opportunity to address this cultural malaise.
Many people in our congregations likely identify with Martha. Feeling pulled in different directions, feeling worried and distracted by many things -- these seem to be common threads of life in our fast-paced world. And yet, as Jesus says in Luke 12:25, “Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?" We know that worrying does no good, and that much of what we worry about is not so important in the larger scheme of things, and yet we cannot seem to quell our anxious thoughts and frantic activity.
It is true that much of our busyness and distraction stems from the noblest of intentions. We want to provide for our families, we want to give our children every opportunity to enrich their lives, we want to serve our neighbors, and yes, we want to serve the Lord. Indeed, where would the church be without its “Marathas,” those faithful folk who perform the tasks of hospitality and service so vital to making the church a welcoming and well-functioning community?
And yet if all our activities leave us with no time to be still in the Lord’s presence and hear God’s word, we are likely to end up anxious and troubled. We are likely to end up with a kind of service that is devoid of love and joy and is resentful of others.
Both listening and doing, receiving God’s Word and serving others, are vital to the Christian life, just as inhaling and exhaling are to breathing. Yet how often do we forget to breathe in deeply? Trying to serve without being nourished by God’s word is like expecting good fruit to grow from a tree that has been uprooted.
We do know that Jesus invites all of us who are worried and distracted by many things to sit and rest in his presence, to hear his words of grace and truth, to know that we are loved and valued as children of God, to be renewed in faith and strengthened for service. There is need of only one thing: attention to our guest. As it turns out, our guest is also our host, with abundant gifts to give.
2. Putting your cares upon Jesus (v. 41 + 1 Peter 5:7)
If I worry, I am saying that God doesn't care. But the Scripture says He does care--he cares for you. Coming back to this verse really gave me something to think about. The Word tells me that I am not to have care, and yet my Lord does care. Is this a contradiction? Of course not! The Bible never contradicts itself. The word cares in He cares for you is a different Greek word. It is melei, meaning that someone or something is the object of care -- the object of attention, love, and thoughtfulness -- rather than anxiety. Christians are the objects of God's love, and He therefore does care about us. Not that He is worried or anxious about us, but He does feel a personal interest in us. There is a difference between human anxiety and divine care.
Because we are dependent upon God, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled.” God says, “I’ll take care of the burden—don’t give it a thought—leave it to me.” Dependent children are not backward about asking for favors. They would not be normal if they did not boldly make their needs known. God is keenly aware that we are dependent upon Him for life’s necessities. It was for that reason that He said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”
Did you ever wonder if God really cares? When we doubt that God cares, we insult Him. The disciples heaped a gross indignity upon our Lord when they said in the midst of the storm, Master, don’t you care that we perish? (Mark 4:38). Of course He cared. He had not said, Let us set sail and be drowned. Rather, He had said, Let us pass over unto the other side (v. 35). The anxiety of the disciples showed that they were carrying their care instead of casting it on Him.
Think again about Martha, who was somewhat overanxious about temporal provisions. She became wrapped up in the affairs of this world. She said to Jesus, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? (Luke 10:40). Of course He cared! He was more concerned about Martha than she was for herself. She was filled with sinful care, that anxiety that breeds self-pity. The Lord saw the disease that had fastened itself upon her woman's heart. Martha, Martha, He said, thou art careful and troubled about many things (Luke 10:41). Martha had many admirable qualities, but she lacked the one thing she needed most. It was the quality her sister Mary possessed when she sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word (Luke 10:39). Mary had no worry because she had cast it all upon Jesus.
Beloved, God has given us a remedy for the anxieties that arise from our trials. It is a distinctive characteristic of Christianity that the Lord Jesus Christ cares for those who put their trust in Him. The Christian can bring all of his anxieties to the Savior. Casting all your care upon him; for He cares for you. Not some of them, or many of them, or most of them, but all of them. When we heed Peter's inspired exhortation, we do not throw off our trials and afflictions, but we do get rid of the worries they cause.
3. Choosing the Good Part: Focus on Jesus (v. 42)
Now, I want us to step back from the story a moment. Why was Mary listening at Jesus' feet and not hosting alongside her sister? Why was Mary in the presence of the Lord when her cultural upbringing demanded that she should be in the kitchen helping? Mary is following the first great commandment: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.”
Notice Mary has “chosen” the good part. It is a choice she made. Sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His Word will not happen automatically. In fact, it will often be the last thing of many things that will come at you to crowd it out. It is not a one-time choice either. You will have to continually choose Him, day in and day out. Lots of good things, seemingly better things, but the best thing is always to be at Jesus’ feet. This is why as my old professor used to say, “Never say you have to spend time with God, but always say you have to invest time with Him.”
And what about Martha? Martha appears to be a woman who valued serving. She seems to be a hardworking, thoughtful woman who believed a hearty meal, clean clothes and a tidy home were truly next to godliness. She was a good woman, a godly woman and no doubt had a very clear understanding of what a woman in her time was and was not to do when guests were in one's home. Seeing Mary at the feet of the Lord and not doing what was expected of her, appears to have driven a burr under Martha's temperament so that she demanded Jesus intercede on her behalf.
Jesus' response to Martha was quite surprising. He didn't tell Martha, "You're right, Mary should be acting like a good host." He didn't tell Mary, "Woman, you should be about serving your Lord and not sitting around here listening to me." Rather, Jesus told Martha, "... you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
"Mary has chosen what is better" -- Mary chose to be with the Lord, to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His words, despite conflicting cultural demands and ideology, despite family expectations concerning the role of women in that time -- her cultural 'place' was to be in the kitchen, but her desire was to be in the Lord's presence.
Martha chose to do things for Jesus, but it wasn't what Jesus said was needed at this time. Mary sought to be in the presence of the Lord and she did what the Lord said was needed, was better and would not be taken away.
Will we choose what is better? We have a great opportunity to do wonderful things for the Lord: evangelize our neighbors, fellowship with other Christians, become involved in street ministry, lead a prayer group, teach Sunday School and the list goes on, but let us be ever so careful that we do not place doing things for the Lord above desiring a passion for Him.
Mary knew and acted on that premise. Our world longs for the blessing of Christians who have a passion for Christ. Such Christians bring a breath of fresh 'divine air' into an otherwise stale worldview. Regrettably, far too many believers who start out with a great passion for Christ at their conversion end up having a stale and barren relationship with Him. Saved? Yes. Joyful? Sometimes. Passionate? Hardly.
Illustration: Tozer, reflecting upon the lack of a holy desire for God in the Christian community said, "It is a solemn thing, and no small scandal in the kingdom, to see God's children starving while actually seated at the Father's table." In his book Experiencing God, Henry T. Blackaby writes, "God is far more interested in a love relationship with you than He is in what you can do for Him." Charles Colson, President of Prison Fellowship Ministries, stated, "God doesn't want our success, he wants us."
Application: When we battle distractions in our life, we must position our focus on Christ who also takes all our worries and troubles. Let us bring ourselves to Him.
