Sermon:  Only One Thing
Luke 10:38-42
July 17 and 18, 2010

Do you feel more like a Mary or a Martha?
 There is no doubt in my mind
  that I have real strong Martha tendencies.

I like tasks.
 I like lists.
  I like getting things done.
 I even like that I like that.

And I look at our Gospel reading.
 And it says that:
  “Martha was distracted by her many tasks.”
 And I wonder,
  “Is that me?
   Is that you?”

Mary and Martha—
 --two sisters.
  They live together—
  --Luke calls it Martha’s home.
 And Jesus comes to visit.

And Martha is busy—
 --cleaning the house,
  fixing food in the kitchen.
 Jesus probably brought the 12 with him,
   maybe more.
 So 13 or more extra for dinner.
  Lots to do.

 And hospitality was a big thing in this culture.
  It was expected.
   It was the right thing to do.
  And Martha was doing it well.
   She was working hard.
    And maybe even a little harder because it was Jesus.

Mary, meanwhile,
 is in the other room.
  And Mary is just sitting there at Jesus’ feet.
  Just listening.
   In the posture of a student—
    --a follower, a disciple,
     sits at the feet of the teacher.
 And Mary is just sitting there, listening,
  not helping Martha at all.

Are your brothers and sisters like that?
 A lot of work to do,
  and they don’t help at all.
 Mary didn’t even offer to help Martha.

And Martha gets a little angry,
 a little upset about all this.
  Here she was,
 working hard,
  and her sister was just sitting there.
 Just sitting there…

So she went in,
 and she said to Jesus:
  “Jesus,
 why don’t you tell Mary to help me with all this work?”

Actually, she said:
 “Lord, don’t you care that my sister
  has left me to do all the work by myself?
   Tell her then to help me.”

Brothers and sisters do this all the time:
 “Mom, Craig won’t help with the dishes.
  Tell him to help.”
 “Daddy, Angie is supposed to be helping me pick up toys,
  but she’s just lying on the bed.
   Tell her to help.”
  You ever hear that sort of thing?