Proper 11 C
Jesus is in the House / St. Luke 38-42
21 July 2013 – Redeemer
The last three Sundays we have been in houses with Jesus. Three weeks ago He sent His men to go house to house, preaching His peace. He told His men, “whoever hears you hears me.” Last week the Good Samaritan picked up the beat up guy and brought him to an inn, a house if you will, and there out of grace and mercy, at his own expense he saved the man and healed him. And this week we’re in Mary and Martha’s house with Jesus.
Hearing God’s Word, healing and salvation, being in a house with Jesus. I hope you know where Saint Luke is taking us. He’s taking us here to the house of the Lord where life begins and life continues until we rise again to life forever.
Today we go to Mary and Martha’s house. How many of you have a sister or even a husband like Mary? There are 4000 things to get ready for guests and she doesn’t have a clue. There she sits on the couch watching Gilmore girls or there your husband lays reading the Sunday paper watching the Twin’s game. Doesn’t anybody see the dirty dishes? Am I the only one who notices the piles of clothes on the floor? Do you think supper appears magically every evening? Hello, I could use a little help out here.
In the Mary and Martha house there is one sister who does and another who doesn’t do, a sister who works and one who rests, a sister who serves and one who is served. Which one would you rather be? Which one would you rather have as your sister?
We can ask the question another way. Who’s more valuable at work, in a family, in the church – a worker or a rester? A doer or someone who lets everyone else do everything? What about your own value? Do you feel more value in working or resting? As you get older do you find joy in depending more and more upon other people? Would you rather drive yourself or let someone drive you? Live in your own home or be served in a nursing home? Walk or be pushed in a wheel chair? Be free of medicine and doctors or rely upon the health profession to give you some quality of life?
We are doers. Doing equals value and worth. However there is no room for that belief in the Lord’s house. Although we try to carry it in with us like Martha, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” Elijah had the same complaint – Lord, I’ve been faithful and no one else seems to care. Peter voiced the same – Lord, even if all these slouchers fall away I will never fall away. We look to ourselves and we believe we’re doing the right thing and then we look over at our neighbor and judge them. Do you remember Pastor Gorlitz’s sermon last Sunday – about self-justification? Do you know the greatest danger of self-justification? When you self-justify you judge Jesus as lacking, as not doing enough, of even doing the wrong thing. Do you see what Martha is really saying about Jesus – this is your fault Jesus. You’re sitting there talking to Mary and if you weren’t talking she would be free to help me. Quit talking Jesus and start commanding her to help.
Stop giving gifts Jesus and start hammering Mary with the Law. That is not the way of the Lord’s house as we have seen over these last three weeks. Two weeks ago Jesus sent out his 72 men and they went house to house. They did all the work and their work was speaking the Word of God – the Word of Jesus. The people in the houses did nothing. If they received the Word the Lord’s peace came upon them. If they rejected the Word the Lord’s men left. Last Sunday the Good Samaritan came along the road and helped a guy who had been car-jacked, beaten and left for dead. The Samaritan lifted the man up, put him in his own car and took him to the Holiday Inn to recover. The beat up guy did nothing, but receive the gifts of the Samaritan. In that Holy Inn, the man was healed and the Good Samaritan paid the whole bill of salvation.
Are you seeing the picture of what happens in the Lord’s house? The house of God is not for “doers.” If you think you can do your own salvation, if you think you have done what is pleasing to God then there is nothing here for you this morning. If you would like God to be fair to you and treat you as you have deserved I would suggest you go looking for another church because that is not the God confessed and taught in this house.
The house of the Lord is where Jesus speaks and we listen. He gives and we receive. He does and we are done. This is the place where His work is proclaimed and the fruits of that work are fed and delivered. Christ Jesus was born of a Virgin. He suffered under Pontius Pilate. He was crucified, died and buried. Christ Jesus died for sinners. His life, His body, His blood, was willingly offered at the cross for your salvation. He died for your sins. He rose again to declare His work had worked. Sin is forgiven. Death is dead. He lives and through Him life reigns and rules over sin and darkness. The greatest work you can ever do for God, the highest service you can render Him is to receive and believe in the forgiveness of sins which Christ Jesus won.
Our Synod continues to fight what has been called “the worship wars.” This war is not unique to Lutherans, but is being waged in many denominations. Unfortunately the battle is being fought with all the wrong ammunition and defense. The singular question that needs to be asked is, “What is the greatest worship there is?” Our Lutheran confessions answer that question – when sinners receive God’s Word forgiving their sins in Christ. The greatest worship service is where you sit, where you receive, where the Word of Jesus is preached in your ears and Christ’s body and blood are placed in your mouth. The greatest worship service is the Divine Service – where the Divine God serves you Jesus and all He has done.
One final comment about Martha in this text. Martha’s work, her deeds of service are not evil or bad. In Greek her works are called diakonia. We know that word because we have a deaconess – works of service and mercy. Martha is doing good works – serving Jesus a meal. There are a host of good things we can and should do – serve our families food and clothing and shelter, enjoy the good gifts of creation by boating and camping and fishing, exercise our bodies and socialize with our neighbor by playing sports or engaging in a hobby. Nothing sinful, nothing wrong, except when Jesus is in the other room and we are not. Martha was distracted, literally dragged away by serving, but those good things will come to an end. God’s Word of forgiveness, God’s work in Christ, is the good portion, the better, indeed the best portion, for it will keep you even in the nursing home, even in the wheelchair, even in death. Jesus’ work, His forgiveness will never be taken from you. In His Name. Amen.
Pastor Bruce Timm
21 July 2013 anno Domini