Proper 11 C
Martha or Mary?
St. Luke10:38-42
17 July 2016 – Redeemer
Martha or Mary? As you look down upon that house in Bethany, where guests are being entertained, which of the women would you commend? There’s Martha, baking bread, mixing up an olive salad, making a wonderful fig dessert, basting the lamb chops on the grill. She’s running back and forth across the house, trying to make conversation with Jesus, but there’s a meal to be made and bedding on the line. And this no ordinary guest – this is her Lord.
You can hardly keep pace with Martha, but then your gaze leaves the kitchen and you find Mary in the living room. Mary isn’t doing a thing. She is just sitting there. Not lifting a finger. Sipping her iced tea and hanging on Jesus’ every word. She doesn’t even notice Martha running in and out of the room, trying to catch her eye, trying to catch a little bit of Jesus’ conversation.
So which one? Be honest. You’ve all been there. There’s company in the house and you’re running hither and yon, with five different foods being prepared for the meal, and there sits your husband, your daughter, your sister carrying on a conversation like there is nothing else to be done. Or you’re at work or have a school project and your three other team members are checking their facebook statuses or snapchatting a picture of their lunch and you alone are working. Who’s better? The worker who works or the slacker who sits? You know. The worker who works is better.
That’s always true – except when Jesus is in the house. A woman named Martha welcomed Jesus into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.” Now let’s be clear – serving Jesus is not sinful. In fact Martha’s love for her Lord is obvious in her service and her service to Jesus gives us a great confession of our Savior. What do you imagine Martha was doing for Jesus? We would assume that she was making a meal, mixing up some ice tea, perhaps preparing the guest room for his stay. What does this tell you of Jesus? That He is truly a man, in the flesh. He needs to eat, and drink, and sleep. Yet what does Martha call Jesus when she wants Him to get on Mary’s case? She calls Him, “Lord.” “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” Her service tells us He is a man. Her words tells us He is truly God for she calls Him Lord – the same name as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Old Testament. Since Jesus denies neither her service nor her confession He must agree – He will receive her hospitality for he is a man, and her confession – for He is God.
There’s nothing wrong with Martha working. Work is commended in the Bible. Adam and Eve worked in the garden of Eden before they sinned. Work is a good gift – it is the way in which God has given us to care for ourselves and for our neighbor. God doesn’t provide our daily bread by simply dropping it from heaven or by stealing from the rich to give to the poor like some Bernie Sanders scheme. God provides our daily bread by giving us minds to think and hands to work and feet to carry us on our task.
But when Jesus is in the house our work must stop. For what work of yours would you dare bring to Jesus? What could you give God this morning to purify your dirty thoughts, wash your filthy mouth, restore and rebuild the damage you’ve caused in word and deed to Him and to others this week? What could you offer to atone for your sin? Isaiah the prophet preaches that all your righteousness amounts to a filthy rag. Even if you could make up for your deeds what work could you do to re-create your heart? Your problem isn’t only outward sinful deeds, but an inner spiritual corruption. Your human nature is soiled with sin. Your very being is poisoned – that’s why you do the very sin you know you shouldn’t do.
Only Jesus can do the work of forgiveness. His work is confessed in the creed for us every Sunday. He became man – conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. God took on human flesh and our human nature – without the taint of sin. Then He worked our salvation. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. Jesus Christ became man, took all our sin (the sin that corrupts and the sins we commit – all of it) and He died with it and for it. If there is any doubt – remember what He said at the cross, “It is finished.” And then remember that He didn’t stay dead for sin. He rose again on the third day – because where sin is finished death is finished. Where salvation is worked by Jesus it is worked all the way – the forgiveness of sins means life everlasting and the resurrection of our bodies.
Christ Jesus works the work of salvation and His Spirit works the work of sanctifying you – cleaning you up from the inside out. When Jesus is in His house it is never Jesus only. With Jesus always comes His Father and their Holy Spirit – the whole Holy Trinity. So where Jesus’ Word is preached and His Sacraments are given the Holy Spirit works not only to deliver to you Jesus’ forgiveness, but also to work faith in your heart that you might believe this to be true – your sins are forgiven, your conscience is cleansed by the blood of Jesus. The Spirit works here to strengthen the new man, the son of God that you are in Christ.
Summer in Minnesota is a bad season for church attendance and that makes it a great season to hear the story of Mary and Martha. It doesn’t take much to distract us from the Lord’s house on the Lord’s day. Vacation distracts us. Good weather can take us away. Bad weather can keep us away. Company can distract us. We have a significant number of members who only attend the Lord’s house once a month or less. Sometimes even when we are here every Sunday we do not hear because we are distracted. What a great blessing then to hear the Word of Jesus call us “Martha”s to repent -“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many thing, but one thing is necessary.
Now, please don’t mishear this text or sermon – there is nothing sinful about working or playing or family or enjoying God’s good creation, but there is something sinful and downright dangerous about choosing those created gifts, those temporary gifts, over that which is eternal. Your work will not endure – but Christ’s work will. Your pleasures will pass away – but the Father’s pleasure over you in Christ will usher you into heaven. You might be able to pass on an inheritance to your children – but it will not keep them – only God’s inheritance in Christ will keep them. That is what Jesus told Martha about Mary’s choice, “ Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Looks can be deceiving. It looks like Martha is a doing a great service, while Mary is being a great slacker. The lake looks more restful than a pew. Your family is much more visible than your faith. Work brings the reward of accomplishments and a paycheck while all the Church brings you is forgiveness for your sins, Christ’s work to atone for your shortcomings. But this, this Christ, this forgiveness, this salvation, this will not be taken away from you. That’s why Jesus must rebuke Martha the worker, and reward Mary the hearer. Because the only work that lasts, that will forgive you, keep you, and raise you from the dead, is the work that is worked and preached in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Pr. Bruce Timm
16 July 2016 anno Domini