For our meditation tonight before the supper, Luke chapter 10, our focus will be on verses 38 to 42. We have spent a significant amount of time with this family in Bethany over the last several Sunday mornings as we've gone through John's Gospel. Of course, John chapter 11, we see the death of Lazarus, we see these two sisters mentioned, We see Jesus speaking with them. And then this morning in John chapter 12, the anointing at Bethany, when it was Mary who took that very costly oil and poured it all over our Lord Jesus Christ, anointing him with reference to the coming cross.
Well, I've alluded to this section in chapter 10, verses 38 to 42. I thought it might be helpful for us tonight to look at it. So I will read the section and we'll pray, and then we'll look at it in some detail. Now, it happened as they went that he entered a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me. And Jesus answered and said to 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. Amen. Well, let us pray.
Opening Prayer
Our gracious God and Holy Father, we thank You for Your Word, we thank You for what we find in this passage, and the emphasis upon hearing that Word, receiving that Word, demonstrating devotion to our blessed Christ as He speaks prophetically to His people. Give us ears to hear and hearts to receive these things, and again cleanse us in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Guide us by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit, that spirit who gave us the word. May he now illumine our hearts and minds that we may receive it.
And we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Introduction
Well, as we come to this particular section, as I said, it focuses on this family in Bethany. When it says in verse 38, now it happened as they went that he entered a certain village. We know from those parallels that this is the town of Bethany. about two miles from Jerusalem. But this section or this passage does not happen in a vacuum.
It is connected to the larger context in Luke's gospel. If you go back for just a moment to chapter 8, in Luke chapter 8 you have the parable of the sower. Some have referred to it as the parable of the soils, the different ways that men hear or men receive the word of the living and true God. He gives the teaching of the parable in verses four to eight, and then he gives the interpretation of that parable in verses 11 to 15.
Notice in verse 11, now the parable is this, the seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside are the ones who hear. Then the devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. But the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy, and these have no root, who believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away.
Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the ones that fell on the good ground are those who, having heard the word with a noble and good heart, keep it and bear fruit with patience. And then drop down to verse 18, therefore take heed how you hear. So what he teaches by way of parable, he demonstrates by way of a normal, ordinary life situation here with this family in Bethany.
But as well, closer to home in the context of Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10, prior to our particular passage, notice in verse 25, And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him, saying, Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said to him, What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?
So he answered and said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself. And he said to him, You have answered rightly. Do this and you will live. But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, And who is my neighbor?
And of course, Jesus speaks concerning the good Samaritan. And I'm not sure that we received the proper instruction from what he says here. I'm not convinced that all he wants us to do is go out and do good works. I think he's showing this man that he's a wretch.
He is showing this man who's attempting to justify himself that there is no hope by the law. You must have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ in order for acceptance with God. But all that to say this lawyer represents what Jesus says, notice back in chapter 10 at verse 21. where Jesus says, I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and prudent. I think this lawyer is the wise and prudent that gospel truth is hidden from.
And then he goes on to say, and have revealed them to babes. Mary, contrast with that lawyer, is a babe. Mary receives the word of God. Mary is devoted to the word of Christ.
Mary assumes the posture of a humble listener before our blessed savior. So as we look at this passage,
The Difference Between the Sisters
we'll notice first the difference between the sisters in verses 38 to 40. And then secondly, the devotion commended by Christ in verses 41 and 42. So as I said, these are the same sisters, the same brother that we've met with in John 11, and then again in John 12.
Mary's Devotion as a Disciple
Notice in the first place the devotion of Mary. Verse 39, well verse 38 rather, it says, and a certain woman named Martha welcomed him into her house, which again is a good thing. That's absolutely an expression of one's love and devotion and care and concern for the Savior. There is a contrast here.
Notice in verse 39, and she had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. This was a normal posture. This was a typical posture. This underscores the reality that women are in fact disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sitting at the feet of a rabbi, sitting at the feet of a teacher, sitting at the feet of one who had that ability to expound the word is absolutely consistent with what we know in terms of rabbinic learning in the first century. So she assumes that posture. That posture of Mary was common to disciples and her devotion to Jesus is conspicuous. Again, we don't want to treat Martha as if she's a nasty criminal, but Martha does not have the same sort of devotion, at least in this particular setting, that Mary does.
And it's Mary that Christ commends in this particular passage. Christ comes into the house and he uses the opportunity to speak truth. Christ comes into the house and he uses the opportunity to do good to souls. Christ highlights the main thing by his actions.
Matthew Henry says, since Christ is forward to speak, we should be swift to hear. He comes to the house, he begins to teach the Word of God, and what does Mary do? She assumes that position as a humble listener, as a disciple that is faithful, because she tends to, or wants to attend to, that Word of Christ that comes from His mouth. Then
Martha's Distraction and Complaint
notice the distraction of Martha according to verse 40. So she was distracted with this serving. Again, serving's not bad. Serving and working and doing are commended by God.
These are good things. But when we serve, or when we do, or when we get involved to the neglect of the Word of God, then there's a problem. And that's what Jesus is going to address in this particular section. Note the complaint of her heart.
It says that she was distracted with much serving, and she approached him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me. And I think this evidences or indicates a few things that are not altogether perfect with her soul. And it always feels odd, like it's me picking on her.
I'm not. I've been distracted on many occasions. I know what it's like to whine experientially. I know what it's like to complain.
I know what it's like to grumble. Unfortunately, I know what that's like all too well. So I want to make sure you know I'm not picking on Martha. I'm just trying to expound the text and give the meaning of it so that we can see what the sort of focus is of our blessed Savior.
But all that to say, we do have to unpack what she says, and what she says, Jesus does rebuke her. He chides her, he reproves her. Not in the way of, get away from me, you filthy sinner, but rather in a way that he uses it or employs it as a teachable moment. But in terms of this particular complaint, there's four things I want to point out.
First,
Four Marks of Martha's Complaint
she impugns Christ with a lack of concern for her situation. Lord, Do you not care? Imagine, we do that, so I, again, not picking on Martha, but we sort of impugn our thoughts onto God and suggest that there's some sort of problem or malady or insufficiency in the way that he has chosen, providentially, to rule the world and everything in it. Lord, do you not care?
We ought to be very careful about expressing such a thing to an infinitely holy, an infinitely wise, and an infinitely loving God. God, by definition, is love. God is His perfections. All that is in God is God.
And so when it comes to this proposition, 1 John 4.8, 1 John 4.16, God is love. So to imply or to infer or to impugn upon him that there's something he doesn't care about, that it's something that he should care about, is really ground that we ought to be very careful about treading. When our service is for God, we ought not to complain that we're doing it alone. When our service is done for God, we ought not to complain that we're doing it alone.
We ought not to say to God, I want everybody else to drop what they're doing and help me. I want everybody else to come alongside, because after all, what I'm doing is the number one priority. And since it is the number one priority, then all these other slobs ought to engage in this as well. Be very cautious about impugning Christ with a lack of concern about your particular situation.
Notice secondly, she demands that Christ order Mary to help her. Therefore, tell her to help me. That will solve this problem. That will rectify this situation.
That will be the remedy for what I see as an imbalance. Lord, do you not care? If you do care, then tell her to get up off of her seat and come over here and help me with the dishes. Do we use prayer as a means of getting what it is that we want?
Now, I realize this isn't technically prayer. She didn't close her eyes and fold her hands and go to her knees and speak to the Lord in that fashion, but it is the kind of speaking to God wherein we want something. And oftentimes we use it in this particular manner. Do what I want you to do.
Tell her to help me. Men might do this with their wives. God, please help my wife to be more like what I want in my fantasy land of the way wives should be. Wives might do this.
God, tell my deadbeat husband to get up off the couch and to go mow the lawn. God, tell my husband to lead me better when it comes to spiritual things, which again, these aren't necessarily bad petitions, but the way that we frame them and the way that we present them and the way that we sort of put, as it were, God into a corner and basically tell him he needs to deliver or we're not going to be happy. Lord, do you not care? And then tell her to help me.
I would suggest thirdly that she mingles grumbling with her service to Christ. This does not sound like a righteous, godly expression of exasperation. It simply sounds like exasperation. It sounds like she is mingling with her service to Christ, grumbling.
Look over at Philippians chapter 2. I mentioned this morning in 1 Thessalonians 4, a passage that we oftentimes don't take notice of. In 1 Thessalonians 4, we're to mind our own business, we're to work hard, we're to do those things that God calls us to without being in everybody's business. Well, notice in Philippians 2, we've got another passage like that.
And the backdrop is the Song of Moses in Deuteronomy 32. But notice in 2.14, do all things without complaining and disputing. Imagine if we actually thought through that text all day long. Do all things without complaining and disputing.
Again, I don't want to project my sin upon you, but if you're like me, this is a tough passage. This is a challenging passage. And when you look at Martha's response to the situation she finds herself in, it sounds like that. It sounds like she's whining.
It sounds like she's grumbling. It sounds like she's complaining. It sounds like she's not happy. And then the fourth observation is she expresses self-pity.
And this is the rotten source where a lot of this stuff comes. Self-pity. When she says, or when she asks the question, do you not care? What do you think the next two words would be if we supplied them?
Do you not care about me? Do you not care about my situation? Do you not care that I'm working my fingers to the bone to make sure that you have good food? Do you not care that she's lazy and just sitting there and not doing a thing?
This is self-pity. Again, this is a bad place for the people of God to come to. If this is your disposition or if there is a predilection toward this in your life, seek God's grace to fight against it. Do your service for God alone.
Do your service without whining and grumbling and complaining. Do your service in such a way that the focus is off yourself and the focus is upon the kingdom of God as it ought to be.
Worry and Kingdom Priority in Luke 12
Turn to Luke 12. We see connection to more of Luke's gospel. Look at Luke chapter 12, specifically beginning in verse 22 and ending in verse 34. We see this in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 6.
What is it? It's a prohibition against worry. It's a prohibition against carnal anxiety. It's not a prohibition against actually needing food, needing drink, needing clothes, needing a tomorrow.
It's not a prohibition against those things, but rather it's a prohibition about being consumed with those things. Because when we're consumed with those things, we're not consumed with the kingdom of God. When we're consumed with the kingdom of God, as I said, we'll render service as unto the Lord. We will render our service without whining and grumbling and complaint, and we'll render our service in such a way that it does not reveal self-pity. and this idea that we've somehow been shorted by the true and living God.
The Devotion Commended by Christ
Now that brings us secondly to the devotion commended by Christ in verses 41 and 42. So she sets up the Lord Jesus with this statement in verse 40. Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.
I want to look at two things here. The problem identified, verse 41, and then the remedy prescribed in verse 42. Notice his kindness. Verse 41, Jesus answered and said to her, Notice, Jesus answered and said to her, what did she want?
She wanted Jesus to answer and say to Mary, get up and go help your sister. Get up and quit expressing that devotion and go serve some dishes. Get up and get in the kitchen where you belong so that you can function alongside of Martha. That's what Martha wanted, but that's not what Martha got.
Sometimes when we pray incorrectly, it's not that God doesn't answer, it's that He answers in the manner that is consistent with His purposes and plans. So again, He's using this as a teaching moment for Martha's benefit. Mary's already got this down. When Jesus comes into the house and Jesus, as it were, opens his Bible and starts to expound about himself and the law and the prophets, Mary sits down.
Mary assumes that posture. Mary assumes that position so that she can engage in that one thing that is needful, specifically devotion to the Lord Jesus. So here, Jesus answers and said to her, Again, I think this is kindness. There's that statement in Revelation 3, to the worst of the churches in the seven churches of Asia Minor.
The church in Laodicea, the church where they were neither hot nor cold. Now, Jesus is not condemning or commending, rather, a cold atheism. He's referring to the cities around Laodicea. Colossae had medicinal, healing hot springs.
And nearby, actually, that was Hierapolis. Colossae had cool, refreshing water. It was the lukewarm water. It was that insipid, that kind of not there, not not good in terms of heat and medicine, and not good in terms of cold and refreshment.
So he threatens to spew them out of his mouth. Just like the land vomited out the inhabitants in the old covenant, Jesus promises to spew them out of his mouth. But how does Jesus correct, or rather, how does Jesus approach this? He does it in the spirit of love.
Listen to Revelation 3.19, as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, therefore be zealous and repent. That's what I mean here by the kindness of Christ. Martha was imbalanced. Martha needed some correction.
Martha needed a bit of a tune-up, and Jesus does that because Jesus is concerned. Jesus does care. Jesus is concerned, and Jesus wants the proper response and the appropriate action in terms of Martha's service unto her blessed Savior. Matthew Henry said, she expected Christ to have blamed Mary for not doing as she did, but he blamed her for not doing as Mary did.
So those answers to prayer come to us. Those answers to prayer, oftentimes not what we asked for, not what we prayed for specifically, but what we absolutely positively need. He uses this to correct this imbalance.
The Problem Identified: Verse 41
Notice the content of his rebuke here. Verse 41, Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha. One commentator points out he only uses the name Lazarus once when he calls him out of the grave. Here he comes to correct Martha and he says it twice, Martha, Martha.
Kind of an interesting concept, isn't it? One time, Lazarus, come forth. Martha, Martha, she needs to be told what it is that he demands from his disciples. So Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.
As I said, Luke chapter 12 verses 22 to 34 is a corresponding passage. There the prohibition is against worry, consumption with things that are not God, lack of focus, lack of attention, lack of devotion to that kingdom. Look at the principle that's summarized there in verse 31 in chapter 12, but seek the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added to you. So again, he's not condemning food.
He's not condemning drink. He's not condemning your life. He's not condemning your need for clothing. He's simply condemning the attitude or the mindset that puts that stuff before the kingdom of Christ.
So you see, that's the problem. It's not a condemnation of Martha's service. It's not a condemnation of a nice meal. It's not the condemnation of a clean house, but it's rather the condemnation of putting those things before devotion to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
She was condemned not for wanting to serve him. She is reproved because her service kept her from his word. She should have been with Mary at the feet of Jesus when he was engaged in Bible study. The food can wait.
The dishes can wait. The laundry can wait. Now again, don't let food rot, don't let dishes mount, and don't let your laundry reek to high heaven. Those things are necessary, but it's a matter of priority and it's a matter of focus, and that's the issue.
She is rebuked because her trouble over many things kept her from the one thing needful. So it's not a condemnation of the many things per se, but it's a condemnation that the many things obscured her pursuit of the one thing needful. So not service per se, but lack of focus and direction. J.C.
Ryle makes the observation, the fault of Martha should be a perpetual warning to all Christians. If we desire to grow in grace and to enjoy soul prosperity, we must beware of the cares of this world. This is just the reality. I connected it to the parable of the sower or the parable of the soils in Luke chapter 8.
What's Jesus doing in his earthly ministry? Jesus is highlighting the importance of his word. So Ryle goes on to say, except we watch and pray, they will insensibly eat up our spirituality and bring leanness on our souls. It is not open sin or flagrant breaches of God's commandments alone which lead men to eternal ruin.
It is far more frequently an excessive attention to things in themselves lawful and the being encumbered about much serving. It seems so proper to attend to the duties of our station. It is just here that our danger lies. Our families, our business, our daily callings, our household affairs, our intercourse with society, all all may become snares to our hearts and may draw us away from God.
As I mentioned this morning, the passage is not commending monkery. It's not commending the monastic life, where you go live out in the wilderness and you eat locusts and wild honey. Now, that may come in the future in terms of these globalists that want us to eat locusts and wild honey, but that's not what's commended. It's not the monastery life.
It's not the withdrawal from society. But it's the proper balance and perspective that is very easy for us to lose sight of. Remember the wise man in the book of Proverbs, give me neither poverty nor riches. Why does he pray that?
Because if I'm poor, I might be tempted to go out and steal and bring dishonor to the Lord God most high. But if I'm rich, what's the tendency then? The tendency is to forget God. We are a people walking on a tightrope, and we need to make sure we maintain balance.
And that's what this brief passage concerning Martha and Mary underscores for us. Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then these things will be added unto you. That's the takeaway message from this particular passage. So notice,
The Remedy Prescribed: Verse 42
after he identifies the problem, he prescribes the remedy in verse 42. He says, but one thing is needed and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her. Some suggest that when he says, one thing is needed, he's talking about one dish. Some commentators actually suggest that.
If it would have been just, you know, a plate of nachos, then that would be fine. But, you know, bringing burritos and tacos and having all these, that's not what's in view here. Again, the obvious implication is that in our service unto the Lord Jesus, we're not supposed to forget devotion. I've shared this illustration probably more times than you care to hear it, but
The Church at Ephesus and Lost First Love
you can turn to Revelation 2. Revelation 2, this was a passage that I think I learned experientially in the trenches in our church many, many years ago. I'm not suggesting that I've somehow got some esoteric connection, but I always wondered about the letter to the church in Ephesus. They lost their first love, or they left their first love.
That sounds really serious. That sounds really bad, doesn't it? That sounds horrific. You've left your first love?
Well, if that's the case, just cut them off because they're reprobate. But back up for just a moment to verse 1 in chapter 2. To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, these things says he who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil.
And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars. And you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary." That's a wonderful, glowing commendation. That's a great statement concerning the faithfulness of the church in Ephesus. I mean, look at that.
He piles it on in verses two and three. I know your works, your labor, your patience, and that you cannot bear those who are evil. And you have tested those who say they are apostles and are not and have found them liars. And you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my namesake and have not become weary.
Again, a glowing commendation of their excellence as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ. But if you focus in on verses two and three, you've got to ask the question, is this easy? Is this natural? Is this the walk in the park that it sounds like?
No, of course not. You know, faithfulness in your individual life is tough. Faithfulness in church life is tough. Faithfulness in terms of fighting the Lord's battles, not being distracted, not being taken off the beaten path.
And the sorts of things that are involved here and the language that is used shows that it was a difficult slug. It was a difficult process. They maintained steadfastness in the midst of it. They maintained perseverance in the midst of it.
But in the midst of it, they left their first love. Notice in verse four, the condemnation. So commendation, verses 2 and 3, and then the condemnation in verse 4. Nevertheless, I have this against you, that you have left your first love.
I don't think he means they become apostate. I don't think he means they become reprobate. I think he means they've gotten imbalanced. They have been so busy testing apostles or persons who said they were apostles and were not.
They were so busy in their labor. They were so busy in maintaining doctrinal fidelity. They were so busy in keeping heretics out of the pulpit that they weren't red hot in terms of their devotion to the Lord Jesus. In other words, they were reading difficult theology day in and day out, and they weren't warming the fires of their heart with some devotional stuff by C.H.
Spurgeon. Believing your first love is not defection or apostasy or reprobation. They left their first love in terms of balance, in terms of priority. When you're fighting the Lord's battle, it is important that you have a heart on fire for the Lord of the battle.
In other words, it's a both and. theology, fighting against heretics, but keeping the heart warm and nurtured by the Word of God. That's typically the issue in our lives. We get imbalanced. We go astray, not off the beaten path entirely, but in terms of balance.
Back to our text. The one thing is devotion to Christ, which was manifested by Mary in her hearing of the word of Christ. Jesus commends her. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part.
Verse 39 tells us what that is. She had a sister called Mary who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard his word. So Jesus commends that devotion as a disciple listening to the word of Jesus Christ, not to the neglect of everything around you, but in terms of balance.
The One Thing Needful Defined
The one thing is not the only thing, but it's the most necessary thing. The one thing is not the only thing, but it's the most necessary thing. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and then these things will be added unto you. Geneva Bible says, Christ cares not to be entertained delicately, but to be heard diligently.
That is it which He especially requires. That's what he is doing here. It doesn't matter to Jesus if you serve five or ten dishes and they're all wonderful and they could be in magazines for award-winning recipes. What is needful is that when he brings forth that word of truth, the humble disciple receives that word of truth.
The commendation is clear. It's upon Mary. The condemnation, not unto death or damnation or hell, but sort of a gentle chide, a gentle rebuke, a gentle reproof is for Martha. And then notice the lasting benefit.
I mean, you may be the best servant that a house has ever had. You could eat off your floors. Not that anybody would want to do that, but just say you had that sort of propensity. I want to eat off my floor because it's so clean.
I'm so awesome at cleaning things. I'm going to put my food on the floor. You may have all that, but that does not bring comfort in the time of distress. When push comes to shove, it's not your service to Christ that ultimately lifts you out of the doldrums, it's Christ's service to you.
And so I want to go from scolding us all to putting the emphasis on where it ought to be. Christ says that there is lasting benefit in receiving his word. Christ says there is lasting benefit in attending to his means. Christ says there is lasting benefit in not foregoing the public house of God and going and doing any other thing today, but be in the church, be in the study, be under the word of truth.
Why? Because that one thing that is needful has lasting and eternal benefit. It pays rich dividends to all those who receive that word. You will not go wrong when you hear the word of Christ, whether in private or public.
Have you ever come away from just a halfway decent sermon and said, man, I'm the worst for that? Or have you ever read a passage of Holy Scripture and you got some nugget out of it and say, man, that just made my life miserable? What's typically the response from the people of God? Oh, that my heart were more soft.
Oh, that I were more receptive. Oh, that I opened up my arms more so to the word of God. Why? Because we've tried and proven our God and know that his word is sure, that it is in fact the balm of Gilead, that it is that which does bring us to that place of stability, to that place of balance, to that place wherein we know the comfort of God most high.
How many people throughout the ages of the church have been encouraged by Psalm 4610? Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.
Doesn't that bring stability to your needy soul when you see instability all throughout this world? When you see the chaos that actually obtains in the various cities on the face of the earth today, doesn't it calm you to read of the book of Revelation chapters 21 and 22, that new Jerusalem, that city adorned as a bride coming down out of heaven, that blessed place wherein righteousness dwells? It is those sorts of things that the people of God need to encourage them along the pilgrim way. You'll never regret spending time with Christ, and you will never lose the spiritual benefit that Christ brings.
It's not a blessing. It's not like he gives it and then takes it back. You benefit from the Word of God. You benefit from a sermon.
You benefit from fellowship with the saints. You benefit from these things, and it proves lasting. It proves forever. It proves eternal.
It has staying power. Again, Ryle says, it, the true Christian's portion as the grace of God, the Christian's portion as the grace of God is the only good thing which is substantial, satisfying, real, and lasting. It is good in sickness and good in health, good in youth and good in age, good in adversity and good in prosperity, good in life and good in death, good in time and good in eternity. No circumstance and no position can be imagined in which it is not good for man to have the grace of God." That's obvious, brethren, and that's what the passage sets forth.
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. In other words, follow Mary's example here, Martha. Instead of me telling Mary to get up and serve me, I'm telling you to sit down and serve me by listening to my word. Because that is what you need, that is what is going to give you power, that is what is going to give you that ability to function in this lower world.
Application
In conclusion, I would suggest first the passage does not commend monkery. It does not commend monastic life. For those of you who don't know about the monastic life, monasteries, or monasticism, or persons who are known as monks, then I call it monkery. Those were people that withdrew.
They withdrew from everything. They would go live out in the wilderness, and they'd read their Bibles, and they would pray, and they would fast, and they would chase in their flesh, and they would do things such that it was pious and righteous in the sight of God. Brethren, that's imbalanced. As I said this morning, you've got wives, you've got husbands, you've got kids, you've got a need to make money.
Those are all real life issues. As my brother has often said, we don't live on love and fresh air. You don't just show up at Costco and they say, well, it's you. You go right ahead because it's you after all.
No, you've got to have money in order to go to Costco. Got to have money in order to put food in the cupboard. Got to have money to put food in the fridge. So the Bible does not commend or hold forth the monastic life as something virtuous in and of itself.
In fact, Calvin makes the observation on this passage. Nothing was farther from the design of Christ than to encourage His disciples to indulge in indolence. On the contrary, we know that men were created for the express purpose of being employed in labor of various kinds, and that no sacrifice is more pleasing to God than when every man applies diligently to his own calling. and endeavors to live in such a manner as to contribute to the general advantage. So don't think that what is in view here is that you need to grow up and go live in a hut somewhere and just read your Bible and pray.
No, that's not what the passage demands. But a bit of time in a hut with just your Bible and prayer probably wouldn't be the worst thing for any of us. That devotion to Christ, that sitting at the feet of Jesus, that posture of humble discipleship, receiving the Word of God, that is the one thing needful. Secondly, the passage commends the proper priority for the believer.
It commends the proper priority for the believer. The devotion of Mary is the proper priority for every child of God to attend to the preaching of the word. Again, go back to Luke chapter eight, the emphasis on the parable of the sower. Actually, you don't need to, I need to, because I have some Spurgeon notes written in my margin.
His sermon on this particular passage, specifically on Mark, which is the parallel, Mark 4.24, he makes this observation relative to receiving the word of God. He says here, It is your wisdom to know what God says. Hear well. God's teaching deserves the deepest attention.
It will repay the best consideration. And then he says, hear often. Waste no Sabbath, nor any one of its services. Use weekday lectures and prayer meetings.
And then he says, hear better. You will grow the holier thereby. You will find heavenly joy by hearing with faith. So there's this emphasis on receiving the Word of God that our passage commends.
As well, the distraction of Mary over many things is a potential problem for every child of God. Now, I've been a pastor for a bit of time, and it's not usually people that, you know, all I ever do is read my Bible and pray. You know, it's like the job interview. Tell me your strength or your weakness.
Oh, my weakness is that I work too hard and I care too much. Okay. You just don't meet people who, yeah, I just, you know, I'm really struggling with, you know, doing my work. I'm really struggling with loving my family.
I'm really struggling because all I'm ever doing is reading my Bible in prayer. That's usually not the imbalance that we face today in the 21st century. Just gonna head us off at the pass here. The imbalance is that I don't read my Bible, and I don't pray.
I don't spend time at the feet of Jesus. Again, I don't want to lecture. I don't want to scold. Now, tomorrow, read 18 chapters and fast all day, and then you'll be super whole.
I don't want to do that. I think that's legalistic. I think it's angular. I think it's unhealthy for the people of God.
But I do want to encourage us, and I do want to suggest that we get a view of Mary in this particular passage. And if we have come up short, and if we're lacking in sitting at the feet of Jesus as humble learners to hear and receive that Word of God, then we need to put that into practice. And it's interesting because sermons like this, people will do that. Well, I gotta read more Bible.
I gotta read my, you know, 10, just pick it up. Read that much. Just, you know, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
It's not an all or nothing proposition. I've met those people too. None of you, obviously, but people in the past, you know, I'm really struggling with reading my Bible and praying. You know what the answer to that is?
Read your Bible and pray. It's pretty simple. I think it goes like this for Christians. I need to pray more.
So I'm going to read A.W. Pink's book on A Guide to Effective Prayer. Again, read A.W. Pink's Guide to Effective Prayer.
But there's no substitute for actually praying. I need to read through the Bible in a year, and because I don't do that, I'm not gonna do anything. Just pick it up and read, sit at the feet of Jesus, be a humble disciple, be a humble listener, and receive with thanksgiving that word. If as I've suggested, Luke 12, 22 to 34, and that emphasis on not worrying is what we find consistent with this passage, this idea of worrying. in the passage in Luke 12.
It's about your life, your food, your body, your clothes. Those are not sinful things. Those things are not sinful in and of themselves. There's nothing wrong with your life.
I mean, there's probably a lot of things wrong with it, but you living, you having been created by God, being a carbon-based life form and breathing in oxygen and expelling it, that's not a sin. That's not bad to think about your life. Your food, as I said, if you don't eat, you're going to die. There's nothing wrong with food.
There's nothing wrong with clothes. In fact, it's wise that you wear that. These are not sinful things in themselves. They are necessary things.
But the problem is the problem of focus. The problem is the problem of priority. The worry betrays a lack of focus with reference to the kingdom of God. Worry paralyzes the individual in terms of growth in the kingdom of God.
Worry shifts the focus from the eternal to the temporal. We're not supposed to worry, Jesus says. We're not supposed to be encumbered. We're not supposed to be weighed down with all this busyness of life to the neglect of our blessed Savior.
Worry reduces us to fearful, doubting, tormented souls instead of bold, faithful, earnest subjects of God's kingdom. Look at the history of our world over the last few years, brethren. A good dose of kingdom priority would have gone a long way to help the churches of Christ in a very difficult season. As well, this worry fixates on self rather than on Christ.
It's about what we wear. It's about what we eat. It's about what my tomorrow looks like. And again, not always sinful to be concerned about those things, but sinful when you're concerned about those things, to the neglect of the one thing needful, to the neglect of the word of God, to the neglect of the blessed Christ who we serve.
And of course, the discovery of the kindness of God is a helpful antidote for every child of God. Look again at Luke 12. And look at what Jesus says in verse 32. So the prohibition is against worry.
Someone has said that 365 times in the Bible. I saw this on Facebook. This wasn't my diligent research and I took my concordance out. I think I saw it on Facebook.
Once in a while I go on my wife's Facebook and it said there are 365 times that we're told not to fear in the Bible. Okay, that seems legit. I know we're told not to fear a lot in the Bible. Like I said, I've never counted them all out, but that makes sense.
And of course, the application, 365 days of the year, right? So for every day of the year, you're told by God not to fear. You're told by God not to worry. And so in the passage where Jesus condemns worry or carnal anxiety, notice what he says in verse 32.
Do not fear little flaw. For it is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. He's not a harsh taskmaster. He's not an ogre.
He's not against you. He's not trying to ruin your life, but rather it is his good pleasure to bestow upon you the very kingdom of God most high. Receive it with a welcome hand. And then the final observation is that the passage commends the contemplation of the altogether loving Christ.
If monkery is unbiblical, and it is, so is a lack of contemplation. We can learn that much from the monks. Go Get a part by yourself for a while, read your scriptures, pray to God, and enjoy that secret communion or fellowship with Him. Dale Ralph Davis in his commentary on Luke had a particular application for pastors that sort of resonated with me.
He says, there is a specific application here for Christian pastors. How often one bumps into that expression in book advertisements or plugs for ministry resources that it is just what the busy pastor needs. The busy pastor. He says it's accessible or brief or dumbed down or whatever.
The busy pastor obviously doesn't have time to ponder or think or read or listen because he is, well, a busy pastor. He says, believe me, I know something of the load a pastor carries, but I repudiate the busy pastor model. I don't think that there should be any busy pastors. Ministerial busyness may fulfill our egos, but it empties the soul.
Many of us need to join Mary at Jesus' feet if we are to be equipped for our labor. I think that's a good application, not just obviously for pastors, but for all of us. Life is busy. There are a lot of demands on our time.
There are a lot of hands on our time, to quote a famous drummer. we often think about we have too much time on our hands. That's usually not our problem. We've got a lot of hands on our time, and as a result of that, the tendency to imbalance, as demonstrated in Martha, is a real one. So again, don't want to lecture, don't want to scold, but want to encourage all of us to sit at the feet of Jesus and to receive his word, and bless God for the provision of Jesus as that one alone in whom there is salvation.
His life of perfect obedience to the law, His death as a sacrifice and atonement on Calvary, His resurrection again the third day. It is as a result of that we have peace with God through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. So let us contemplate, let us receive it, and may it indeed encourage us to be steadfast and persevering, always abounding in the work for the Lord, for his glory and for his honor. Well, let us pray.
Closing Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for Your Word. We thank You for this one thing needful, and we pray that You would help us to seize upon this. Help us not to be neglectful when it comes to the Word and prayer. Help us as well not to beat ourselves up, though.
Give us grace and wisdom to pursue these things in a manner that is well-pleasing in Your sight. and thank you for the sacrament of the supper, thank you for this bread and wine. It's not about our doing, it's not about our devotion, it's not about us serving or anything like that, but it's about the service of Christ, the provision of God, and the Son of God who lived for us, who died for us, and who was raised again for us. We bless you and we praise you, and we pray in Jesus' holy name, amen.