Only One Thing

A Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost

July 17, 2022

The Rev. Robin Teasley

 

As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me." But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."  Luke 10:38-42

Martha and Mary, He Qi

What if Jesus showed up at your house?

 

Can you imagine? What would you do? Would you be sitting at his feet or in the kitchen preparing a meal for him? Both of these reactions would be perfectly good ones. We all want to give our guests our attention and serving food is a form of hospitality. We want guests to be comfortable and to feel welcome, and some of us might get too carried away with the preparations. My kids always knew when we were about to have company… and they knew to stay out of my way – I was a driven woman, cooking and cleaning and losing my patience at the least little thing. I was too focused on making things just right for company, and not always being present to my family in a very loving way. Over time I have come to understand that being Martha all the time, or being Mary all the time, is not what Jesus was teaching in this encounter.

 

This Gospel story is a good study in personality type and the way it directs our faith and ministry. It’s a good follow up to last week’s Gospel where Jesus used the story of the Good Samaritan to help the rule following lawyer get out of the courtroom and into the real world where things need doing. We almost always know if we are more like Mary or more like Martha. What we need to know is that our health will improve, both physically and spiritually, and our faith will grow stronger when we can become more centered between the extremes of being and doing.

Christ at the House of Martha and Mary, Alessandro Allori

 

Does this story about Martha and Mary contradict what Jesus told the lawyer in his parable last week?  I don’t think so. To me it is a further exploration. We are to be about doing God’s work in the world as we learned last week. Jesus goes deeper with us this week. When we get busy doing God’s work, we are not to let the work become the thing we worship; we are not to let the work be the thing that causes division within the community. We are not to let the work consume us to the neglect of our spiritual lives and our physical well-being. We need both Marthas and Marys, and guys this is not just about the women! We need Matthews and Marks as well in the Church!  

 

We can all become so focused on the task at hand, whether it’s getting the dinner on the table for the family, cleaning the house for overnight guests, getting the hay in before the rain comes, finishing one more project at the office, or finding our next rector as quickly as possible. Getting things done is important. The problem comes when we forget why we are doing what we are doing, and for whom we are doing it. If we become sullen and resentful, if we feel burdened and are just going through the motions, it begins to affect the people around us, but most of all it affects us.  

 

In her preparations, Martha forgot why she was fixing dinner and she forgot that Jesus was the guest. Her frustration and resentment built up and eventually exploded all over Mary and Jesus! Martha also practiced that very human fine art of triangulation, as she attempted to pull Jesus into the problem. Rather than speak truth to her sister and ask for help, she vented to Jesus – “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” Whew! See what happens when our focus is on the wrong thing?

Martha and Mary, Andrea Vaccaro

 

Whenever we become too frustrated, resentful, or exhausted in our work, it’s likely that we have forgotten why we are doing it, or no longer take joy in doing it, or have neglected to joyfully invite others to help us. Sometimes it’s just time to stop expending all our energy on a task that is no longer needed. Sometimes we are burned out, we need to take a break, and simply rest at the feet of Jesus for a while like Mary. 

 

This applies in the church as well. There is a maxim going around in the church today that says  if there are fewer than 3 people who really want to be involved in a long-held ministry, then it might be time to let that ministry go and find another place to focus our gifts. Also, if there is no joy to be found in a project, it’s worth exploring the need to be involved in the project.  

It’s really very good practice not only during times of transition but continually for churches to be looking at what is working and what is not, what is bringing joy and what is not, and what is sharing the love of Jesus and what is not. Most of all, Jesus calls us to look for the why and the who in everything we do. What is our why? And who is the focus of our ministry?

 

When Jesus came to visit Mary and Martha, he was on the way to Jerusalem, to the cross. He did not want Martha toiling away in the kitchen, and I am sure it was painful for him to witness the sparring between sisters for whom he had great affection. Perhaps when Jesus came to visit he hoped to tell them what was most needed – the one thing. The one thing that is most needed before we begin to do any ministry whether it is here in the church or out in the world, is to sit at the feet of Jesus, to be still and listen to Jesus. Martha was not focused on Jesus. She was focused on the mess in the kitchen and on her resentment with her sister.

Jesus at the House of Martha and Mary, Orthodox Icon

 

So, what if Jesus showed up at your house? What would Jesus find there? What are we focusing on in our homes?  Are we loving God and family or are we spending too much time and energy on things that distract us from being really present to and listening to one another and to God?

 

And what if Jesus showed up here at Immanuel? What would Jesus find here? What are we focusing on? Are we loving God and neighbor or are we spending too much time and energy on things that distract us from listening to one another and God?

 

Jesus doesn’t tell us, but I imagine there were times when he needed to encourage Mary to put her prayers and devotion into action. Even so, her first action was the right one - to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to what Jesus needed her to do. Where is our focus? What are we doing and where are we going?  There is need of only one thing – to remember that Jesus is with us.

Jesus at the House of Martha and Mary, Mi Hwa Kweon

Title Image: Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, Johannes Vermeer