EDITOR'S NOTE: On Oct. 23, 2021, I was ordained as a minister of word and sacrament in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and installed as pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Wolverton, Minn. I also served the same church for four years from October 2017 to October 2021 a synodically authorized minister. The journey together these past four years has been an amazing one, full of learning, growing and a deepening of my theological mind. This sermon took place on July 20, 2022.
This week's gospel: Luke 10:38-42
Jesus Visits Martha and Mary
38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 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.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, 42 but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
The message:
I’d like to ask you to work with me here …
For just a moment, could we all try our best to be quiet and take in the beauty of creation that surrounds us tonight as we worship.
(Take a pause. … Silently count to 20)
Would someone please be willing to share what they noticed?
Great! Excellent! … Thank you! … Any other observations?
Well, given all of that, it’s impossible not to recognize that we are sitting right here in the presence of God, isn’t it?
God is indeed all around us.
But, I bet most of us never even took notice until we were told to do so, right? … Until we were told to direct our attention to do so.
But before that, you were probably too distracted by the thought of picking a seat for worship and wondering what worship outside would be like.
Or maybe you were focused on those who were gathered around the campfire making s’mores.
Still others of you might have been distracted with saying high to friends and neighbors you haven’t seen in a week.
And, frankly, all of those things are good and right and in themselves. … Nothing wrong with those “good distractions.”
But the trouble is that while this is a lighthearted exercise to draw attention to distractions -- even good distractions -- it’s also symbolic of the point Jesus is trying to make in tonight’s gospel text.
“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.”
Well, my goodness … poor Martha, right?!?! … I mean, after all … all Martha was trying to do was to be a good host, to provide the obligatory hospitality required for guests in the first century. … And this was Jesus and his followers, nonetheless!
She didn’t want to disappoint!
There she was just trying to prepare the food and serve it, and maybe prepare some quarters for their guests later on to rest. … You’ve all had houseguests, right? … It takes some work to feed them and make them feel at home.
And there was Mary … who wasn’t any help at all. … As Martha busied herself at receiving their guests, Mary just “sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying.”
Poor Martha was just beside herself: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.”
So … imagine her dismay when Jesus responds to Martha that it is SHE who has it all wrong.
“No, Martha, you’re the one who is distracted. Mary, is here, at my feet, taking in this opportunity with me … not worried about any of the other earthly cares that distract us.”
And so, Jesus takes this everyday opportunity to remind Martha -- and to remind us -- that it’s far too easy for us to become distracted -- even by good things -- when we are in the presence of the Lord.
I mean, who didn’t enjoy those 30 seconds that we took earlier to listen to the birds and grasshoppers, to see the luscious green trees gently waving in the breeze and to witness those vivid blues of the sky overhead?
But how many of you would have thought to take it all in, realizing that you were in the actual presence of God the creator … had you not been asked to do so?
We face distractions everywhere -- even good distractions such as s’mores and chatting up your neighbor …
So … just how do we learn to balance devoting time to “good” things that actually are just distracting us from even more important “good” things?
After all, Martha really was doing nothing wrong. … She was doing exactly what was expected of a good first century host. … But in doing so, she entirely forgot that there sat Jesus, the son of God, in the flesh … in her living room! … He was right there!
Just as we all forgot to take in the trees and grass and flowers and birds and insects all around us right here, right now … entirely forgetting that here sits God the creator all around us, and we didn’t even take notice.
Faith Family, we are called to perform a lot of tasks in life. We are pulled in various directions by family and work and church and volunteer obligations and sports and social expectations. … All things that in their own right are good … and even should be considered gifts from God.
But in the rush to enjoy all these things, and meet our earthly expectations, we often become much more of a Martha … then we do a Mary.
Pfft … Look at that Mary sitting there blowing off her chores, while I’m over here working hard to receive Jesus and his fellow travelers. … “Lord, can’t you please get after that Mary!”
When in reality what Jesus really wants us to understand … is learning to recognize when Jesus -- and God -- are right there in front of you … and taking the moment to appreciate the divine’s presence.
More important than focusing all your energy on all of the “good distractions” in this world, Jesus says … is “knowing and believing that God is already with us.”
And so, if we truly believe that God is always with us, then how do we live in the moment in the presence of God?
Right here, right now. How do we forget the busyness of life and recognize God is joining us in this moment?
That is what Jesus is trying to help Martha -- and us -- understand. … It’s that ability to recognize the presence of God in the moment … that Jesus reminds us can never be taken away from Mary … or from us.
And that is the Good News for this Wednesday, July 20, 2022 … the sixth week after Pentecost.
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