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THE ONE THING

It’s such an honor to be here today. I was originally asked to teach at this luncheon in February of 2020 but then something called the Coronavirus (ever heard of it?;)) took over the planet, and the event was canceled. So today feels extra special when I think back to where we were this time 3 years ago. What a gift to all be together. I’ve heard so many incredible things about this church and the woman who attend here. I’ve loved meeting some of you. Linda has been so kind and easy to work with. In fact, can we please give her a big thank you for heading this up?

Well I come hailing from the great metropolis of Helotes. Maybe some of you have heard of it. About 30 minutes northwest from here. We are famous for Floors Country Dance Hall and Cornyvall so it’s a far cry from downtown San Antonio. But my husband and I really love raising our kiddos there. Speaking of kiddos, I thought I would bring a photo of my clan. My husband Brett and I currently have 3 kiddos – Rosie who is 7, Max who is 5 and our foster son who is 3. We’ve only been fostering for 8 months and this little buddy has been with us for 6 of those months. We will more than likely be saying goodbye to him soon, but he has been and will always be a special part of our family. So, needless to say, when I get to escape motherhood and be here at an all-women’s gathering like this it is such a nice break from all the Paw Patrol toys and meltdowns. I’m hoping today is a treat for you as well. I know it was not easy for a lot of you to be here. You’ve got a lot going on!

There’s a lot of busyness in this room. Some of you have major decisions you need to make or expectations you’re carrying. Your family pulls you this way, friends another way. You have bills to pay, a cat to feed, a carpool to drive, a meeting to attend, a kitchen to clean, a friend to call, weeds to pull, emails to respond to, and somewhere in the middle of all that you’re supposed to squeeze in a downward facing dog! I don’t know how we are supposed to juggle it all! And, truth is… we can’t. We can’t do it all. At some point, a ball is dropped, we break. If you’re anything like me, a surprise meltdown will surface in the middle of traffic, or the tears will start flowing in shower or while I’m staring at my dirty kitchen. We all know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed and burdened to the point of breaking. One of my favorite women in the Bible knew this feeling well. In fact, she’s kind of famous for it. Let’s read her story together at the end of Luke chapter 10:38-42. I’m going to put the story on the screen. And will you help me out? Anytime you see a word underlined, will you read it aloud with me?

“Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him 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. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus tells Martha she’s troubled about many things, but only one thing, ONE thing is necessary. Today I want us to chat about the One thing – the one thing necessary.

Pray

Let’s get to know these sisters a little more.

Luke, the author, starts the story by saying “Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village.” Jesus and his disciples are going from town to town sharing the good news of God and his love and redemption through Jesus when they reach a small village. Though Luke doesn’t mention it, we know Mary and Martha lived in the small town of Bethany. And when Jesus entered into Bethany who is there to welcome Jesus with an apron tied around her waist and hot pad in hand? Good ‘ole Martha.

“And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.” We don’t know a ton about Martha. But scholars think that because it was Martha welcoming Jesus, and the emphasis is on her home and not her husband’s, that Martha ran her own household. She was possibly a widow or never married, and because she is mentioned first in the line-up scholars think she was the oldest of the siblings. In this story we see she has a younger sister named Mary, and then who was her famous brother? Yea, Lazarus- the famous brother whom Jesus raised from the dead. In fact, the day Jesus raises her brother from the dead we get a little more insight into Martha’s personality. Jesus commands the people to roll away Lazarus’s tombstone…about to perform one of the greatest miracles of all time … about to command Lazarus to walk out of the grave … and what does Martha say?

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.” John 11:39

Whomp whomp. Thanks Martha. Kinda ruins the moment there. After reading this statement I think it’s easy to see that Martha not only has a major aversion to foul odors (don’t we all), but she’s not afraid to speak her mind. She had an opinion, was probably the bolder type. My hunch is Martha probably stuck her foot in her mouth a few times in life. Can anyone relate to Martha yet? I feel like I’m describing me! This mouth! Big problem.

But then we see this really kind, welcoming, hospitable side to Martha, right? She’s the one welcoming Jesus in. Jesus could have easily had some of his smelly disciples with him that day too. But that doesn’t scare Martha away. She is the hostess with the mostest. She’s that woman on Facebook that posts all those yummy pictures of the yeast rolls she made from scratch and the center pieces she made out of … I don’t know … what do crafty people make center pieces out of … tree bark and mason jars. She loves hosting.

She’s the oldest child so she probably loved nurturing too. Without Martha’s in this world, would anything get done? No! Would anyone feel cared for? No! Would baby showers, wedding showers, mealtrains ever even exist? Absolutely not! Martha was a servant. And she was a servant of Jesus. She loved Jesus, believed in him as her Messiah. We know that because in this story she calls Jesus her Lord in verse 40.

So though Martha is remembered in history for her gettin’ too hot in the kitchen, let’s remember her hospitable, welcoming, nurturning, Jesus-serving heart as well. So what about the other sister? Sweet Mary. We’ve kinda gotten to know Martha, but let’s get to know her baby sister a bit. Let’s look at our story in verse 39, and read the underlined words with me.

“And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” We don’t know a whole lot about Mary either. But we can gather that she, like I said before, is probably younger than Martha. She seems like a sweet, sensitive type. When her brother Lazarus died, John 11 tells us,

32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

Her tears are so sincere, she’s so sensitive, it moves Christ to tears. And did you note her body language? What is she doing as she is weeping? She is on the ground, at the feet of Jesus. What does this say about Mary? It shows her humility, doesn’t it? It shows she had a deep reverence for Christ. In our Luke story, where do we see Mary again? She’s at the feet of Jesus. Kind of a theme here, huh? In Luke we don’t see her weeping at the feet of Jesus. She is what? Look at verse 39 again. “And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching.” She is listening to Jesus. Mary was a learner. She was a listener. She loved Jesus, just being with him, sitting at His feet.

Sitting at the feet of teachers was an ancient posture learners or disciples took while listening to a teacher or rabbi. In Biblical times, the phrase “to sit at one’s feet” because a term equivalent to disciple. So if I were to  say I sit at the feet of _________, it may or may have not meant I literally sit at her feet. But if anything, it signifies I’m a disciple of hers, a student or follower of hers. Rabbis in those days never allowed women to sit at their feet while teaching. Many Jewish leaders believed women had no place in the theological classroom. But what do we see Jesus, a Jewish Rabbi, doing? Jesus is not only teaching Mary, a woman, but Luke tells us she sat at His feet, meaning Jesus welcomed her as His true disciple. Her gender doesn’t matter. Status doesn’t matter in the kingdom of God. Only her heart. And we see her heart hanging on every word he says … well except when the occasional clang or clatter from the kitchen distracts her.

Martha is making quite the commotion in the kitchen. Have you ever dramatically cleaned the dishes just to let everyone else know you were the only one cleaning? Opened and closed the drawers extra hard, clanged the silverware just to let others know you were responsible and they were … well … This is how I picture Martha – stirring a little louder, chopping a little louder than she had to, just so Jesus and Mary would know … The bread is baking, while the soup is simmering. The salad needs prepping and Martha is … well reread verse 40 with me, just the words underlined there.

But Martha was distracted with much serving. Martha was what with much serving? Distracted.

Can we get a little nerdy and chat about the original greek word behind this English word “distracted”? It’s a fun, juicy Greek word I learned. It’s the word perispao.

“Perispaó – comes from 2 words:

• perí (a preposition) – properly, all-around (on every side); encompassing, consideration where “all the bases are covered”
• spaó: to draw (a sword)”

“Perispaó – properly signifies to be drawn different ways at the same time, and admirably expresses the situation of a mind surrounded (as Martha’s then was) with so many objects of care, that it hardly knows which to attend to first.” – Benson Commentary

Do you ever have a perispao brain? Drawn about? You’re drawn here, then here, oh then you remember you need to do this, call her, be there. You’re so overwhelmed you don’t know where to start. Martha has a perispao brain here. And a perispao brain usually doesn’t allow us to think rationally.

She gets hotter than the soup boiling on the stove, and marches into the living room, interrupting Jesus mid-sentence, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” Not care. Tell her. Martha has gone from welcoming at the front door, to overwhelmed in the kitchen to demanding and accusing in the living room. I can so relate to this.

When my mind is overwhelmed by the burdens of this world, I start accusing and demanding just like Martha. I accuse my husband of not doing enough. I become more demanding, sharp tongued with my daughter. More demanding of my friends. “Why don’t my friends call me more? Why don’t they ask me how I’m doing?” I get mad at complete strangers! “Why does this Starbucks barista mess up my order every time?” And then, before I know it, just like Martha, I start to get demanding and accusing with God. My prayers become a lot less about listening to God and a lot more about telling God how it needs to be.

How does Jesus respond to us when we have these Martha moments?

Look at his words again in verse 41-42, and read the words with me in bold. “41But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

The first thing I want to note about Jesus’ response is that though Martha came at him with spatula in hand, Jesus responds with grace in hand. I love that. He’s gentle. And we know that because of the way he says Martha twice. Martha, Martha. Scholars taught me that by Jesus using her name twice he was being tender. Yes, he is about to correct her, but He is tender in his correction. Aren’t you thankful to have a God who is so tender with us time and time again?

And then look. He addresses her perispao brain. He’s a mind reader! He sees Martha’s thoughts are divided and overwhelmed so He meets her right where she’s at and calls it out.

“You are anxious and troubled about many things” he said. I love that. We have a God who meets us and speaks to us right where we are. And then Jesus continued “but ONE THING is necessary.” How many things are necessary? ONE. And what is that ONE thing that is necessary? Jesus tells Mary has chosen it. “Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” What did Mary choose? To feast upon the good portion. See, Martha may be cooking up delicious portions in the kitchen for their bellies, but Jesus says He’s cooking up portions too – portions not for the body but for the soul. And Mary had chosen to sit at his feet, and feast upon His words of life, His truth. In short, Mary chose to just be WITH Jesus and feast upon His goodness. This is the one thing necessary.

Growing up, as my sisters and I would be frantically running out to the car to make it before the first period bell rang, my mom would always stop us, “Wait, wait, wait!” She would say. “Just let me read this scripture over you girls.” We would roll our eyes. “Mom, we’re late!” But that didn’t stop her. She would put her hand out and start proclaiming! Proclaiming God’s Word over our hearts even if we didn’t want to hear it. I’ll never forget my mom praying over me when I cried into her lap after my first boyfriend broke my heart. I’ll never forget her pointing me to God’s word when I found out friends had gossiped about me. We even prayed about little things like finding my lost tennis racket before practice! These days she sends me text messages with prayers for me or scripture she is proclaiming over my kids. What was and is my mom teaching me in all these moments? To remember the ONE thing. Before all the many things of life take priority in your heart, stop, pause, remember the One thing. Be with Jesus, feast upon His goodness, soak in His truth.

God invites us to have this Mary posture in every moment. In the Target line, at work, in traffic, when a child hurts you, a friend betrays you, the doctor tells you the diagnosis … Jesus invites us to come. Sit with Him, listen to His truth, remember His goodness. This is the kind of intimate relationship Jesus wants WITH you. And this is what Jesus is gently reminding Martha of in our story, isn’t it?

Does Jesus rebuke Martha for cooking? No. Does He get on to Martha for serving Him? No. Serving God isn’t bad, doing good things isn’t bad. In fact, it’s commanded in the Bible. But can our serving and good works distract us from the One thing necessary? All the time. Luke writes that Martha was distracted with much serving. Our service for God can get in the way of just being with God.

I mentioned that we started our foster journey not too long ago. When we got our little buddy we have now, the first few months were a nightmare. He was a non-verbal 3 year old boy who wasn’t potty trained, had just spent the last 3 months of his life in a shelter and before that, 2 1/2 years with an abusive father and negligent mother. He came to us erratic, aggressive, emotional. He would cry till he threw up, throw shoes at me out of anger and confusion. And I’m embarrassed to admit it, but after a couple of weeks of him living with us, I couldn’t stand the sight of him. I dreaded waking up every morning and seeing him in my house. I resented his trauma. I didn’t want to feel his sadness anymore. I was at my emotional wit’s end. So one day I went on a walk. I do that a lot when I’m stressed to go blow off steam. And on this walk I started shaking my spatula at God like Martha did in the living room. “I did this because you called me to this! And this is how it is? I’m doing this for YOU! Do you not care? Why do I feel like I’m suffering so much?” I don’t hear audible words from God, but sometimes a thought, clear as glass, penetrates my heart, and on my walk, one of those thoughts hit. I heard the Spirit say, “Stop suffering for me and just suffer WITH me.”

Jesus tenderly corrected Martha and corrected me for the same thing – we both had forgotten the One thing necessary. We had allowed living FOR Jesus to become more important than being WITH Jesus. Martha and I had both forgotten that from the very beginning God didn’t want something from us, He just wanted … us.

In Genesis where do we see God? WITH Adam and Eve, walking with them in the garden. And in Revelation where do we see God? “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”

The beginning of the Bible and the end of the Bible point to the One thing necessary – being with Jesus, sitting at His feet, feasting upon His goodness.

Five years ago I watched my mom’s dad, my Pawpaw take his last breath. I’ve said goodbye to many people I’ve loved. But this was my first time to actually be in the room with someone and watch with my own eyes as he exhaled for the last time and passed on from this world to the next. I can tell you what was not on my mind in that moment. I was not thinking about laundry or my grocery list. I wasn’t even thinking about important things like my kids, my marriage, my ministry goals. No. The only thing I kept thinking about was what in the world the face of Jesus looks like. Picturing my pawpaw falling into His arms. I just wanted to shake my Pawpaw awake and ask him, “What is He like? What does He look like, smell like, sound like?” In that moment, the One thing that mattered was Jesus – just being with Jesus, now and forever.

Let’s close our eyes. What is consuming your thoughts these days? What chores, responsibilities, relationships are give you a perispao brain like Martha – drawing you here and then there? Think about it for a second. Now let’s invite Jesus into this moment. He’s here. He sees you. He knows your thoughts. So Jesus, we hand our burdens over to you. We admit that like Martha we get distracted by all the many things and lose sight of the one thing. Would you help us sit at your feet, listen to your voice? Would you help us learn how to live with you, instead of for you? Thank you for loving us so much that you dwelled among us, died for us, resurrected and now want a relationship with us. What love.