Fix Your Focus: Mary & Martha
Luke 10:38-42
Who does the chores in your house?
are they shared evenly?
Do you ever get upset
about others not pulling their weight?
What about family dynamics
are you the oldest child
always a little annoyed that you’re doing more
than your younger siblings
Do you ever feel called out by your siblings
as they try to make you look bad
for the choices you’re making
How many of us have been victims
of passive aggressive behavior?
How many of us employ passive aggression
to manipulate situations to our benefit
Have you ever been triangulated
someone trying to speak to you through someone else
rather than talk to you directly
All of those dynamics and more are present
in this short story of Mary, Martha and Jesus
I think that’s why we lean in
wondering how Jesus will respond
to Martha’s request for help in the Kitchen
I’m sure all of us can think of Marthas in our life
many of us recognize Martha in ourselves
hard working, task oriented and playing the matyr
I think of my wife’s grandmother
and the first Christmas dinner I experienced with her family
when we were just dating
She was a good woman
and recognized that I would marry Victoria
before anyone else
She gave me an antique family catechism
and welcomed me to the family over dinner
though we’d only been dating for a few months
But when it came to preparing Christmas Dinner
grandma was all Martha
She started early in the morning
baking and cooking and setting the table
The meal was prime rib with all the fixings
and not a single item was allowed to be served out of the container it came in
so there were dishes upon dishes
She had already spent days
baking snacks and desserts
So when it came time to sit down and eat the meal together
Grandma was so exhausted from all her work
that she couldn’t eat anything
and couldn’t enjoy the time with the family all together
I remember feeling really badly for her
knowing that the family wanted her presence and company
more than the meal she had prepared
But we all do this all the time
we get distracted and focused on the wrong thing
We get busy and work hard
with good hearts and motives
but missing the important thing
Today we start a new sermon series
called fix your focus
It’s an invitation to consider our Focus in life
and turn our attention to what God is giving
Martha is not a bad person
not any worse than any of us
She’s doing a really good thing here
inviting Jesus into her house
being hospitable as any disciple should
Remember when Jesus sent out the 70
he praised those who would welcome them into their homes
I think everything would have been fine
if Martha had kept her focus
on serving Jesus and the disciples
But what happens is that she shifts her focus
away from Jesus and fixates on herself and her sister instead
She fixates on herself
look at all this work I’m doing
doesn’t anyone care, doesn’t anyone see me?
She fixates on her sister
look at all this work my sister isn’t doing
just sitting there with the men listening to Jesus
Maybe she’s jealous of Mary
taking advantage of the opportunity to learn from Jesus
Maybe she’s angry at Mary
for violating social norms and expectations
or for getting out of work and responsibility
Have you ever had that thought about somebody
they don’t work as hard as I do
but look they still get rewarded
Have you ever asked the question
who do they think they are
taking what doesn’t belong to them
That’s what Mary is doing
when she plops down at Jesus’ feet
She’s taking a seat where she didn’t belong
at least according to the standards of the day
I think of Rosa Parks taking a seat at the front of the bus
in Montgomery Alabama at the height of the Jim Crow laws that designated where black people could and couldn’t sit
Whenever someone violates social norms
and pushes us to reconsider the boundaries
some of us will respond with anger
and try to reinforce old boundaries
Mary sits in a place reserved for men
a woman in a man’s spot
and Martha calls her out for it
When Martha focuses her attention on Mary
she gets jealous and angry
and she gets distracted from what Jesus is doing
What is Jesus doing?
Jesus is welcoming a woman
to sit equal with men as their equals
And Martha is missing it
We behave badly
when our focus moves away from Jesus
to ourselves or to comparisons with others
Can you imagine what it felt like to be Mary
listening to Jesus
pinching yourself at the opportunity
I imagine she wondered if she really belonged
felt like maybe she was an imposter or intruder
and then her sister calls her out in front of everyone
and I wonder if she thought the jig was up
and made a move to get up and get back in her place
Did she expect Jesus to affirm Martha
and reaffirm the social boundaries she had broken?
And how embarrassed was she
to be the cause of this scene
to interrupt the teachings of Jesus
because she took a chance and sat at his feet
What will Jesus say
what will Jesus do
I wonder what Jesus was thinking in that moment
He has two sisters
both of whom are pretty wonderful people
one is serving through her work of hospitality
the other is learning and studying his teaching
It’s hard to pit these two activities against each other
But it’s Martha who needs correction
and Mary who needs protection
and so Jesus gently provides both
“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”
I have a friend from my last congregation (Stella, this is for you)
who posted on our First thoughts about this passage
suggesting that Mary should have helped Martha
and then the two of them could have sat at Jesus’ feet afterwards
And I thought about that
because it’s how we naturally think of things
do the work first and then you can rest and study and learn
It’s our America way
or maybe the protestant work ethic
For some reason we think that work is the most important thing
that getting the task done should always be the highest priority
Have you ever questioned that?
Have you ever wondered
why we don’t gravitate to the exact opposite of that
What if Martha had sat down at Jesus’ feet and learned with Mary too
and then after the teaching the two of them
could do the work along with others?
What if we put learning first
spending time with Jesus first
resting and enjoying relationships first?
Part of what Jesus is inviting here
is to fix our focus, fix our priorities
It’s an invitation to prioritize time with Jesus
to prioritize learning from Jesus and studying his ways
What does it look like in your life
to put your relationship with Jesus first
to focus on time with him?
Today God invites us
to remember our first love
Do you remember that time in your life
when you first began learning about Jesus
when your eyes were opened to His teachings and Grace
I remember my confirmation years
when I devoured the Bible
reading from the gospel of John first
and Romans and Galatians and the great adventure stories from 1st and 2nd Kings
I couldn’t get enough
I remember my highschool years
listening to contemporary Christian music in my car
especially my all time favorite Rich Mullins
and praying and seeking God’s will
And feeling God’s presence in powerful ways
I remember my seminary years
taking theology for the first time
and just feeling my mind come alive with the things of God
Learning that God was so much bigger
than I had ever realized
I imagine that’s what Mary was experiencing
as she sat at the feet of Jesus
and absorbed every word
But then we go through life and get distracted
and we get busy and our focus drifts
But Jesus is always inviting back into Mary’s seat
back to time with him to listen and learn
and receive the life that he gives
It’s harder these days
because the things that distract us
are increasing exponentially
Sometimes I find myself binging television
just trying to keep up with all the new shows
I don’t want to miss out on anything new
But then there’s kids activities
and work activities
and travel and email and social media
to keep up with
There are home projects
and out of town guests
and our own health to maintain
If that’s not enough
we can be consumed with the problems of the world
and the political parties trying to get or maintain our loyalty
We live in a world of distraction
and we end up feeling like Martha
working hard, feeling alone in the work and overburdened
If we’re not careful we can get angry and jealous
blaming others for the situation
we have chosen for ourselves
But what if we took Jesus up on his invitation
and returned to him
to learn from him
What if we remembered
the joy of sitting at Jesus feet
and returned to Mary’s spot
Remember Jesus saying
“Come to me all you who are weary and carrying heavy burdens
and I will give you rest
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light”
Don’t those words in and of themselves
feel like water for thirsty souls
OR think of the Psalm
that cries out
“Like a deer panting for the water
so my soul longs for Thee”
or Saint Augustine’s famous line
The soul is restless until it rests in thee
Jesus knows what Marth needs
knows what we need
and he gives it freely
His words, his teaching, his life
centering us, quenching our thirst, giving us rest
When we sit and learn
when we fix our focus on Him
then we can navigate the tasks of this world
Jesus sets us free
to move more intentionally
to make choices
to know what matters most in each moment
There is more than one way to do this
to sit at Jesus’ feet
Some of us have a daily devotional practice
to help us focus
I have coffee with Jesus every morning
reading scripture and praying before I start my day
Some of us spend better time with Jesus
by walking and praying
I think weekly worship is a vital way
for all of us to spend time with Jesus
and fix our focus
WE need the songs, the scriptures, the prayers
the sacrament of Holy communion
These are gifts from God to us
to recenter ourselves and live life under Jesus’ leadership
I would also encourage you to consider a small group
the Monday nights at the fire pit
or Wednesday midweek pause
or Thursday Bible and Brew
We will have new Growth groups too
and Bible studies and Women’s circles
are all tools to help us spend quality time with Jesus
That’s the point
time with Jesus
fix our focus
He loves you
and has exactly what you need
Sit at Jesus’ feet
and receive what He gives.
Amen.
