An Oldie (but yet much the same)
22 January 2023 @ 19:19
I just found this piece that I had written for a newsletter in 1993 and thought I'd share it here.
DON'T BE DISTRACTED!
I would like to share a passage with you from the 10th chapter of Luke:
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
In this passage we see a harried and frustrated Martha. The Master, Jesus, has come into her home and there is so much to be done. There's cleaning and cooking and so many other things to accomplish in order to make sure that everything is just right. Can't Mary see that? Surely Jesus will understand, so Martha goes to Jesus and says, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus responds in a way that must have surprised Martha for He answers, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." How would Jesus respond to our grumblings? Have we become like Martha with our own lives and within the life of the church? Have we been living Martha lives and have we, to a large extent, become a Martha church?
Do we ever take time to reflect on the words of Jesus when He says, "seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well?? We work so hard on so many details.
We are upset about many things. We go out of our way to make sure we have ministries for everything.
We have singles ministries, young adult ministries, ministries for those who are separated or divorced, men's ministries, women's ministries, ministries for those battling addictions and the list goes on and on.
It is not that any of these ministries in themselves is wrong, it is just that we can become so caught up in the details of the differences of each of these groups that we tend to overlook that which each holds in common -- the need for the healing love of Jesus Christ. We allow church events and programs to get in the way of proclaiming Jesus to the world. We waste so much money and time on secondary issues.
We spend valuable time raising huge dollars for things that don't advance the Kingdom and the cause of Christ. "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."
I think a lot of our problem stems from our reluctance to stray too far from our comfort zone.
Most times, we just don't want to get personally involved with someone who is too different from us.
I have talked to so many people who have developed a distrust and distaste for the church because they have been avoided and left alone in the midst of their hurt and need by unloving folks that have called themselves believers. "But Lord I don't have those same problems. My life is going well and I've always kept on top of the details. Isn't that enough?" No, I don't believe it is. I believe that Jesus calls us to bring all people into a family of believers where they can experience His healing and His love through each and every one of us. I'll admit that it is easier to just work at fundraising or to give someone directions to the appropriate classroom in order to let someone else deal with it, but that isn't what Jesus would do. He says to us "I've brought them to you, now show them Me." Sure we can use those with special gifts in these individual areas as resources but discipleship must begin with each of us, individually, at the initial point of contact with those in need and that, most often, is not even within the confines our church walls.
Paul, in his letter to the Roman church, writes "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."(2) What an excellent model for our church. Following Jesus is not a passive activity involving just an hour or a fow hours a week where we sit and listen without response. We are called to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." He calls us to go where He would go. He let nothing distract Him from reaching out to us in our sin - not even the misery of the cross. "My command is this; Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. "(A] These are Jesus words, not mine. Are we willing to lay down our lives for others? Are we willing to go where He would go regardless of the discomfort to us. We are called to show the sacrificial love of Christ in lives that are fully surrendered unto Him. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."5] (emphasis, mine)
Why are we so unwilling to just sit at Jesus' feet and learn from He Who was with God in the beginning. 16 Why do we feel we have to keep up with the world. Why must we measure everything in worldly ways. We want to look good in the eyes of the world so we attempt to look worldly. What does that say about our relationship with Jesus Christ for He says, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: No servant is greater than his master' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." 7 To whom do we belong? We, who profess to know the One who sent us the Way in his Son Jesus, are to be as aliens and strangers in this world, so we must love unconditionally in unworldly ways, putting others before ourselves. Likewise, we are not to build up our church using worldly ways but, rather, we are to build up Christ's Church using His ways. We are not to call men unto ourselves but unto Him who sends us. We are called to proclaimed one thing; that which is the center of our faith; that Name which is above all names - Jesus the Christ. Let us not take heed of Martha's grumblings. In this passage she doesn't yet understand that "only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." How about you?
[1] Matthew 6:33
(2) Romans 12:9-16
13) Matthew 28:19-20 14] John 15:12-13
[5 Matthew 16:24-25 16 John 1:2
[7] John 15:18-21
DON'T BE DISTRACTED!
I would like to share a passage with you from the 10th chapter of Luke:
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
In this passage we see a harried and frustrated Martha. The Master, Jesus, has come into her home and there is so much to be done. There's cleaning and cooking and so many other things to accomplish in order to make sure that everything is just right. Can't Mary see that? Surely Jesus will understand, so Martha goes to Jesus and says, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Jesus responds in a way that must have surprised Martha for He answers, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." How would Jesus respond to our grumblings? Have we become like Martha with our own lives and within the life of the church? Have we been living Martha lives and have we, to a large extent, become a Martha church?
Do we ever take time to reflect on the words of Jesus when He says, "seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well?? We work so hard on so many details.
We are upset about many things. We go out of our way to make sure we have ministries for everything.
We have singles ministries, young adult ministries, ministries for those who are separated or divorced, men's ministries, women's ministries, ministries for those battling addictions and the list goes on and on.
It is not that any of these ministries in themselves is wrong, it is just that we can become so caught up in the details of the differences of each of these groups that we tend to overlook that which each holds in common -- the need for the healing love of Jesus Christ. We allow church events and programs to get in the way of proclaiming Jesus to the world. We waste so much money and time on secondary issues.
We spend valuable time raising huge dollars for things that don't advance the Kingdom and the cause of Christ. "Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed."
I think a lot of our problem stems from our reluctance to stray too far from our comfort zone.
Most times, we just don't want to get personally involved with someone who is too different from us.
I have talked to so many people who have developed a distrust and distaste for the church because they have been avoided and left alone in the midst of their hurt and need by unloving folks that have called themselves believers. "But Lord I don't have those same problems. My life is going well and I've always kept on top of the details. Isn't that enough?" No, I don't believe it is. I believe that Jesus calls us to bring all people into a family of believers where they can experience His healing and His love through each and every one of us. I'll admit that it is easier to just work at fundraising or to give someone directions to the appropriate classroom in order to let someone else deal with it, but that isn't what Jesus would do. He says to us "I've brought them to you, now show them Me." Sure we can use those with special gifts in these individual areas as resources but discipleship must begin with each of us, individually, at the initial point of contact with those in need and that, most often, is not even within the confines our church walls.
Paul, in his letter to the Roman church, writes "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."(2) What an excellent model for our church. Following Jesus is not a passive activity involving just an hour or a fow hours a week where we sit and listen without response. We are called to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." He calls us to go where He would go. He let nothing distract Him from reaching out to us in our sin - not even the misery of the cross. "My command is this; Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. "(A] These are Jesus words, not mine. Are we willing to lay down our lives for others? Are we willing to go where He would go regardless of the discomfort to us. We are called to show the sacrificial love of Christ in lives that are fully surrendered unto Him. This is what Jesus meant when He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."5] (emphasis, mine)
Why are we so unwilling to just sit at Jesus' feet and learn from He Who was with God in the beginning. 16 Why do we feel we have to keep up with the world. Why must we measure everything in worldly ways. We want to look good in the eyes of the world so we attempt to look worldly. What does that say about our relationship with Jesus Christ for He says, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: No servant is greater than his master' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me." 7 To whom do we belong? We, who profess to know the One who sent us the Way in his Son Jesus, are to be as aliens and strangers in this world, so we must love unconditionally in unworldly ways, putting others before ourselves. Likewise, we are not to build up our church using worldly ways but, rather, we are to build up Christ's Church using His ways. We are not to call men unto ourselves but unto Him who sends us. We are called to proclaimed one thing; that which is the center of our faith; that Name which is above all names - Jesus the Christ. Let us not take heed of Martha's grumblings. In this passage she doesn't yet understand that "only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." How about you?
[1] Matthew 6:33
(2) Romans 12:9-16
13) Matthew 28:19-20 14] John 15:12-13
[5 Matthew 16:24-25 16 John 1:2
[7] John 15:18-21