Refreshed

 

Text: Luke 10:38-42

Focus: spirituality

Function: taking the time to invest in our spiritual lives.

³⁸Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. ³⁹She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. ⁴⁰But 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.” ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, ⁴²but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

Well, It is good to be home. I had a great time at Annual Conference and taking a mini vacation. Thank you for the opportunity.

As always, the music at AC was refreshing and beautiful. A few times we sang a chorus by Mark Hall and Matthew West from Casting Crowns that Tara Harnbacker taught the Seminary folks and the title is: “We Were Born to Thrive.”

Here is the beginning of the chorus: “We were made for more than ordinary lives, it is time for us to do more than survive, we were made to thrive.”

The theme of that song came up over and over again at AC conference as we spoke about the fact that the Church in the West is in deep decline. We heard the story of Dan West, the Sea-Faring cowboy who was told by one of the deacons in the Church to “Have Faith” when he was talking about a way to send real live livestock to our former enemies, the Germans right after WWII was over because of the mass starvation in the land that the war had caused.

His project was one of faith in what God can do and it began what is now known as the international mission that feeds millions across the planet known as Heifer Project International.

We are small, but as the Chorus goes on to say, Love unstoppable will give us the power to overcome.

I can say that Conference was a worthwhile experience and it build my faith. Thanks for sending me.

And all of that is a great introduction to our theme this morning.

There was a difference between Mary and Martha and their spiritual gifts and passions. Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, but she would not have done that if Martha had not first welcomed Jesus into her home.

Martha obviously had the spiritual gifts of service and hospitality. Those are not to be taken lightly. Throughout the OT, we see people who are proven to be righteous and just in the eyes of God simply because they were the ones who welcomed the stranger.

Ezekiel 16:49 tells us the reason God judged Sodom and Gomorrah is this: “’Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy.

Contrary to the preaching on the right that tries to point the finger at someone else, their sin was not their homosexual activity, it was the lack of concern for the poor and needy.

Because of that, God rained down fire and brimstone on them.

And we know enough of the story of Sodom and Gomorrah to know that there was also a case of sexual assault demonstrating the wickedness of their actions.

And we also know enough of the story to know that three people were saved from destruction. And the thing that we see here is the proof of the righteousness of Abraham’s nephew, Lot.

The two angels, disguised as ordinary humans came into the city and Lot was the only one who invited the strangers into their house.

In a reference to the proof of Lot’s righteousness, the NT commands us to welcome strangers (Hebrews 13:2).

In Matthew 25 Jesus says that we will be either judged unworthy or worthy of the Kingdom based on how we welcome strangers. Jesus says the way we welcome strangers is the way we welcome Him. We can’t get our heavenly reward without this kind of generosity. That is why I am so passionate with you all about the US border policy. If we do want God to bless us, we will build a bigger table instead of a taller fence.

For example, I spent last week in a hotel without any maid service because there are not enough workers to fill those low end jobs. And yet, there are thousands sitting at our borders who would do that work in a minute if we would just follow the scriptures, obey the Lord, and welcome the stranger.

Anyway, I digress, but just a little. The point is, Hospitality is key to our Christian witness. It has been paramount to our Brethren history and witness as a peace Church. Without hospitality, we will not see the kingdom of God.

So Martha, in our passage is fulfilling her God given ministry while her sister, Mary, who shares responsibility for hospitality, is simply sitting at the feet of Jesus hearing the Word of God, Jesus, share the good news of God’s kingdom.

Mary’s deep spiritual hunger is exposed in this passage. She is transfixed on something that she deems much greater than any earthly needs. Jesus promises living water, and she is drinking it.

Both of them are being spiritual. Martha, in her gifts of service and Mary in her deep thirst for the words of God.

And then, we get to the conflict in the story. Martha complains to Jesus.

Martha seems to me to be projecting the importance of her spiritual gift (and remember, it is an essential spiritual gift) onto Mary.

So she complains to Jesus. I think that it is hard for Martha to see things from someone else’s prospective. I get this. I have done it often. When I have a deep passion for something, it seems crystal clear to me and then, I can’t for the life of me, fathom the logic of someone on the other side since it seems so obvious to me.

We all get this way and social medial makes it worse because it leads us to confirmation bias instead of the intellectual honesty that leads us to at least hear and understand the other point of view.

Martha was so caught up in her work that she couldn’t see the importance of what Mary was seeking after.

And Jesus lovingly explains to her, without a rebuke, that Mary also, is not in the wrong.

I titled this sermon “Refreshed.”

I gave it that title because I can identify with Mary and her spiritual thirst for the teaching of the one who embodies love in human form.

My plane companion on the trip from Omaha to Charlotte was Burt Wolf from the Oakland COB. He asked me what my favorite part of Conference was and I wanted to say it was simple the singing of our Hymn #495: Oh Let All Who Thirst.

When we sang that scripture song, I could feel the Spirit of God move in our midst. It was refreshing.

And Mary, was being refreshed by venting the passion of her spiritual thirst. Martha, was doing the same thing, but seems to have lost the benefit because of her complaining.

Remember, Mary and Martha are both deeply spiritual women. And they were women that Jesus trusted. The way the scripture records it, Jesus had three friends, Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus.

Friends to Jesus, what a way to be known.

I hope the world around us can also see the impact Jesus’ love makes on us.