THE MAID AND THE MYSTIC

LUKE 10:38-42


      Jesus arrived at Bethany, a village two miles east of Jerusalem near the Mount of Olives, during the Feast of Tabernacles. In remembrance of the wilderness wanderings when God sent manna from heaven, the citizens built booths of branches on the roofs or in the courtyards and celebrated a week of feasting (Neh. 8:10). Here, around the table Jesus taught a lesson concerning worship and work to a maid and a mystic.


  I. Rest for the weary (10:38)


      The home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary provided a respite for Jesus on the journey to the cross. Jesus often resorted to this home that He loved (Jn. 11:1-3).


      A. On the way to Calvary


      B. In the home with Christ


Lk. 19:5-6 [GW]. When Jesus came to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down! I must stay at your house today." Zacchaeus came down and was glad to welcome Jesus into his home.


My Heart, Christ’s Home (Robert Boyd Munger)

“One evening I invited Jesus Christ into my heart. What an entrance He made! It was not a spectacular, emotional thing, but very real. Something happened at the very center of my life. He came into the darkness of my heart and turned on the light. He built a fire on the hearth and banished the chill. He started music where there had been stillness, and He filled the emptiness with His own loving, wonderful fellowship. I have never regretted opening the door to Christ and I never will. In the joy of this new relationship I said to Jesus Christ, "Lord, I want this heart of mine to be Yours. I want to have You settle down here and be perfectly at home. Everything I have belongs to You. ”


          1. Presence of Christ (Jn. 11:21)


          2. Power of Christ (Jn. 11:39)


 II. Receptivity for the Word (10:39)


      David Smith wrote, “At that joyous season they were all feasting and sending ‘portions,’ but Mary had not thought for the meat that perisheth. She had chosen a better ‘portion’ and was feasting her soul on heavenly manna.” Endnote


Lk. 4:32 [GW]. The people were amazed at his teachings because he spoke with authority.


Lk. 5:1 [MSG]. Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God.


      A. Learner


      Edersheim said, “Her younger sister, also, would do Him all highest honor; but, not as Martha. Her homage consisted in forgetting all else but Him, Who spake as none had ever done.” Endnote


          1. Expectation (left–10:40; Lk. 5:28)


      Jerry Vines said, “What that means is that Mary had already done her work. Now she is sitting at the feet of Jesus. She has combined the two. She has put work and worship together.” Endnote


          2. Eagerness (sat at His feet; Mk. 14:3-9; Jn. 11:2, 31-32, 12:3)


      Mary again demonstrated true love and worship at the anointing of Jesus during the last days before the cross.

•          Mary loved Jesus sincerely (Eph. 6:24). Mary brought a vase of stone that came from Alabastron, Egypt. The vase contained pure and costly ointment from an East Indian plant. She did not bring the ordinary anointing oil. The breaking of the vase and pouring of the ointment signified total surrender. It pictured the death of Jesus (Ps. 22:14) whose head soon would wear a crown of thorns. The unmixed, unadulterated fragrance resembled Mary’s pure adoration (Mk. 14:3). The fragrance Mary poured out on Christ spilled out on her (Jn. 12:3).

•          Mary loved Jesus extravagantly (Lk. 7:47). The ointment cost a year’s wages. Mary did not consider extravagant love for Jesus a waste. The act of worship expressed the extravagant worth of Jesus (Jn. 12:3). Some consider how little can be done for the Lord. Judas substituted the Lord’s work, contributing to the poor, for the Lord Himself. He appealed to a noble purpose but exposed his heart (Jn. 12:5-6). The devotion Mary lavished on Christ bothered the betrayer, Judas (Jn. 12:5). Judas judged worship a waste since he in self-fulfillment did not personally benefit (Jn. 12:6). According to Mark’s gospel, the precious anointing of Jesus’ head caused Judas in resentful greed to go bargain for the life of Christ (Mk. 14:10-11).

•          Mary loved Jesus impulsively (Mk. 14:8-9). Mary took her most worthy feature to wipe Jesus’ weary feet (Jn. 12:3). Mary did a good work. She performed the last deed of kindness on Jesus. She seized an opportunity to do something for Jesus and did it. Mary did not let the impulse die. Her impulsive love demonstrated to all the world pure devotion to Jesus. Mary demonstrated un-abandoned and un-calculated devotion. Mary did not care what others thought of her sacrifice because she treasured the remaining hours with her Savior. She filled the house with an odor of gratitude. Mary thought much about the cross and released the treasure before the time (Mk. 14:8). Jesus appreciated one last act of kindness upon His sacred head before the thorns were driven into His brow (Mk. 14:8; Jn. 12:7).


One day a plain village woman Driven by love for her Lord Recklessly poured out a valuable essence Disregarding the scorn And once it was broken and spilled out A fragrance filled all the room Like a pris'ner released from his shackles Like a spirit set free from the tomb


Broken and spilled out Just for love of you Jesus My most precious treasure Lavished on Thee Broken and spilled out And poured at Your feet In sweet abandon Let me be spilled out And used up for Thee


Lord You were God's precious treasure His loved and His own perfect Son Sent here to show me The love of the Father Just for love it was done And though You were perfect and holy You gave up Yourself willingly You spared no expense for my pardon You were used up and wasted for me


In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out And used up for Thee (Gaither)


      B. Teacher


          1. Authority (Mt. 7:29, 22:16)


          2. Application (Jn. 7:46)


III. Reproof for the work (10:40-42)


      Martha and Mary demonstrated a clash of temperaments. Endnote


Martha

•          Agitation

•          Anxiety

•          Compulsive

•          Critical

•          Duty

•          Hassle

•          Help

•          Housekeeper

•          Irritation

•          Labor

•          Need

•          Obligation

•          Plan

•          Problem

•          Serving

•          Troubled

•          Work

•          Worry


Mary

•          Adoration

•          Attention

•          Calm

•          Contemplative

•          Devotion

•          Hear

•          Holiness

•          Host

•          Introspection

•          Listen

•          Necessity

•          Opportunity

•          Person

•          Priority

•          Sitting

•          Tranquil

•          Wait

•          Worship


      A. Busyness


      Alexander Redpath noted, “Beware of the barrenness of the busy life.”


      Vance Havner stated that “We are not always at our best when at our busiest.”


          1. Distracted (anxiety)


          2. Disturbed (aggravation)


              a. Service (murmuring about ministry–Acts 6:1; thankful for ministry–1 Tim. 1:12)


      Martha’s exasperation turned the duties that should have been a delight into useless, unrewarded exhaustion. Martha made the One she intended to welcome uncomfortable in the home.


      Barclay wrote, “When Martha set out to be kind, it had to be her way of being kind which was really being unkind to Him whose heart cried out for quiet.” Endnote

 

Ps. 100:2. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.


1 Pet. 4:11 [CEV]. If you have the gift of speaking, preach God's message. If you have the gift of helping others, do it with the strength that God supplies. Everything should be done in a way that will bring honor to God because of Jesus Christ, who is glorious and powerful forever. Amen.


              b. Solitude


1 Kg. 19:14 [MSG]. Elijah said it again, "I've been working my heart out for GOD, the GOD-of-the-Angel-Armies, because the people of Israel have abandoned your covenant, destroyed your places of worship, and murdered your prophets. I'm the only one left, and now they're trying to kill me."


                  (1) Cares (Mk. 4:38)


      Jerry Vines explained, “[Martha ] presumes to tell Deity what to do.” Endnote


      Martha turned “angry with the very One Whom she was trying to welcome.” Endnote


                  (2) Companion (help– Rom. 8:26)


      B. Quietness


      Jerry Vines said, “Martha represents those Christians who are so busy in the service of the Lord that they don't have any time for the Lord.” Endnote


          1. Many things


              a. Anxiety (Phil. 4:6)


              b. Duplicity (Mt. 6:31-34)


          2. One thing


      G. Campbell Morgan said, “If I would be His host, I must first be His guest.” Endnote


Ps. 27:4 [ESV]. One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.


Phil. 3:13 [ESV]. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,


              a. Better


      Morgan wrote, “He was revealing to her the fact that she needed concentration at a center, and where this was so, activities could still be carried on in peace and poise and quietness.” Endnote


Prov. 17:1 [GNB]. Better to eat a dry crust of bread with peace of mind than have a banquet in a house full of trouble.


Ecc. 4:6 [CEV]. Yet a very little food eaten in peace is better than twice as much earned from overwork and chasing the wind.


              b. Best


      Robertson called the best dish on the table “fellowship with Jesus.” Endnote


1 Sam. 15:22 [ESV]. And Samuel said, "Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.


Once earthly joy I craved, sought peace and rest;

 Now, Thee alone I seek, give what is best.


      Jerry Vines said, “Jesus used that same terminology one time when he talked with the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler came to Jesus and Jesus said to him, ‘One thing thou lackest.’ That is God's word to the lost man–‘one thing thou lackest.’ If you are lost today, if you have never received Christ as your Savior today, there is one thing you lack. That is a personal relationship with Jesus. That is God's word to a lost man. But God's word to the Christian is, ‘one thing is needful.’ That is God's word to the saved man.” Endnote


      Later, in John 12 the Scripture recorded a second mealtime with Jesus in Martha’s home–after the raising of Lazarus. This time Martha still worked but with a new spirit of rejoicing over the miracle sitting at the table (Jn. 12:2). Martha served differently knowing that an empty place at the table could occur any time.


      Martha wanted Jesus to be at home in her heart. Martha learned the secret of worship and work.