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Book: Luke
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Luke 10:38-42 One Thing is Needful
I. The tale of two sisters.
A. He entered into a certain village, from the gospel of John we
know that the name of the village where Mary and Martha lived
was Bethany.
1. And a certain woman named Martha received Him into her
house.
2. John tells us that Bethany was the town of Mary.
3. The house belonged to Martha, and the village belonged
to Mary.
4. Martha was would might be described as a homemaker, she
was a doer, she was absorbed with things.
5. Mary, in contrast, could be called a people person, she
was absorbed with people, everyone in town knew Mary,
it was Mary's town.
6. This is true of people today, there are those whose
lives are spent with things, and those whose lives are
spent with people.
7. This is not to speak negatively of either one, nor is
it to say that one is better than the other, both are
necessary.
a. It would be bad if nothing were ever done. We
need doers.
b. It would also be bad if there were no social
contacts.
B. When Jesus came to the home of Martha true to form, Martha was
cumbered about, to use the King James language, with many
things, that is, the preparing of special foods and other
things to make the stay of Jesus in her home a pleasant
experience for Him.
1. Many people show their love for Jesus by doing for Him.
a. They are always involved in some sort of
service for the Master.
b. James said to be doers of the word and not
hearers only.
c. James, being the practical sort, would have
appreciated Martha.
d. The doing is necessary and has to be done.
2. Doing however, can never be a full substitute for
worship.
a. It would appear that Martha was so busy serving
Jesus that she did not take time for Jesus.
b. The house did not need to be spotless.
c. Every little thing did not need to be in
perfect order.
1. Can you not see Martha rearranging the
little knickknacks on the shelf?
2. Cutting the carrots with special little
curlicues, and arranging them with the
other snacks in a perfect picture on
the tray.
3. Those things are lovely and
appreciated, and a beautiful way of
showing love, but can never substitute
for time at His feet.
C. Mary on the other hand we are told also sat at Jesus feet and
heard His word.
1. I think the word (also) indicated that she did do some
serving, but with her serving also took time to sit at
his feet to just listen to His word and to worship.
2. This is true to form for Mary, who was more of a people
person.
a. She could let the extra little touches go in
order to just spend time with Him.
b. She was the one who later, just a week before
He was crucified, took a pound of extremely
expensive perfume, which Judas estimated the
cost several thousand dollars and poured it
over the head of Jesus as He sat at supper.
Judas claimed that it was a waste and should
have been sold and the money given to the
poor.
c. Jesus however again defended Mary's expressions
of devotion for Him and commanded Judas to
leave her alone, she had done this special act
of love for His burial.
3. It seems that Mary was always being criticized for her
pure devotion for Jesus, but it should be noted that
Jesus always stood up for her and defended her love for
Him.
II. The complaint of Martha to Jesus. "Lord do you not care that my sister
has left me to serve alone? bid her to help me."
A. Now it is a wonderful thing to serve the Lord, it is a
necessary thing, however we should never find ourselves
complaining about our serving.
1. When Peter wrote about our service for the Lord, he
said that it should not be by constraint. That is under
pressure with a sense of duty, thinking that I have to
do all of this.
2. Paul said that our giving to the Lord should not be
grudgingly or of necessity, for God loves a cheerful
giver.
3. Martha is giving herself to serve the Lord, but she is
now beginning to complain.
4. She is upset that Mary has taken time out to sit at the
feet of Jesus just to chat with Him.
B. The defense of Jesus for Mary.
1. "Martha, Martha, you are troubled and filled with care
about many things." Yes that is Martha, things.
2. The repetition of the name has in it a tone of
familiarity and tenderness.
3. The things are appreciated, it is not to belittle the
things. With all the things that she had been doing,
she was neglecting the main thing, and that is the
person of Jesus.
4. She was so busy with things, she did not have time for
Jesus.
5. We doers must be careful about this, that we get so
involved doing for Him that we do not take time for
Him, just Him, just pure communion with Him.
III. One thing is needful.
A. Martha was cumbered with many things, she was troubled and
filled with care for things.
1. These things are nice, they show a special touch that
is appreciated, but they really are not necessary, from
a very practical standpoint.
a. A salad is a salad, even if the tomatoes are
not arranged in a special design on the top.
b. Mashed potatoes are mashed potatoes even
without the special little swirls.
c. A pie crust is a pie crust even if the edge is
not curled in a special fashion.
2. These things are not really needful, if you want to do
them that is fine, but just don't then complain about
it, or use it as an excuse of not having time to just
spend at the feet of Jesus.
B. Jesus said the Mary had chosen the good part.
1. Mary had taken time for that which was really needful,
and that is to take time to sit at the feet of Jesus to
fellowship.
2. When Satan tempted Jesus to turn the stones into bread
when He was hungry. Bread was necessary, but Jesus
said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every
word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." With
Martha, it was bread alone. Mary had chosen to also
listen to the word that came forth from the mouth of
God.
C. Jesus declared that He would not take her away from the good
part that she had chosen.
D. John tells us that Jesus loved Mary and Martha. They shared a
special relationship with Him.
1. He loved Martha the doer, and Mary the communer.
2. They both shared a special place in His heart.
3. He did not like Martha the complainer. If you want to
do, that is fine, but don't complain about it.
4. If you give your time to doing, do not neglect the time
for communing also.
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