Choose the Love (Luke 10:38-42)
Gary McManus, 08/16/2015Part of the God's Love; Beyond Belief series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
The Twelfth Sunday After Pentecost
Jesus will help you today because the Lord loves you.
(See Ephesians 3:17-19)
From last week:
Jesus told the rich man, you lack ONE thing.
The rich man lacked LOVE—the love which
Jesus was standing there giving to the rich man.
(See Mark 10:21) The greatest commandments
say “Love. . .”
Today’s report: Martha and Mary: “few stories
in the Bible have been as MISHANDLED as this one.”
--G.B. Caird,
Jesus said, “BUT ONLY ONE THING IS NEEDED.”
What is Jesus talking about?
Keep to the setting:
Martha is SERVING Jesus.
Martha is preparing a meal.
Martha may well be preparing a big dinner
for a beloved friend. . .the MESSIAH!
Jesus says only ONE is necessary. .
not many dishes. . .one dish. . .
Jesus spoke of one food in two places:
John 6:35 or 6:51, Matthew 4:4
Reprimand Martha? Jesus doesn’t.
Jesus only commends Mary.
Martha’s heart seems to be in the right place.
But Martha has missed something.
Martha has NOT done anything wrong.
Mary seems to have chosen relationship/love.
Some translations say. . Mary has chosen what is best.
.Mary seems to have chosen LOVE FIRST:
--spending time with Jesus, to hear Jesus,
to speak with Jesus
The Lord has created everyone of us for this
relationship with him.
And without that relationship nothing else matters.
Have you chosen what is best?
Jesus HAS chosen you.
Martha desires to serve Jesus.
This is worthy and even noble.
One commentator has said that there
is a time to sit and listen and there is a time to serve.
Those two things are the same coin, two sides.
Attending to the relationship with Jesus first
and foremost is the ONE THING. .
.it is the A side of the coin. . .Mary has chosen well. . .
“and it will not be taken away from her."
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