#67 Luke 10:38-42 Anxious About Many Things

On April 17, 2022 by Amy Burgin

Joy:
Episode #67 Luke 10:25-37

Welcome

Amy:
Welcome to The Christgazing Podcast. We are so glad you’re here. I’m Amy Burgin.

Joy:
I’m Joy Burgin

Amy: We believe there is nothing more beautiful or transformational to gaze upon than Jesus. In a world where addiction, grief, loss, and troubles weaken our eyes and exhaust us, we thirst and hunger to see his love, long, wide, deep, and high, strengthen and sustain us. In a world of many words, we believe his words are the best, which is why we make space for them on this podcast. Each week, Joy reads a passage from the Bible several times and creates stillness after each reading so that we might be still ourselves and know God more.

We are in a series that takes us through the book of Luke.

Pour Out Your Heart to God

Amy: Before Joy reads today’s passage, take a few moments to give God the things on your mind. Maybe you feel a little frazzled, overwhelmed with too much on the to-do list, worried, frustrated. Or may you are full of joy, gratitude, or grief. Whatever is on your mind, name it, and bring it to the Lord in this next minute.

What Does This Passage Say About God?

Joy:
I’m going to read the passage two times. As I read, consider the question: What does this say about God?

Luke 10:38-42 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 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!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Again?

Take the next few moments to answer the question, what does this passage tell you about God?

[Pause and know]

What Does This Passage Say About People?

Joy:
As I reread the passage, consider: What does this tell you about people?

Take the next few moments to answer the question, what does this passage tell you about people?

[Pause and know]

Lord, What Would You Have Me Know Or Do Today?

Joy:
As I read for the last time, ask God, “Lord, what would you have me know or do today in response to this passage?”

Take the next minute to ask God, “Lord, what would you have me know or do today in response to this passage?”

[Pause and listen]

Blessing

Joy: Christgazer, the Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. And may you turn your face toward Jesus today and know him more.

One Response

Amy: In the book Things Not Seen, the author Jon Bloom points out that really, Mary is the strange one in this story. Martha would have probably had over 70 guests she needed to feed and the scripture itself affirms many preparations did have to be made. Jesus loves to commend diligent servants, but he reproves Martha. In the chapter, “Whom Are You Really Serving,” Jon writes:

To just about everyone else present, Marth’s serving probably appeared to flow from the heart of a gracious servant. But Jesus discerned differently. He saw that Martha’s serving flowed from anxiety, not grace.

What was making Martha anxious? … We need only examine our own similar anxieties to guess the likely root. I think Marth was anxious over how she impressed Jesus and her other guests. She was troubled at the thought that her home and serving might reflect poorly on her and her family. And this anxiety blinded her to the ‘one thing necessary’ – listening to Jesus – and made many unnecessary tasks feel compulsively urgent.

This kind of anxiety is subtle. It has a selfish root but its fruit looks deceptively like unselfishness. This anxiety is the desire for approval dressed up to look like the desire to serve. This anxiety is my caring about what you think of me dressed up to look like my caring for you. It can be so subtle that we don’t see it clearly. It can look so much like the right thing that we believe it is the right thing. That’s why Martha was confident that Jesus would agree with her about Mary.

But Mary had chosen the ‘one thing necessary, the ‘good portion.’ At that moment, Mary was more enthralled with Jesus than with Mary. She cared more about what Jesus said than what others thought of her, and because of this Jesus commended her choice not to serve.

Jesus’s gentle rebuke of Martha was an act of love – to her and to us. We are all Marthas at times, and through her example, Jesus is asking us, whom we are really serving in our serving? No one’s motives are ever completely pure. But when we feel compelled to ‘serve’ out of self-conscious anxiety over what others think, we are serving our own glory and not Jesus’ glory.

Jesus frees us from this slavery by inviting us to stop working, rest at his feet, and listen to him.

Closing

Amy:
You can find a link to Jon’s book in the transcript of this episode at amyburgin.com. Joy and I will be back again next week to go Christgazing together. Until then, don’t forget, when you put your trust in Christ, you are one in whom he dwells and delights, a dearly loved child of God. You are royalty in his strong and unshakeable kingdom. Though trouble abounds, Christ prevails, and so do you.