Sunday 20th July – One thing needful – Russ Hansen

20-07-2025, Luke 10:38-42, One Thing Needful, Russ Hanson

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰But 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!’

⁴¹‘Martha, Martha,’ the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴²but few things are needed – or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’

Martha and Mary were two different people who learnt a valuable lesson for the life of faith they shared. They were different people, but they were led by the Lord to consider the one thing that is really needed to live this Christian life; to be a person of faith and love; a congregation of God’s people doing the task mission to which we are called …

Martha, Mary (and Lazarus) where siblings, and they must have welcomed Jesus and those travelling with him often. St John tells us Jesus and Lazarus were close friends. So, Jesus and probably quite a few hangers-on, came to the Mary, Martha and Lazarus’ house again.

Now there must have been quite a bit to do to be hospitable to all these people. I’m not sure how much warning the three would have got about the 13 or more people landing on their doorstep – probably no notice at all! So, there are beds to make, food to prepare …

But Mary and Martha and Lazarus are close to Jesus and his other friends. They don’t mind putting them up and working hard to be hospitable and welcoming. They are people of faith who know and love Jesus, and he is always welcome in their house and in their hearts.

But on this one occasion, we hear that all is not well in the house. Martha is getting a bit upset. It seems that all the preparations have been left to her. Maybe Martha feels like many a hospitable woman who spends the whole afternoon getting everything ready for the family gathering while hubby watches the footy all afternoon! Maybe Martha feels like many an employee who works hard for the business knowing that other employees are slacking off. Martha seems to be getting a bit hot under the collar while she alone peels 10 more spuds in the hot and sticky kitchen ALONE!

“Where is that sister of mine!?” she mutters to herself as another lettuce is chopped up and another carrot is grated.

Finally, it all seems to get a bit much. She is doing this for the Lord. She is making all this happen single handily and no one is helping. “Its always the same few”, “I’m always the one left to clean up”, “People are not interested in helping these days”, “If I want it done properly, I have to do it myself”, “Why doesn’t anyone care about me?”.

Heard these words in your own heart lately? Many people I come across are just so very, very busy – and so very, very tired – and often so very, very fed-up! Many faithful Christian people I have come across would say all these things about most of the other people in their congregation!

When we are too busy and when we are tired, we get angry. And when we get angry, we drift into blaming – blaming everyone for everything not going right. We are strange creatures. We make ourselves busy and then blame others for our tiredness and stressfulness that comes from our over-busyness!

Why do we find ourselves being so busy and tired and sometimes angry? Because there is so much to be done, we might agree. We want to do things for other people – especially our family. We are busy and can be so tired and angry because the kids need so much from us; our parents need us to be there, my husband needs me, my wife needs me, my boss or my business needs me …

But is that really true? Are we busy and often feeling stressed and angry at people’s seeming lack of interest and care because THEY need us to be busy for them? Or is it true that we decide what we will and can do? Is it true that WE actually decide to be over-busy and so become angry and blaming and begrudging in our serving?

There is a lot to do in life. Martha had to make those beds, and she had to peel those spuds and grate those carrots, and at this particular time, that was her responsibility as a hospitable and welcoming disciple of her Lord Jesus. But somewhere in all her busyness she crossed a line somewhere.

She crossed the line from faithful and joyful service to her friends and her Lord, to angry, stressed and grudging service. She went from a welcoming open person who welcomed Jesus into her life to a closed angry person who used her busyness as a competitive edge or defining medal – as if the Lord would love her more because she was busier than the others and especially busier and more occupied than her sister who was just lounging around listening the Jesus speak.

Have you crossed that line lately? Do you find yourself feeling quite angry at others for their lack of participation in what you think are important things to do? Do you find yourself holding grudges against those you deem to be “lazy”? Do you find yourself loving your busyness because you somehow feel that this makes you a better person, or a “more deserving Christian”?

The truth is that we often love our busyness and even the tiredness we find ourselves living with. We think our activity and ability makes us okay with God and others when they really have nothing to do with defining us as a person loved by God. We complain about how tired we are, but we keep on being too busy. We blame others for not helping and at the same time we keep committing to do far too much.

But Martha did something in her anger. She went the wise way when she was caught in her own little world and started blaming others for anything that was going wrong in her life. She stopped peeling the spuds and grating the carrots and went in to speak to Jesus and listened to his response.

She let him have it. “I’m here slaving over the stove for you and all these people without anyone to help me. My sister is slacking off sitting at your feet and just listening to what you are saying – Jesus, why don’t you do something?” she asks. “Jesus, don’t you care about me and my busyness and the anger I feel? Jesus, tell Mary to get off her behind and give me a hand!” she demands.

Jesus listens to it all. … Then those loving, gentle words. Jesus calls his friend by name,

“Martha, Martha….”.

He loves this friend of his and he has something to say to her that will challenge her behaviour and yet, he has no interest in harming her or shaming her or patronising her.

“Martha, Martha, Yes I know you are angry, tired, stressed, busy and worried about all that you think you have to do”.

Jesus acknowledges her anger and worry. He acknowledges ours too. He knows our worry, our fear for the future, our need to be busy and be liked and be seen to be strong … He acknowledges that there is much to do and that many of these things need to be done, but then he challenges Martha and you and me.

Only one thing is really necessary”, Jesus says. “One thing is necessary for the life I have called you to live. Only one thing is at the foundation of the house I am building. Only one thing is absolutely crucial for life in me and me in you. Only one thing is really necessary for family, for friends, for kids, for parents, for work, for plans in the future, for business, for love, for marriage, for work, for life itself – and Mary has found it. She has chosen the one thing that makes life work and makes people live the best they can live”.

“Mary has placed herself at my feet. Mary has willingly placed herself at my feet where she can hear my word. Mary has chosen to hear my voice and she has put her life under my word. She has chosen to put her time into hearing so that she can be the person I have made he to be”.

Friends, for over-busy, sometimes angry, sometimes self-seeking and often very distracted people, Jesus says that he still speaks. He still speaks and he invites us to hear. When we can’t or won’t listen to Jesus, he still speaks to us and keeps on inviting us to hear and learn and grow.

Today he calls to us to have a look at all that we are doing and where in all of that is his Word. That’s a challenge – but it is a challenge from a friend. Our Lord Jesus challenges us to sit at his feet and promises to give us good things that will make our life good and true and of great benefit to those around us.

Will we put down the tools, the fears, the blaming, the anger, the huge task list and sit at his feet for at least a few minutes today and tomorrow and the next days?

As we do, we may find that we can return to joyful and openhearted service of others for their sake and we may find that our daily tasks and thoughts are shaped by Jesus’ word and done in his strength and authority.

As we attend to his word we may find that decisions about life and work and family can be made with less fear and more faith in him to make our decisions of benefit to those we love.

As we send time at his feet, we may find that the anger we have been carrying around seems to go and the fear that plagues us leaves and the grudging attitude is replaced by a new spirit of love.

Spirit of Jesus, come and brings your gift of love into our hearts so that we may love as you love. Amen.