Rescue

Luke 15:1-32

We’ve all heard stories of miners trapped underground, hikers/skiers lost on snowy mountainsides, and ships disabled at sea, adrift on the current. A couple of things common to all of these situations is that normally a search effort is made to recover those that are in danger and when they are recovered there is a celebration of their rescue.

On Friday, December 7, 2012, The New York Daily News reported about a tiny woman (5-foot-2) by the name of Doreen Winkler that helped save two men trapped on the tracks of the Bowling Green Subway Station in New York City.

The terrifying incident occurred as Winkler was waiting for the train...just before 10 p.m. She said she heard an odd noise and spotted an apparently drunken man laying on his back in the middle of the tracks. People were shouting for someone to help him when Winkler, afraid she was too small to move the much larger man herself, encouraged another man nearby to jump down and try to rescue him. The rescuer was “pushing him, trying to get him to stand up” when the northbound train suddenly appeared. Winkler said she saw the lights of the approaching train and with the help of two other women, pulled the two men to safety just in time. She said, “I had one arm...of each man.” She continued, “I don’t understand how people can just stand there and watch and not help.” She concluded, “This is not about attention...it’s about what everybody should do...You can’t ever, ever, ever watch somebody die.”

Doreen Winkler’s sentiments are those of most of us when we see someone in danger. But, it’s not just physical rescues that are needed today...it’s spiritual rescues, too. Though it’s difficult to see a person’s true spiritual condition, the plight of the unconverted soul is an even more pressing situation than that of a man laying on the tracks of a subway station. For the person without Christ physical death brings immediate judgment for his/her sins and separation from God for eternity.

Unfortunately, the Scribes and Pharisees of Jesus’ day weren’t the type to assist in rescuing people from their impending spiritual deaths. They were willing to let those drowning in the sea of their own sinfulness pass into eternity without even a semblance of a rescue. They were much too busy admiring their own self-righteousness to care about the souls in danger all around them. And yet, among the several things the parables of Luke 15 teaches us is the fact that, unlike the Scribes and Pharisees, God is always seeking to rescue the lost. It is, in fact, the mission of Jesus! The noted Jewish New Testament scholar C. G. Montefiore said that “these parables [found in Luke 15] were revolutionary because while the rabbis agreed that God would welcome a repentant sinner, the idea that God seeks sinners was a new insight.”

In considering these three parables we must look at the context Luke gives to these profound teachings of Jesus, exposing what is wrong with the Scribes and Pharisees that prevents them from caring for the lost.

• Possessions were more important to them than people. (Luke 14:1-6)

• PRIDE was their greatest inhibitor to compassionate rescues!! (Luke 14:7-14)
• The Pharisees kept their search narrow, while God kept widening His. (Luke 14:15-24)

Though the Scribes and Pharisees wouldn’t help to rescue the lost, it was Jesus’ main mission. The three parables of Luke 15 emphasize this mission and how it differed from the religious establishment of his day.

Review each of the three parables in Luke 15.

There are many facts that have already been mined from these parables of Jesus. For instance: In each story something is lost: (1) a sheep; (2) a shekel; and (3) a son. The sheep was innocently lost, the coin carelessly lost, but the son willfully lost.

The percentage of loss grows in each case from one out of a hundred, to one out of ten, to one out of two. In other words, there is both increasing scarcity and an increasing value as we move from a missing sheep to a missing son.

Each story concludes with a celebration after the thing lost is recovered. Especially notice that these parables teach that God rejoices when the lost are found. The description of God in this passage is one that many do not fully recognize. He is shown as One laughing, congratulating and celebrating. It even says that there is more rejoicing about the one found than the ones that are safe. The initial joy momentarily outshines other settled joys. It’s like the immediate joy over a sick child that has recovered more than the settled joy that the rest of the family is healthy.

In the first two parables (sheep and shekel lost) you see:
A. An immediate search (because you know the value of what is lost)
B. An intentional search
C. A determined search
D. A thorough search

But, do you know what is strikingly absent from the last parable that is seen in each of the first two parables? In the last parable there is no one searching to rescue the lost son. While it is true that this last parable emphasizes the mercy of the Father, the older son that stayed at home was not motivated to look for his younger brother. He hated the actions of his brother and knew that his Father would restore Him to sonship, if he returned home. Consequently, he really didn’t want his brother to come home! It’s unfathomable that the older brother wouldn’t even come in and celebrate the fact that his younger brother had returned home.

One of the lessons of this last parable is that even if we aren’t motivated to rescue the lost by our love for them, our love for the Father should motivate us. In essence, if the lost being found makes our Father happy then we should at least be motivated to bring happiness to our Father by rescuing the lost. After all, our lives are to be spent bringing glory to Him!

Think about the faces of your loved ones and friends that are still without Christ. At death they will be confined to Hell and not until the last judgment, The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15), will you see their faces again. Watch as God calls them before Him for their final sentencing. He searches the books where their works are recorded and then He casts them into the Lake of Fire. You get one last glance at their faces and then for all eternity they are gone, separated from God (and you) forever. Now they will pay the penalty for their own sin because they refused to accept Christ’s payment on their behalf.

In the words of Doreen Winkler, “You can’t ever, ever, ever watch somebody die.” We have to act and we have to act now. God is calling for rescuers that will venture out to share their faith for the sake of the souls of mankind. And, if you won’t do it because you love the people who need rescuing, will you do it because it brings happiness to the Father when just one sinner repents?

The missionary C.T. Studd said, “Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell.”

One In Christ Jesus

Galatians 3:26-29

When Paul wrote this letter to the churches of Galatia he was dealing with some serious issues that had arisen among them concerning the means of eternal salvation. People called “Judaizers” had crept into the church and were teaching that the OT Law was still applicable to NT believers. Consequently, they insisted that faith in Christ was necessary, but that it was not adequate alone to experience full salvation. They added to faith the practice of the Law, most specifically the practice of circumcision. This emphasis was in direct contradiction to Paul’s preaching that salvation was by “grace through faith” alone! This simple message of the Apostle is what the Galatians had believed, but now they were being told it was incomplete. Paul writes this strong letter to confront the heresy of these “Judaizers” and to set the record straight that salvation is only through faith in Christ apart from the Law.

In making his argument he emphasizes (chapter 3) that the Law was temporary and like a “tutor leading us to Christ.” He wants us to understand that “in Christ” we are no longer children, but we are all “sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.” This is an important phrase emphasizing that in the spiritual realm we all enjoy the same privileges and responsibilities that come with the position of sonship. In other words, through faith in Christ apart from the Law, there are no “haves and have nots,” as the Judaizers were implying. We all enjoy the same standing with/before God by grace through faith in Jesus.

The phrase “in Christ” (3:26) is key to enjoying these equal privileges and provisions. It is found at least 172 times in Paul’s writings, sometimes in the sense of “by” or “through” Christ. More often, though, it describes the believer’s union with Christ through the presence of the Holy Spirit in his/her life (1 Corinthians 12:13). And, the only means of being “in Christ” is “through faith.” This position (“in Christ”) cannot be attained by keeping the Law or any other requirement that someone might prescribe. It is solely the gift of God by His grace to all that believe in Jesus as their Savior, which is the only means of being made right with God.

In the context of our right standing before God as His “sons” (with all the rights and privileges that accrue to this position), Paul demonstrates that there are no favorites with God. Regardless of race, class or gender (the three most common distinctions of his society and probably most other societies), we all enjoy the same standing as the “sons of God.” While distinctiveness of service (responsibilities) is maintained in various settings, distinction of standing (relationship) is eradicated in Jesus Christ. Everyone has equal access to God through His Son and all enjoy the same eternal blessings, inheritance and freedom as His children.

When Paul speaks of there being “neither Jew nor Greek...slave nor free...male nor female,” he is actually touching on the fundamental distinctions that were common in ancient society. The morning prayer offered by Jewish men thanked God that they were not born a Gentile, a slave, or a woman. Supposedly, this prayer was not meant to belittle Gentiles, slaves, or women, but simply to remind them that these classes of people had limited spiritual privileges that were open only to Jewish males.

Paul’s entire point is that “in Christ” as the “sons of God” there are no such distinctions of spiritual standing with God. There is a spiritual oneness that all believers enjoy by being justified through faith in Jesus Christ that gives us equal access to God and to the inheritance He has promised to all His children.

This oneness believers enjoy has practical implications that can be applied throughout the body of Christ. For instance, it means that...

1. Racial discrimination has got to go!

Paul says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek...”

What an incredible statement from a man that was once zealous with nationalistic pride. In the early days of Paul’s life he could only be termed a “rabid Jewish activist.” If I were choosing a man to take the Gospel to the Gentile world I probably wouldn’t have chosen Paul. I likely would have selected someone with less strident attitudes and values about the distinctions of people groups and nations. Someone with less concern about the interpersonal and international politics of the day. Just listen to the description Paul gives of his life prior to meeting Christ on the Damascus Road.

“...circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.” (Philippians 3:5-6)

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women, as also the high priest bears me witness, and all the council of the elders, from whom I also received letters to the brethren, and went to Damascus to bring in chains even those who were there to Jerusalem to be punished...” (Acts 22:3-5)

“And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.” (Galatians 1:14)

Paul was a man trained in the Law at the feet of the famous Rabbi Gamaliel in the holy city of Jerusalem. He was on the fast track to becoming a member of the Sanhedrin, if he wasn’t already a member prior to his conversion. He was a proud, nationalistic Jew that believed other nations were barbarians and probably used the common slur of that day for Gentiles calling them “dogs.”

It is this man that makes this incredible statement that there is “neither Jew nor Greek” and it is all because he has been changed by the power of Jesus Christ. He has seen the resurrected Christ and learned that His love reaches to all nations. His entire perspective has been transformed to see all people as valuable to God and within the reach of His great love.

There is no place in the church (where we are all the “sons of God”) for racial prejudice. We can never permit ourselves to treat people of other nationalities as though they have less than an equal inheritance among God’s people or as if they have missed out on the fullest blessings of Christ.

Peter learned this lesson through a vision given to him illustrating to him that there is no racial distinction in Jesus Christ (Acts 10:35). The early church practiced this truth and among the church leaders in Antioch was a man named “Simeon who was called niger,” which means black. Paul lived out this principle as his son in the faith was a young man by the name of Timothy whose father was a Gentile and his mother and grandmother were Jewish (Acts 16:1-2; 2 Timothy 1:5)

Racial discrimination has to go!!

2. Class discrimination has got to go!

Paul also said, “there is neither slave nor free...”

There is no denying that there were distinctions in social status in first century society, as there are in twenty-first century society. What Paul affirms is that within the body of Christ all members are to receive the other members of Christ’s body regardless of that person’s social standing. At the foot of the cross the ground is level. Power, prestige, and position have nothing to add to the eternal inheritance and privileges for a “son of God.” Nor do these things give you special spiritual rights that are withheld from other Christians.

Paul wrote another letter to a man that was his friend who owned a slave by the name of Onesimus. The slave ran away and crossed paths with Paul who proceeded to lead him to faith in Jesus Christ. Knowing that this man’s life has been changed, Paul sent Onesimus back to his friend, and tells him to receive him “no longer as a slave but more than a slave---[as] a beloved brother...” (Philemon 1:16). The status of the relationship between these two men had changed because of Jesus Christ and that is to be the way it is everywhere within the body of Christ. We treat no one as a second class citizen of God’s Kingdom or fail to show them respect due to their social standing.

James was addressing Christians who were showing respect to people’s class when he wrote these words:

“My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ and say to the poor man, ‘You stand there,’ or, ‘Sit here at my footstool,’ have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors.” (James 2:1-9)

Illustration:
A family with three adult children struggling financially with hard times and living on welfare began attending a local church where they were loved and accepted. People from all walks of life welcomed and talked with them, making them feel at home among the people. Gradually, each member of the family came to Christ, all except one of the sons named Brian. He was angry and so full of bitterness that people in the community would often cross the street to avoid encountering him. There were times when he would be out all night drinking and running with a gang. Sometimes after those nighttime binges he would return home and beat up his own parents and brother. Because the rest of his family had become Christians the spiritual atmosphere in their home changed, but rather than this helping Brian it only made him worse. One Sunday he was sober and his sister invited him to go to church with her where the rest of the family had been so welcomed and their lives changed. He agreed reluctantly, but little did he know on that day God was going to meet him there. Before he left that service he had become a brand new creation in Christ Jesus with a brand new life to live for God.

As Brain began maturing in his faith he became a powerful witness for Jesus Christ. Scores of people heard his testimony and trusted Jesus themselves. A gentle and quiet nature had replaced his angry bitterness and Brian left a sweet savor everywhere he went. He later felt called to the ministry, went off to Bible college (though he had dropped out of school when he was thirteen), and finally became the senior pastor of a church where he encouraged his people to welcome everybody no matter their social standing in life.

Class discrimination has got to go!!

3. Gender discrimination has got to go!

Paul finally said, “there is neither male nor female...”

On this last point I don’t want our study to degenerate into a debate about Egalitarianism or Complementarianism. Suffice it to say for our purposes that the NT differentiates between a person’s role and a person’s worth; between their function and their position. The emphasis of this passage isn’t about a person’s service (role/function) in the church or home, but about their standing (worth/position) before God. To use this passage to say anything else is to wrest it from its context in order to make it fit your predetermined argument. Paul’s emphasis here is to affirm that all people who believe on Jesus become the “sons of God” with all the rights and privileges that come with that position. It is about every believer inheriting fully the Abrahamic promises by grace and apart from the works of the Law. And, all Christians (“male and female”) enjoy this equality in the body of Christ.

To fully grasp what Paul is teaching, you have to know that because women couldn’t receive circumcision they were considered by some as less than full participants in the old covenant. Paul makes it abundantly clear that this is not true under the New Covenant of grace and there is no place for such thinking in the body of Christ.

Our new position in Christ doesn’t abolish all distinctions where we function in life, but it does declare that there are no superior or inferior believers before God.

Following are the words of other scholars concerning what Paul is discussing in this text:

“All believers are ‘one in Christ Jesus.’ This is positional oneness and equality. In Him there is no spiritual superiority or inferiority. All mundane divisions are eliminated: racial (‘Jew nor Greek’), social (‘bond nor free’), and sexual (‘male nor female’). The man is not more accepted in Christ than the woman nor is the Jew more justified than the Gentile. All share the same standing before God [Emphasis mine]. The removal of classifications refers only to the spiritual position, however. People do not lose their distinctiveness within the functional order of society. A woman is a woman both before and after conversion, and so is a man a man. Within the oneness of the divine essence, there is an equality of the persons of the Godhead, but there nevertheless remains an order for the execution of the divine purpose of redemption. The Father is the head of Christ and the former sent the latter into the world. In the same sense, the man and the woman are one in Christ, but the headship of the man over the woman remains in order to carry out the divine purpose for the home and for the local church (1 Cor. 11:3).” -- Robert Gromachi

“This verse must not be pressed into meaning something it does not say. As far as everyday life is concerned (not to mention public ministry in the church), God does recognize the distinction between male and female. The NT contains instructions addressed to each; it also speaks separately to slaves and masters. But in obtaining blessing from God, these things do not matter. The great thing is to be in Christ Jesus. (This refers to our heavenly position, not to our earthly condition.) Before God the believing Jew is not a bit superior to the converted pagan! [Emphasis mine] Govett says: ‘All the distinctions which the law made are swallowed up in the common grave which God has provided.’ Therefore, how foolish it is for Christians to seek further holiness by setting up differences which Christ has abolished.” ---Believers Bible Commentary

“...believers are all one in Christ Jesus. Since all believers became one with each other, human distinctions lose their significance. None is spiritually superior over another, that is, a believing Jew is not more privileged before God than a believing Gentile (Greek, in contrast to Jew, suggests all Gentiles; cf. Col. 3:11); a believing slave does not rank higher than a believing free person; a believing man is not superior to a believing woman. [Emphasis mine] Some Jewish men prayed, “I thank God that Thou hast not made me a Gentile, a slave, or a woman.” Paul cut across these distinctions and stated that they do not exist in the body of Christ so far as spiritual privilege and position are concerned. Elsewhere, while affirming the coequality of man and woman in Christ, Paul did nonetheless make it clear that there is a headship of the man over the woman (cf. 1 Cor. 11:3) and that there are distinctions in the area of spiritual service (cf. 1 Tim. 2:12).” ---Bible Knowledge Commentary

Conclusion:
In this present world cursed by sin there will always be division based on race, nationality, gender, and social status. But, it should not be found in the body of Christ. In Jesus, all Christians have equal standing before God and equal access to Him! All Christians have put on Christ, belong to Christ, and should look like Christ.

Application:

1. Let’s repent of our pride that creates these divisions among fellow believers.
2. Let’s respect all members of the body of Christ equally as the family of God.
3. Let’s remember to welcome people to our church like we want to be welcomed.
4. Let’s reach out to every race, class and gender with the Good News of God’s salvation.

What Really Happened...(Updated 1/17/13)

While I was gone celebrating my mother’s 90th birthday in Atlanta, GA, there were some unsettling events occurring back home with our television broadcast that is seen by a viewing audience covering nearly our entire state, as well as parts of Ohio and Kentucky.

After almost eight years WCHS-TV decided to sell our Sunday morning time slot without informing us and without giving us the opportunity to repurchase the time slot ourselves. The only way we knew our program was off air was when our Daily Walk staff and viewers commented that the program had not aired the previous Sunday. It was not until we initiated contact with the station that we learned the aforementioned details.

When I arrived home from my mother's birthday celebration I further learned that a Daily Walk viewer had called WCHS-TV about our program not being broadcast. It was reported to me that she was told we were off air due to a “financial situation.” Another viewer that contacted the station was reportedly told that we no longer wanted our time slot anymore.

I don’t personally know what responses representatives of WCHS-TV are telling our viewers when they call the station. However, I feel it is important to clarify some facts for our viewers as I know them for the sake of the testimony of our Lord and the Daily Walk ministry.

1. We have always paid the full amount of our weekly broadcast promptly.
2. We have always made adjustments to our technology to accommodate things requested of us by the station.
3. When the FCC began requiring TV broadcasts to be closed captioned, we paid to have one of our staff members trained (at considerable cost), as well as purchase the equipment to do this work so we would be in full compliance.
4. WCHS-TV has never spoken negatively to us about our programing, whether referring to its overall quality or its content (some of their staff have previously been complimentary of the program).
5. There was NEVER any indication from the station that our program could potentially be replaced by other programing. No notice, no phone call, no letter, no email, no visit from any WCHS-TV representative...nothing at all!
6. We were NEVER contacted by WCHS-TV and given the opportunity to repurchase the time slot prior to them selling it to infomercials.
7. Not until Daily Walk staff/viewers told us the program was not aired the previous Sunday and we contacted the station did we learn that our time slot had been sold to other clients.
8. Subsequent calls about our situation resulted in the station sending us a new contract for the same time slot (9 a.m. to 10 a.m.) at an increased price, which we promptly signed and faxed to WCHS-TV.

9. When our staff contacted the station to make sure they had received the signed contract we were told the contract was a non-binding agreement and needed the approval of the parent company in Tampa (none of which was indicated to our staff during the discussion about the new contract).
10. Setting aside whether the new contract is binding or not, common courtesy and honorable business practices would seem to require WCHS-TV to contact present clients about potential programing changes (at least thirty days prior to those changes) and/or allow them to repurchase their original time slot before selling it to someone else.
11. If all of this was due to an internal error on the part of WCHS-TV or a matter beyond their local control, you would assume they would quickly apologize for the problem it has caused us, but that didn’t happen either.
12. This decision on the part of WCHS-TV to replace our broadcast will cost us financially in other ways than the weekly cost of the broadcast. We have spent considerable money advertising our program and including it in our church publicity. All of our printed literature will eventually have to be redone and a significant advertising campaign undertaken to direct our viewers where to find the program and to attract new viewers to the program.

Our ministry has acted honorably throughout this entire negotiation process and we are working diligently to find the right outlet for our Daily Walk broadcast. Until then viewers can watch our services live online at LMBC.tv or go to our website (LMBC.org) and watch the Daily Walk TV broadcasts from the media dropdown menu. My prayer is that by the first Sunday in March we will be back on air proclaiming the truth of Scripture and readying people’s hearts for the Easter season. Unfortunately, we will likely not have the prime viewing hour of 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. that we have enjoyed for several years.

My greatest burden throughout this whole process has been for the viewers that we hear from regularly and that depend on the ministry of the Daily Walk. Some of these people are elderly, others are homebound or in nursing homes, and many are providentially hindered for other reasons from attending church services. These dear souls have relied weekly on the Daily Walk as their spiritual help. And, many of them don’t have access to our program over the Internet as a replacement for the TV broadcast. It is because of them and others that need us that this whole situation has made me personally feel like the analogy in the book of Ezekiel.

"They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered." (Ezekiel. 34:5 HCSB)

Instead of the shepherd looking for the lost sheep in this passage, it is the sheep looking for their lost shepherd. There are probably many people not in our viewer database (whom we can contact) that do not know what is going on and that may feel like we left them without telling them where we have gone.

To those we have ministered to for years through our broadcast, we did not leave you intentionally or willingly! Please know that we deeply appreciate you and will not stop praying for you. God willing, we will return soon to continue proclaiming the truth of Scripture that changes lives. God has a plan in all of this and He is bigger than the mountain we must climb to connect again with our viewers. Thank you for your patience while we work through this process of relocating to another station.

At The Feet of Jesus

Luke 10:38-42

On  March 22, 2012, an ABC news affiliate in South Bend, Indiana, reported that a woman named Bonnie Miller fell into a river connected to Lake Michigan while she was attempting to walk along a pier and send a text message at the same time.

Miller was walking along the pier with her family and realized that she had to correct an appointment time via a text message. As she was writing the text message, Miller wasn’t paying attention to how close she was to the edge of the pier and ending up tripping into approximately six feet of cold water.

Miller’s husband and a 19-year old bystander jumped into the water to help her reach a ladder that led back to the top of the pier. A police officer also used a flotation device attached to a rope to help guide the group to the ladder.

Miller was embarrassed by the incident but wanted people to understand how texting while walking can be a problem. So she went public with her debacle.

In an interview with the news affiliate, Miller stated “I couldn’t let pride stand in my way of warning other people to not...walk and text. It can be dangerous.”

Lest the young people think only adults can be that distracted...

A news story in USA Today from August 30, 2012, suggests "distracted walking" is taking a toll on teenagers as the number of pedestrian injuries soared among 16 to 19-year-olds even as it dropped among nearly every other age group.

...Teens injured in pedestrian accidents rose 25% in the five-year period from 2006 to 2010, compared with 2001-05.

Using recent data on the growing prevalence of teen gadget usage, Safe Kids Worldwide suggested the rise in teen injuries "is related to distraction, caused by the use of electronics and handheld devices while walking."

Kate Carr, the group's president, said, "We have distracted drivers who may be hitting pedestrians in the street, but we also have distracted pedestrians who are walking in front of cars."

These two illustrations are examples of how distractions keep us from staying focused and the dangers the distractions can be to us...physically, financially, emotionally and spiritually.

Illus. Use my iPad to demonstrate how distractions occur.

My primary purpose here is to show how distractions affect us spiritually, especially in the realm of our worship of God.

Jesus was on a journey (9:51–19:44) that would eventually take Him to Jerusalem (not necessarily a direct route, though) where He would ultimately be crucified. One of the stops along this journey was at the home of Martha, who had invited Jesus to enjoy a meal with her and her sister, Mary. There is no mention of their brother Lazarus (John 11:19), so it’s likely that he was not present on this occasion. The house where Jesus was invited belonged to Martha (10:38), but we are not specifically told in this text that it is located in Bethany. However, from the Gospel of John it is safe to assume that this is the village where she lived (John 11:1; 12:1-2). Apparently, Mary had been assisting her sister to prepare (11:40 - “my sister has left me to serve alone...”) until Jesus arrived and from that moment forward she is only found sitting at Jesus’ feet. The three times that Mary is mentioned in Scripture she is always at Jesus’ feet (Luke 10:39; John 11:32; 12:1-8). Sitting at His feet denotes a disciple listening and learning from the Rabbi (Acts 22:3; Luke 8:35). Mary is not sitting directly beside Him (a place of honor), as the verse clearly shows (10:39). She is sitting at His feet, which is a place of humility. This would not have been the normal custom for a woman in first-century society, especially when a guest is present. Once again, Jesus breaks the social norms of His day by having a meal with these two women at Martha’s house and by allowing Mary to sit in the place of a disciple...traditionally, the place for male disciples only!

Martha, on the other hand, is busy trying to pull together all the final details for the meal she has planned for her guest. As time passes and Mary remains at Jesus feet, Martha becomes increasingly more frustrated until she explodes with a terse question/comment to Jesus (10:40). It’s important to note that Martha shows interest in spiritual matters simply by inviting Jesus to her house (10:38). Further, she probably figured that if Mary would assist her that both of them could have some time with Jesus. It’s a mistake to portray Martha as a woman that is disinterested in spiritual things. When Jesus responds to Martha He does so gently by repeating her name twice (11:41). He then addresses what is her real problem. She is corrected for being “worried and troubled about many things.” Martha is not corrected for serving, something Jesus calls all of us to do.

• To be “worried” is to be apprehensive about some potential danger or misfortune. To fret about something. In Martha's mind it would have been a disaster if everything with the meal didn’t go as planned.
• To be “troubled” is be distressed, emotionally upset, and agitated. Related Greek words indicate the idea of commotion like you find at a death (weeping/wailing) or like what is heard from crowds (cheers, applause, groans, murmurs, uproars). In other words, Martha has a lot of noise in her life right now.

Simply put, she is distracted! The word “distracted” (11:40) literally means: “to be drawn in different directions at the same time, hence to distract with cares and responsibilities.” At this moment, Martha can see everything that needs to be done, as well as her desire to enjoy Jesus and she is simply overwhelmed...i.e., distracted.

This text begs for us to look at the contrasts between these two ladies:
1. One of them is still...the other is busy.
2. One of them is sitting...the other standing.

Martha “stands over” Jesus (the more literal meaning of ἐφίστημι in v. 40 - translated "approach”). The word can simply mean "to stand near or by," but it also has the idea of "to stand or be over" or even "to oppose.” There is a sense in which Martha is opposing Mary for sitting at Jesus’ feet and not helping. She also opposes Jesus for allowing Mary to not help her.

3. One of them is focused on spiritual things...the other on physical things.
4. One of them experiences contentment...the other complaining.
5. One of them is calm...the other anxious.
6. One of them is listening...the other is speaking.

Martha presumes to tell Jesus what He should do; Mary lets Jesus tell her what she should do.

7. One of them is focused on Jesus...the other on herself.

Hospitality is generally directed towards the guest’s desires/needs, not your own. Twice Martha uses the pronoun “me” (11:40), indicating her focus was more on herself, her plan, and her needs. Though she refers to Jesus as "Lord," what she really wants is to enlist His aid in making Mary help. For Martha, welcoming the Messenger didn’t translate into welcoming the message. Serving can be an act of worship, but not when it supplants time alone with the Lord.

8. One of them is concerned about “one thing” (10:42)...the other about “many things” (10:41).

The trouble here is not so much with Martha's service or Mary's worship. It is with a person being filled with “anxious care” to the degree that she cannot hear the Word of God. Martha was overly concerned with “doing” so that she didn’t have time for “listening” to the Word of God.

This story cautions against a preoccupation with details that can lead you to lose contact with the real purpose for having Jesus at your house in the first place...to be with Him!

William McDonald writes, “Our Lord prizes our affection above our service...” Why? Because “...service may be tainted with pride and self-importance.”

Having said that, let’s be reminded of the words of author Fred Craddock (Luke, Interpretation Commentary): “If we censure Martha too harshly, she may abandon serving altogether, and if we commend Mary too profusely, she may sit there forever. There is a time to go and do; there is a time to listen and reflect. Knowing which and when is a matter of spiritual discernment.”

What Martha lacked was the discernment to see the opportunity right in front of her because she was distracted with too many other things!

There are some tests that help to discern if we are distracted and/or wrongly focused:
1. You often complain about others not doing their fair share of the work.

When you start hearing yourself complain, it’s a flashing red light, warning that you probably aren’t spending enough time at Jesus’ feet. Even if your complaints are justified, they are still complaints displaying the opposite of a servant spirit. You’ll only gain a wise perspective on your situation as you listen to Him. If you find yourself consumed with how much you are doing and how little others are doing...you are distracted.

2. You wonder if Jesus really cares about your specific situation.

Martha felt abandoned by both her sister and Jesus. Instead of questioning His care, we should acknowledge His concern for us. When we do we’ll start hearing His loving response with the directions we need. If you are constantly fussing, fretting and fuming, questioning God’s care...you are distracted.

3. You prefer arguing theological points to listening quietly to Jesus.

On another occasion when Martha’s brother (Lazarus) had died He told her that he would rise again. She immediately responded that she knew he would arise on the resurrection day (John 11:24-26), but she missed Jesus’ greater point. She got her doctrine right, but she didn’t grasp what He was saying to her about Himself. An indicator that you aren’t sitting at Jesus’ feet is that you pick apart sermons for theological accuracy rather than listening for Jesus’ voice. If your greater interest is in acquiring Bible knowledge than in applying Scripture to your daily life...you are distracted.

4. You regularly make excuses for not doing what Jesus says.

At the tomb of Martha’s brother Jesus told the men to remove the stone from the opening of the grave and Martha immediately responded with a seemingly reasonable excuse for not obeying Jesus (John 11:39). It also seemed logical and practical that someone had to take care of the meal for Jesus, which became Martha’s excuse for not spending time with Jesus. If your excuses sound reasonable and logical to you for not spending time with Jesus and/or obeying what He says...you are distracted.

5. You rarely find yourself with others lavishing worship on Christ. (cf. John 12:1-8)

Distracted people rarely participate in worship services exalting Jesus with others. They function more like lone rangers than lavish worshippers. They reason that chores have to be done and they can’t worship till those chores are done. They regularly slip out of Bible studies or church services to handle practical/ministry matters. It’s true that things have to be done properly and in order, but does it always have to be you that does them? Can’t they be organized and delegated? If all you can think about during worship is what is next on the agenda...you are distracted.

6. You have trouble staying focused on the “one thing” without becoming anxious.

Martha was frazzled over all the work that still had to be done for supper to be ready for Jesus. She wasn’t corrected by Jesus for wanting to serve, but for being “worried and troubled.” In John 12:8 after Mary had lavished worship on Christ by pouring out the expensive bottle of perfume, she is criticized because the perfume could have been sold and the money used to help the poor. Jesus responds, “the poor you have with you always...”  He is saying, at least in part, that there is always more to do than any one person can do, but the “one thing” that is most important is that we worship Christ (cf. Luke 10:42). If you are constantly anxious/fretting about what’s not getting done...you are distracted.

Closing:
When we were children our parents taught us to STOP, LOOK and LISTEN before crossing the road or the railroad tracks. That’s pretty good advice for people that are “distracted,” as well.

1. Stop
Get off the merry-go-round of excuses and duties for a few minutes and evaluate your true spiritual condition or you will never find a solution. Take a break, delegate...somebody else can handle it for a few days.

2. Look
Evaluate what’s going on and look for ways to give yourself some margin in your life. The only person that can organize and delegate to stop the craziness is you. If you can’t find a solution that gives you time to sit at Jesus’ feet, then you should ask for the outside help of another wise and godly believer.

3. Listen
Spend a few minutes every day listening to the voice of God in His Word and prayer. Don’t let yourself be scheduled out of all church services on a weekly basis. You must have time to worship with other believers, both personally and corporately because everyone needs to sit in Jesus’ presence and enjoy HIM!

Right now(!!!)...where is your heart and mind?