The Shepherd’s Voice

Readings for Sunday, July 18^th

Gen 18:1-10a
Col 1:15-28
Lk 10:38-42

Last week we covered an old familiar story about the “Good Samaritan.” Through that story we discovered that God expects us to be a good neighbor even to people that are not like us. The priest, the Levite, and the Samaritan all had an opportunity to serve God with compassion, and yet, only one of them did.

This week we are confronted with another familiar story about Mary and Martha, close friends of Jesus. In this story Mary sits at Jesus feet while Martha acts like Martha Steward and shows Jesus how skilled she is in the kitchen. Isn’t it good to be like Martha, after all she’s made a lot of money being the Tasmanian Devil of the kitchen.

At the start here I have to admit I’m a little more like Martha than Mary, but in our story Jesus says, “Mary has chosen the better part.” As Christians wanting to do the right thing I think we struggle as to when to be a Mary and when to be a Martha.

Some of you know I have been on something called “Walk to Emmaus,” which is very similar to the Lutheran Cursillo and also the Catholic Cursillo. The purpose of the weekend event is to prepare lay people to become effective leaders in the congregations or churches that they are a part of. On this weekend men go one weekend and women go the next weekend so that the focus can be totally on what Jesus said was the “better part.”

Once you go through a weekend you are given an opportunity to work the weekend. Each weekend event is supported by people who have gone on the weekend before, and you can work as many weekends as you like. While a pilgrim on the weekend everything is done for you, you can be the perfect Mary. People cook your food, organize and give all the talks, make your bed, lead some great singing, and guide you from event to event. No watches are allowed and the focus is totally on faith, on understanding God’s love for us.

The weekend very starkly points out the difference between a Mary, a pilgrim, someone focused only on an all knowing, loving, and omnipotent God who calls us into a faith relationship with himself. Now contrast this with a Martha type, a worker who toils behind the scenes to provide this once in a lifetime experience for the pilgrims. There have been very, very few times in my life that I have had an opportunity to be a Mary in this vain.

Walk to Emmaus or Cursillo is an amazing experience this side of heaven. It’s a grace experience that has been unmatched in my life. It was the closest experience I’ve ever had that gave me a small glimpse of what heaven might be like. If you ever have this opportunity to go on Cursillo I would encourage you to, as Jesus said ‘choose the better part.’

So, what can we learn as Christians, as followers of God if we are to choose the better part? What does choosing the better part mean in this life?

Ed Stetzer in his book Transformational Church says that choosing the better part is not about trying harder or having a better life; it’s not about simple moralism, if we think that, we are totally missing the point. The gospel message is not some try to be good, low-level therapeutic formula that makes life better or makes you a better person.

Jesus said it and I believe it, the change people need most is not in their circumstances, but in their heart. Transformation occurs not because we “do,” but because Christ has “done.”

There are two things I want you to grasp about choosing the better part today.
• Choosing the better part starts with new life, not just a new leaf
• Choosing the better part means letting go and letting God be your guide

Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians 5:17, said Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation, old things have passed away, behold all things are new, my words. This choosing of the better part means that Christ has reconciled us to himself and given us the ministry of reconciliation to the world.

As the old parts of our life pass away God creates something new. Paul said it this way in our second reading, verses 21-22 – 21And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him, before God!

Paul says we must become ambassadors for Christ. (2 Cor 5:20) What is an ambassador? Well, many years ago, when I was a student at the Lutheran Bible Institute there was a group of students who wanted to go around southern California and provide special music to local congregations. This group called themselves ‘Ambassadors for Christ.’ They wanted to share the gospel, they wanted to be a witness as to what Christ had done and was doing in their lives.

This experience of sharing the gospel wasn’t about turning over a new leaf, it wasn’t about deciding to be a better person, or trying harder, it was about taking a new path because of a changed life. It was about being reconciled to God because each person was aware that they had become a new creation through God’s unmerited favor.

God is calling you this morning to choose the better part, choose a life changed from the ground up by God’s grace through faith. Mary chose the better part and received Jesus’ attention.

Choosing the better part also means letting go of the past, of old things, of hostility, letting go of sarcasm, letting go of mean spirited behavior. We must remember that rules can attempt to modify behavior, but only the gospel can impart new life.

Letting go of distracting tasks and worries as Mary did in our story is the only way that allows room for God to work in your life. Worry – what is it? One person described worry this way, worry is “a small trickle of fear that meanders through the mind until it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained.”

Sometimes letting go of the ‘old Adam’, the old thoughts, the old ways, the worries of life can be challenging and even frightening. Once again Jesus has some advice for us on this topic. Turn with me to Matt 6 starting at verse 28. (Matt 6:28-34 NLT)

Jesus said, “And why worry about your clothing? Look at the lilies of the field and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are.” (Matt 6:28 NLT)

You may be saying, ok that is a trite saying that doesn’t really reflect my reality. Perhaps not, however Jesus was very clear to point out here that worrying about clothes, what you will eat or what you will drink is actually a matter of faith. Jesus words, “Why do you have so little faith?” (v 30)

There are dozens of times in the gospels where Jesus tells his followers “Don’t worry” or don’t let worry steal the joy out of life from you.

If you let go of your worry, the distractions in your life, what then, what can you hang onto?

When Martha came to complain about Mary she said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.” 41But the (Jesus) Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

The better part cannot be taken from us. Hold on to what Jesus says is really important in life, hold on to the promises of God, the knowledge that God’s grace is sufficient and His strength is made perfect in our weakness. When we are weak, God is strong!

By your effort, your action to come here this morning you have chosen the better part. Jesus told Martha that, “Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

God’s grace can’t be taken from you, God’s grace is bountiful; it overflows our lives and permeates our very being. God’s grace causes a transformation in us that is NOT just about turning over a new leaf, we receive new life.

As Martha Steward might have say, ‘Wake up and smell the coffee!’ Notice one last thing about choosing the better part. In our gospel text it was about the present. As Lutheran we believe that God’s kingdom has come, however it has not fully taken hold.

I mentioned Cursillo as the closest thing to heaven I have experienced, why was that? It was because God’s kingdom was fully embraced by the workers and the pilgrims and it felt like God’s kingdom was near, it was in my heart.

Here’s what Jesus said about God’s kingdom, turn to Luke the 17th chapter v21, Some Pharisees asked Jesus when the Kingdom of God would come. His answer was, “The Kingdom of God does not come in such a way as to be seen. 21No one will say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or, ‘There it is!’; because the Kingdom of God is within you.” Grab hold of it, embrace it!

Let go of the past, the distractions, the worries that take you off course and let God be your guide. Hold on to God, hold on to the power in God’s promise now and it will be yours forever.

Amen