Sermon 17th July 2022 – 6th Sunday after Pentecost
Text: Luke 10:38-42 – Listen to Jesus
O for the life of Mary. To be able to have the freedom
and luxury of sitting at Jesus’ feet free of the busyness of life that has
captured Martha. Martha is like so many of our church families. They scramble
to keep their family’s heads above financial waters with both parents working,
juggling school pickups – whose turn is it to take them to Auskick – in between
you have to take another child to dancing or netball. Wouldn’t we all love the “luxury” of sitting
at Jesus’ feet while everyone else is running around? Or what about the parents
who work 5 days a week and Saturday is sports and house work – Sunday is our
only day off.
As a Pastor I feel for them and would never make
anyone feel guilty and hope that they know that being a member of our church is
not just about coming to church on Sunday but about maintaining a relationship
with God. Something that Martha has slipping away from her through her busyness
and distractions.
Our issue is that we are tied heavily to our budget
and offerings which have traditionally been received on Sunday. So there has
been this mission outreach motivated by what many churches refer to as “giving
units”. I really dislike that term referring to a member of the body of Christ
as a “giving unit”. What we need to do and hopefully our review is going to
lead us on that path is to rediscover our mission and ministry focus to our
wider community which includes all of our church family.
What is sad about the Martha situation is that she is
the example we are to follow when it comes to mission outreach. That might
sound strange especially considering Jesus says she has become distracted. But
notice that Jesus didn’t tell her to stop what she is doing and come and sit at
my feet. Listen again to the start of the Gospel reading:
As Jesus and his disciples went on their way, Jesus
entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her
home.
That’s the crux of mission – welcoming; welcoming the
stranger. We want Martha in our congregation – not for the work she does –
although that’s great too – but we want the welcoming nature of Martha who
welcomed Jesus into her home. Mary experiences the blessings of Martha’s
invitation and hospitality sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to him. If Martha
had not welcomed Jesus into her home then Mary would not have had the privilege
of sitting at Jesus’ feet.
But what’s interesting about this reading,
particularly as we pair it with our Old Testament reading, is the welcoming of
God into our midst. Remember, this was no ordinary guest she invited in. This was Jesus. The was God.
In our Old Testament reading Abraham and Sarah are
visited by 3 strangers who turn out to be 3 angels – perhaps the Holy Trinity? When
Abraham sees them he doesn’t ask what they want but extends hospitality by
rushing and getting food and drink for them. I wonder whether this is a lesson
to us as church.
In our busyness of getting everything done – in our
efforts to evangelise – have we begun by inviting God into our midst? In our
meeting with Pastor Brett Kennett recently regarding our review, he said we are
so used to the phrase “don’t just sit there, do something” which is often how
churches evangelise. We have to do the latest mission program that everyone
else is doing. Pastor Brett suggested that in church as we focus on mission and
evangelism we need to turn that around. Don’t just do something – sit there. He
wasn’t suggesting that we just sit on our hands – but like Mary, we need to sit
at the feet of Jesus again as the foundation of our mission and ministry.
Martha’s biggest issue is that her hospitality has
been distracted by her anger at her sister. Her hospitality is important. Her
hospitality invited Jesus into her home.
And as the Book of Hebrews reminds us - Keep on loving
one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to
strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without
knowing it. But in her anger Martha now tells Jesus what he has to do and it
has nothing to do with mission or evangelism – tell my sister to help me. That’s
not mission when we tell God what he should be doing in his church.
Notice that Jesus doesn’t say to Martha – just stop
all your fussing and come and sit down. No. He tries to let her know that in
her distraction she has shifted her focus from welcoming Jesus into her home
and heart and in her anger has now sinned – she has given Satan a foothold into
her life as St Paul warns against.
She now wants to tell Jesus how he should act – Lord,
do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell
her then to help me. She is now directing Jesus’ mission. What was once a
welcoming hostess has now decided how Jesus should act. Her mission began well
– welcoming Jesus into her heart and home. And perhaps that’s the lesson for us
as we seek to do God’s mission.
First – invite Jesus in as our guest.Allow Jesus to speak
to us as we sit at his feet. Wasn’t that what God said about Jesus at his
Baptism and Transfiguration – this is my Son whom I love – “listen to him”.
Secondly, as a welcoming church, perhaps that’s where
we can begin our mission and ministry – by inviting. I know that inviting
strangers is not that easy but we have a whole congregation of members who have
not worshipped in a long time particularly since Covid. And Sunday morning
church is not always the first place they have to receive an invitation.
Perhaps, like Martha, an invitation to our homes to
rebuild connections or even to begin a connection. Just look at the example
that Jesus left us. His invitation to have a meal with Zacchaeus. His visit to
Simon the Pharisee. The constant complaint against him – he eats with sinners. Jesus
didn’t say “go to the synagogue” as his mission and evangelism but lived out
hospitality in his life. Even after his resurrection when he met the disciples
on the beach he had breakfast waiting for them.
Let us revisit our membership directory and have a
look at the names in there and how many there are that we have not seen or whom
you do not know. And remember that as we invite the stranger into our homes we
are inviting Jesus. As much as you did this for the least of these brothers and
sisters of mine you did unto me. As Martha invited Jesus into her home – and as
Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to him – in the words of Jesus in the
parable of the Good Samaritan, let us go and do likewise.
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