Scripture: Luke 10:38 ERV
38 While Jesus and his followers were traveling, he went into a town, and a woman named Martha let him stay at her house. 39 She had a sister named Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to him teach. 40 But her sister Martha was busy doing all the work that had to be done. Martha went in and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are getting worried and upset about too many things. 42 Only one thing is important. Mary has made the right choice, and it will never be taken away from her.”
Transcript
How many of you set aside a day each week for something special? Maybe it’s a sports or movie night, family or game night, or simply going out for a meal rather than cook at home. For my wife and I, it’s a Saturday breakfast at Miss Molly’s Dinner. The staff knows us well, and always greets us with warm smiles, and fresh coffee. In fact, they even know our usual order—two Keto Breakfasts—and have it ready in a flash. We cherish this time together. It’s a chance to put our worries on pause, and simply enjoy each other’s company.
But, if I’m being honest, sitting still and waiting for our food isn’t my strong suit. To pass the time, we usually start by sipping our coffees and chatting about our week, but my attention deficit disorder or ADD often has other plans! Before long, I’m fiddling with my phone and noticing the bowl of creamers on the table. I think to myself, who can resist building a tower out of those things? So, that’s exactly what I do, carefully stacking them higher and higher until—the tower comes crashing down. It’s about this time when my wife’s coffee cup accidentally joins the creamer tower party and ends up with a few extra “ingredients!”
My wife, being the level-headed one, cleans up my mess and returns the creamers to the bowl. Our waitress, who’s seen it all, refills our coffee and gently teases my wife with a “kids will be kids” comment. Back to our conversation, but guess what? My ADD strikes again. This time, I’m eyeing the creamers, a spoon, and the potential for a catapult. I quietly grab my spoon and a few creamers, and advise mission control that we are ready for launch. I fire a creamer across the table—it’s a direct hit! But my wife is onto me now, and the creamers are confiscated. However, little does she know, I’m not out of ammunition yet. I spot the jam, peanut butter, and sugar packets—perfect for more catapult action. But, just as I’m about to launch into action again, our breakfast arrives. And, the smell of bacon and sausages is too powerful to ignore, and my catapult plans are forgotten.
We enjoy our meal, thank our wonderful waitress, and apologize for any chaos my wife (okay, I) might have caused, and get ready to do it all over again the next week. I had the privilege of my wife’s presence, yet I took it for granted by shifting my focus from building our relationship to distractions. I’m guessing we’re all guilty of not staying focused on what truly matters at times. Maybe you’re like me, and your mind starts to wander, or you get distracted by your phone or other things around you. Or, maybe you’re more like my wife, and you’re able to stay focused, but you’ve got somebody in your life (like I), who’s unable to stay focused. There’s one thing for sure. If you want to build a relationship with someone, you need to focus on it, rather than the noise around you.
The same holds true with our relationship with God. Have you ever felt disconnected from God, only to rediscover the joy and fulfillment that comes from refocusing on Him? Maybe you’ve tried to make time for prayer or reading your Bible, but your mind keeps wandering. You might be thinking, “What’s wrong? Why can’t I feel His presence?” or “I’m so busy, I’ll get around to it tomorrow.” Or, perhaps some of you have experienced feelings of emptiness or dryness in your spiritual life, despite attending worship regularly. You might be feeling like something is missing, but you’re not sure what it is or how to fix it.
And don’t even get me started on the distractions! Social media, email, texts, phone calls… it’s easy to let all these things pull us away from God. We start to think, “I’ll just check my phone real quick,” or “I need to respond to this email,” and before we know it, hours have passed. I know, I’ve been there too. And, I’m guessing some of you might be nodding along right now. We’re all guilty of allowing distractions to shift our focus away from God. But, the good news is that God isn’t just watching from the sidelines.
Imagine you’re a doctor, and you have a patient who’s been suffering from a chronic illness for years. You have the cure right in front of you, and you know that with just one treatment, the patient will be completely healed. But, instead of just administering the treatment, you stop and ask the patient, “Do you really want to be healed?” The patient might look at you in surprise and say, “Of course, I want to be healed! Why wouldn’t I?” But, as a doctor, you know that healing is not just about fixing the physical body, but also about addressing the emotional aspects of the person. You need to make sure the patient is ready to receive the healing, and that they’re willing to make the necessary changes to their life to maintain their health.
That’s what Jesus did when He asked the man at the pool of Bethesda, “Do you want to get well?” (John 5:5-6). Jesus wasn’t just asking a rhetorical question; that is a question he already knew the answer to. Rather, He was seeking the man’s consent, his willingness to receive the healing. By asking the question, Jesus was saying, “I have the power to heal you, but I want to make sure that you’re ready to receive it.” “Are you willing to let go of your old life and start anew?”
Jesus is right there with us, wanting to get closer. We simply have to make the right choice with our focus. And the best part? We have Jesus as our ultimate role model for staying focused on what truly matters. His purpose was literally the reason He got out of bed in the morning—it drove everything He did. And, in His mind, it was the thing that gave Him direction—the compass that guided Him. His purpose was so high on His priority list that it was like eating and breathing to Him. We could call Him mission driven, or a man on a mission. He clearly understood His purpose and directed His life, schedule, choices, and energy toward fulfilling it.
Jesus never lost focus on His mission, and He wants us to do the same. He said that we should prioritize Him first, then our daily tasks and decisions (Matthew 6:33, Luke 12:15). Rather than focus on the one thing that matters—being in the presence of Jesus (Luke 10:41-42), Martha was busy preparing a fancy feast. She could have just waited until Jesus was done teaching, or brought out some leftovers. But, she was all about being a good host, and that took priority over hanging out with Jesus. If Martha joined Mary in the living room, she would have found that Jesus’ presence was the calm in the storm, and her duties as host would have been much easier to manage. Perhaps, even Mary would have been inspired to trade in her seat at Jesus’ feet for a spot in the kitchen. They could have worked together, had some fun, and served their guests with a side of love rather than a side of panic.
You might have heard these sayings before, but they’re worth repeating: Advice is only as good as the advisor. The value of advice depends on the character giving it. The messenger is as important as the message. So, what makes Jesus’ advice to Martha worth listening to? What credibility does Jesus have to make such a statement?
Well, think about this for a moment. Jesus lived for 33 years. This means he woke up and got out of bed around 12,045 times. And, just like us, each day, He faced numerous distractions calling for His attention. But here’s the thing: He stayed laser focused on His Father’s mission—to redeem the world. Sure, Jesus didn’t have to deal with social media, text messages, or phone calls, but Jesus faced His own set of distractions. He had crowds of people following Him, Pharisees trying to trip Him up, and disciples who didn’t always understand Him. Yet, every word, every action, and every decision were centered on His purpose. To seek and save the lost, and provide a remedy for sin through His death, burial, and resurrection.
Let’s take a look at 7 examples of Jesus facing temptation but staying laser-focused on His Father mission and purpose:
1/7: The Wilderness Temptation: Satan says: “Hey, Jesus, you’re hungry after 40 days of fasting. Why don’t you just turn these stones into bread and satisfy your hunger?” Jesus says: “I’m not here to satisfy my own desires, but to do my Father’s will. ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Matthew 4:4)
2/7 The Crowd’s Cheer: The Crowd says: “Jesus, you’re so popular! Why don’t you just give us what we want and become our king? We’ll follow you anywhere!” Jesus says: “My kingdom is not of this world. I’m here to serve my Father, not to seek human glory. ‘My Father is glorified in this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.’” (John 15:8)
3/7 The Pharisees’ Trap: The Pharisee says: “Jesus, if you’re really the Messiah, why don’t you just perform a miracle to prove it to us?” Jesus says: “I’m not here to impress you with signs and wonders. My mission is to bring people to my Father, not to seek your approval. ‘A tree is known by its fruit.’” (Matthew 12:33)
4/7 The Disciples’ Ambition: Peter says: “Jesus, we’re your closest followers. Why don’t you just give us positions of power in your kingdom?” Jesus says: “My kingdom is not about human ambition or power struggles. It’s about serving others and following my Father’s will. ‘Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.’” (Mark 10:43)
5/7 The Temptation to Use Power: Satan says: “Jesus, you have the power to throw yourself down from the temple and be rescued by angels. Why don’t you just do it and prove your divinity?” Jesus says: “I’m not here to use my power for show or to prove a point. My mission is to serve my Father, not to seek human admiration. ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Matthew 4:7)
6/7 Peter’s Denial of Jesus Death: Peter says: “Jesus, you’re not going to die! We’ll protect you. You’re the Messiah, and you can’t die like a common man.” Jesus says: “Peter, you’re thinking like a human, not like God. You’re trying to protect me from my Father’s will. ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.’” (Matthew 16:23)
7/7 The Agony in the Garden: Jesus (praying to his Father) says: “Father, if it’s possible, take this cup from me. I don’t want to go through this suffering.” God the Father says: “Jesus, you must go through this suffering to fulfill my plan of salvation. ‘Not my will, but yours be done.’” (Luke 22:42)
Jesus carried out his mission with focus, never swaying right or left from it, and he concluded with a prayer to His Father saying “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” (John 17:4) Mission accomplished.
So, what will it be for you today? Are you going to start morning with Facebook? Twitter? News? Politics? Phone calls? Business? Or a “to do” list? Or, will you focus on the one thing that matters—being in the presence of Jesus (Luke 10:41-42)
Staying focused wasn’t easy for Jesus, and it won’t be easy for you. Time and time again, when Jesus was tempted or distressed, he retreated to a quiet place and prayed, to refocus on His Father’s mission. The Father gave Jesus a focus, and Jesus gave us a focus: Him. You cannot control the people and events – good or bad – that may enter your life, but you can choose each morning the one thing that truly matters.
King Solomon teaches us that there is a time and season for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). There is a time for Mary’s and a time for Martha’s—both are needed. But, what happens when we try to live out these roles without being properly prepared. It’s like a dry sponge. We all have sponges at home, and we know that before we can use them, we need to soak them in water. If we try to use a dry sponge, it’s just not going to work very well.
It’s the same with our relationship with God. We need to soak up the water of His presence, His love, and His guidance, before we can be used by Him, in the way He plans. Think about it - Mary is like the sponge that’s soaking up the water. She’s taking the time to sit at Jesus’ feet and just be with Him. She’s allowing herself to be saturated with His love and guidance. Martha, on the other hand, is like the sponge that’s trying to clean up a mess without being saturated first. She’s trying to do things for Jesus, rather than simply be with Jesus. She’s not taking the time to soak up the water of His presence.
Don’t be a dry sponge. Allow God to use you the way He intended you to be used, by prioritizing time with Him, and recognizing the Privilege of God’s Presence in your life.
As we close today, let us remember the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman in John chapter 4. She was searching for something to quench her physical thirst, but Jesus offered her so much more. He offered her living water, a spring that would flow inside her, and bring her eternal life. Just like the woman, we all have a deep thirst that cannot be satisfied by the things of this world. But Jesus is offering us a drink that will satisfy our souls forever.
Will you ask Him for it today? Will you receive, and be saturated, in the living water, that only He can give? Will you realize the Privilege of God’s Presence, and not take it for granted? Then focus on these words of Jesus, “Whoever drinks, the water I give, will never be thirsty again.” Amen and Amen
