Welcome to the daily disciple podcast where we seek daily to be with and to become like Jesus our teacher Good morning everyone and welcome to the podcast. I've got my Bible open to Luke chapter 10 And I am so excited This is a very personal story for me the story of Mary and Martha Mary at the feet of Jesus Martha being distracted because when I When I fell in love with Jesus at 19 years old I fell in love with scripture and and that doesn't happen with everyone I mean I think different disciplines or different practices of the Christian life come naturally to different people like for example I did not fall in love with fasting at 19 and I did not fall in love with small groups at 19 But I fell in love with scripture and I just started to read it and devour it and Luke chapter 10 The story of Mary and Martha not only what Mary was doing But how Martha was distracted the story was very personal to me It's like if I did this may not be right But I remember this being the first story that that God really really spoke to me through Not only how I was being distracted by what I was called into being about what the main thing is and so I just want to Begin with this question. What's distracting you from the main thing which is sitting at the feet of Jesus? Some have said the main thing in life is to keep the main thing the main thing and that's not a bad line So what's distracting you from the main thing?
I know for me. It's it's always ambition and Accomplishment and knowledge and success and building things and those are not bad things unless they become the main thing And that's probably what this passage is about. So what's distracting you? What's keeping you too busy?
What's maybe making you frantic like Martha or blaming like Martha? And again, he's probably not a bad thing if it is a bad thing You know that needs to be dealt with but it's probably not a bad thing It's probably a good thing that has become everything and so it needs to find its appropriate place in our lives as the main thing Becomes the main thing which is sitting at the feet of Jesus So let's let that question press for just a moment. What is distracting you and I don't want to ask this question You don't want me to ask this question, but I think it needs to be asked Why do we continue to let ourselves be distracted by that thing which is probably a good thing that's distracting us from the main thing? How long are we gonna let ourselves be distracted by that thing which is probably a good thing and and miss the main thing and so let's go to this incredible incredible story So Luke chapter 10 beginning in verse 38 as Jesus and his disciples were on their way They came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Jesus Martha had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made and she came to Jesus and said Lord don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself tell her to help me Martha Martha the Lord answered you're worried and you're upset about so many things, but a few things are needed Indeed only one Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken from her And whenever I read that passage It just takes me back it takes me back to when I first begin to read scripture what I'm called into and what I'm distracted by And just a little bit of first century local color And I think this is very important to Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus is not where a woman in the first century is supposed to be sitting Women didn't sit at a rabbi's feet because if you sat at a rabbi's feet and the rabbi taught you and condoned to this Then someday you would be able to become a rabbi as well and in the first century.
This was a place only for men So first of all, this is just a an extraordinary affirmation of women. This is Jesus. Just exploding cultural norms and bringing in a much more fully alive view of the sexes and Restoring what had gone wrong in the fall and it's a beautiful affirmation to women and commission to women And I could go on and on about that But Martha had a difficult time with that and so when Martha saw that happening It wasn't so much that she needed all this help in the kitchen Although that probably was the case as well She had a difficult time with what Mary was doing where Mary was sitting in the fact that Jesus was condoning it and that's probably why she's distracted and Going to respond in the way that she responds But the story goes on Martha is distracted and the Greek for Distracted is to literally be pulled apart be here and be there not be present be too focused on other people and other things And what other people are doing and how other things are going it means that Martha was not grounded or rooted in In contrast to Mary who Lucas portraying is grounded and rooted right in the main thing See Martha Martha was missing the the main thing because she was distracted by other good things And I know that we can relate to that and and and Martha was probably deep down annoyed Even though she probably couldn't tap it that Mary had discovered the main thing that Mary was there rooted and grounded and and resisting distractions But Martha like so many of us are just caught up in them And and the result as the text says is Martha is you know frustrated. She's tip.
She's demanding she she's yelling and You know the reality is we if we are missing the main thing We're going to be frustrated with those people that seem to be centered and and grounded in the main thing Which is connection with Jesus? But we have to be very careful not to hate on Martha because Martha's one of those many characters inscriptions holds a mirror up to our face Where we can see not only what we're missing But what we're distracted by because we are distracted you and I are distracted I'm distracted by success and and knowledge and accomplishment and grinding and out I don't know what you're distracted by think about that this story calls us into a place of thinking about that But we are distracted. We're pulled apart. We're here and we're there and we're not present and we're too focused on other people or other things We're not grounded.
We're not rooted and just like Jesus system Arthur. You're distracted by many things We are as well. We want to ponder that and again, they're probably good things They just have become everything and they need to take their appropriate place in our life as the main thing becomes the main thing But I love how I think Jesus speaks to Martha in verse 41 Martha Martha It's it's kind and we need to hear that Travis Travis and it's it's kind it's a kind call back to being rooted and grounded You know in Jesus and then Jesus says and I love this he says few things are needed and then Jesus corrects himself indeed Only one there's actually only one thing that is needed Mary has chosen what is better was first was primary I think Jesus could have said Martha if you want Mary to help you in the kitchen Let her stay right where she is because all good faithful work that lasts Results from sitting at the feet of Jesus because Jesus is not diminishing anything Martha's doing Martha's opening her home hospitality serving It's wonderful. She's accomplishing.
She's doing there's nothing wrong with that. She's distracted by good things But she is distracted and Mary has chosen what is first in this story is a call and it's been calling me for 25 years every time I read it a call to recognize those distractions and Be recalled back into the main thing and keeping the main thing the main thing which is sitting at the feet of Jesus And so let's just sit at the feet of Jesus this morning Let's maybe meditate on this story and think about those distractions And this really is a good story to call this into meditation Just listen to every word that Jesus wants to speak this morning because he wants to see Travis Travis Martha Martha And he's kind and at the same time in that kind as he's calling us to the main thing And then let's just enjoy spending the day with Jesus because Jesus is always will be always has been the main thing We'll talk tomorrow Thanks for listening to the daily disciple podcast. We truly hope that you were encouraged by it today Now if you would like to support or if you have any questions about the daily disciple podcast Feel free to contact us through our Inland Vineyard church app It will give you information on our ministries and our Sunday services And you can find us in the Apple and Google Play app stores And we also have our social media pages which you can find with the tag at Inland Vineyard to see what's going on with our community Our church events and our other ministries as well as our revival youth group and our children's ministry Or you can just check us out on our website at Inland Vineyard.org