17th Sunday after Trinity

SERMON - God's Word Is the One Thing We All Need!

INI

Text: Luke 10:38-42

Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.” And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

In Christ Jesus, who instructs us regarding that which is most important, dear fellow redeemed:

It is extremely important in life that we learn to distinguish between our wants and our needs. This is not always easy to do. Parents must help their children learn to do this. You go shopping as a family and your son picks out the latest video game and insists that he “needs” it. He may even suggest that if only you will get him this game, he will never “need” anything again! Of course, your son’s desire for that video game is a “want,” rather than a “need,” and even should you get him the game, he will most certainly “want” many more things in the future.

Children, however, are not the only ones who must learn the distinction between wants and needs. Adults in search of a new house must distinguish between wants and needs, or they will find themselves in over their heads and unable to pay their mortgage. The same is true when any of us decide to purchase a new car. The difference between wants and needs may well be hundreds of dollars per month—hundreds of dollars we can ill afford to spend!

In our text today, Jesus instructs us regarding our great need to hear His word. You see, even when we learn to distinguish between our wants and needs, we must also prioritize our needs. For instance, we need food to survive. Satan attempted to seduce Jesus by using this common need. He suggested to Jesus that He turn stones into bread when Jesus was hungry after fasting in the wilderness. Jesus, refusing to alter His situation in a selfish way, informed Satan: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mt. 4:4). We need certain things more than others, and the way in which we prioritize our needs will impact the decisions of our lives and consequently the entire course of our lives.

Dear friends, Jesus reveals to us in our text this truth—GOD’S WORD IS THE ONE THING WE ALL NEED! He then warns each of us—do not allow yourself to be distracted from the Word by the many things that fill up this life! He then goes on to encourage each of us—consciously choose to make hearing the Word your highest priority!

I.

Yes, GOD’S WORD IS THE ONE THING WE ALL NEED! In our pre-service devotion, you perhaps read these words: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105). I would imagine that most of us here today know these words and believe the truth they express, but so does Satan. Consequently, he will do everything possible to keep the Word of God away from us and to distract us from the Word! Jesus, therefore, would instruct us: do not allow yourself to be distracted from the Word by the many things that fill up this life!

In our text Luke mentions “a certain village,” which was the home of “a certain woman named Martha,” whom we are told had a sister by the name of “Mary.” That village was Bethany, which lay just two miles southeast of Jerusalem. Martha and Mary were the sisters of Lazarus, all three of whom were good friends of Jesus. They believed He was the Promised Messiah, and their home was a place of quiet refuge for Jesus whenever He was in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Luke does not tell us the reason for Jesus’ visit, but he does lay out for us the background for Jesus’ important words of instruction. Mary was sitting at Jesus’ feet listening intently to what He had to say, while Martha “was distracted with much serving.”

Friends, there are many sinful things that can distract us from our Savior and His Word. The Bible is filled with warnings against sin, and it is obvious that we should pay attention to those warnings. For instance, we are warned not to associate with bad and unbelieving people when Paul writes: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’” (1 Cor. 15:33). Paul also warns us to “flee sexual immorality,” because it endangers our bodies, which are by faith the temples of the Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor. 6:18-19). Let us recognize, however, that it is not only sin that distracts us from the Word. Satan uses everything at his disposal to achieve that purpose, including many things that appear to be morally neutral or even morally good!

Many of Jesus’ parables deal with this very thing. The five foolish virgins in Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins were not out carousing when the bridegroom arrived. They were sleeping along with the five wise virgins. The point of the parable was that they had not chosen to spend their time earlier listening to God’s Word and so were not prepared when Jesus finally arrived (cf. Mt. 25:1-13). In the parable of the Great Supper, the people invited to the supper made many excuses for not coming. None of them involved immorality—one had a piece of land to inspect, another some oxen to test, and a third had just gotten married. The point of the parable, however, was that in each case these people were distracted from that which was most important by the things that filled up their lives and left no room at all for the hearing of God’s Word! (cf. Lk.14:15-24)

Satan’s most subtle temptations are often cloaked with apparent goodness and religiosity. Martha was doing something good—she was making dinner for Jesus and perhaps His disciples. She was being a good hostess, and many of us who are task-oriented would be inclined to leap to her defense! Yet therein lay Satan’s temptation, for Martha’s desire to serve led to two unfortunate consequences: it prevented her from doing that which was more important—meeting her spiritual need to hear God’s Word; and it perverted her relationship both with her sister and her Savior.

Let us first consider how Martha’s decision to serve as hostess rather than as hearer led to a perversion of her relationship with Mary and with Jesus. As Martha was rushing about the house, no doubt directing servants in the kitchen and making necessary arrangements in the dining area, she became increasingly aware of Mary’s absence. She began to resent her sister’s absence. It became obvious to Martha, that Mary was being selfish and inconsiderate. This irritated her. But not only that, it became very clear to Martha in the state of her agitation that Jesus, who was normally so attentive to the needs of others, was oblivious to her difficult situation. Was He so flattered by her sister’s attentiveness that He was totally unaware of her physical and mental near-exhaustion? Did He not care about her? As time past and the pressures increased, Martha could no longer contain herself. This unjust situation had to be corrected, even if she had to do it herself! She approached Jesus and with restraint reproached Him: “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

Do we ever find ourselves in similar situations? We take up the mantle of service, which is a good thing to do in and of itself, but then we find ourselves a bit overwhelmed and our thoughts begin to judge others and even our Lord. “Lord, why isn’t this person or that person helping with this project? Lord, why don’t you motivate them to help, or send some type of mild judgment to wake them up or at least to ruin their fun?” Satan wants to keep us so busy that we do not have time for our devotions, or to come to Bible Class or worship. He wants us to begin to resent and to judge others and to become discontented even with the Lord. Dear friends, listen to Jesus’ gentle warning and substitute your own name: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed!” GOD’S WORD IS THE ONE THING WE ALL NEED! Do not allow yourself to be distracted from the Word by the many things that fill up this life!

II.

Rather, consciously choose to make hearing the Word your highest priority! Jesus told Martha, “Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her!” Food is a necessary part of life. It was true that Jesus and His disciples, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus needed to eat that day, but there was an even greater need that Martha, in spite of all of her good intentions, was neglecting—the hearing of God’s Word! Supper could wait, Jesus was telling Martha. They could always eat, but the opportunities for her to hear Him teach were limited, even more than she knew. Mary had made a choice to prioritize the hearing of the Word—an example we all want to follow. Why? Consider the following truths.

All of the other necessities of this life pale in comparison to hearing the Word of God, for this life is temporary and will end, while the Word of God “lives and abides forever” (cf. 1 Pet. 1:23). Because of sin, this life is temporary. Because of the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, which is the central theme of God’s Word, we will live on in heaven forever. We do not know how long God plans to have us live on this earth. I could go grocery shopping and bring home all the necessary food items I need to sustain my life and be gone tomorrow and never eat them. Let us choose to make that which is eternal our highest priority!

We live in a stress-filled world—a world with many demands, disappointments, and disasters. Jesus encourages us: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28). We come to Jesus when we hear His Word! It is that Word which invites us to lay down our burdens at Jesus’ feet and to take up in their place His love, His forgiveness, and His promised salvation. He is our “refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (cf. Ps. 46:1), and He strengthens us as we meditate upon and trust in His Word.

We live in a sin-filled world—a world in which our own choices often lead us astray and leave us battered and bruised. God’s Word guides us back from sin to our Savior. That Word crushes our pride and leads us to humble ourselves before God. Then, in the midst of our humble repentance, we are led to look into the face of our Savior and we find not condemnation, but forgiveness and acceptance. By faith, the apostle Paul tells us, that we are “complete in Him”—forgiven, healed, and now whole. As we revel in Christ, His Word can and will sustain us!

That Word, Paul informs us, “is given by inspiration of God [it is God-breathed], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Dear friends, does your life seem disjointed? Do you seem to have more questions than answers? Are you seeking real purpose, but feeling as if your purpose is eluding you? Then recognize that which may well be missing from your life—a solid and regular connection to God’s Word!

Jesus is here encouraging us to make the conscious choice to hear God’s Word—to make it a priority, for life’s greatest blessing flow from and through that Word. It may mean postponing other important things—like meals. It may mean leaving certain things undone—at least this time. It may mean missing some pleasant entertainment opportunity, but I can assure you, that if you make hearing God’s Word your highest priority and that of your family, you will see a marked change in your lives. God’s Word is powerful, for it reveals divinely inspired truths that instill life, provide direction, and bestow the strength and courage we all need to live faithfully here and to rest assured that we one day will live forever in heaven. GOD’S WORD IS THE ONE THING WE ALL NEED! Do not allow yourself to be distracted from the Word by the many things that fill up this life! Consciously choose to make hearing the Word your highest priority! Amen.

—Pastor Paul D. Nolting
To God alone be the glory!