Luke 10.
So, who doesn't want to be a good listener?
! Do you want to be a good listener?
Apart from a few narcissistic individuals,
it seems to me that everyone appreciates the value of good listening.
!
It reflects that.
So, there's articles like the five fundamentals of effective listening,
or seven keys to effective listening.
And the articles cover something like this.
Keeping an open mind.
Responding to non-verbal cues.
Maintaining eye contact.
Asking good questions.
And you read articles like that,
it'll reinforce this key question that people are trying to answer
when it comes to listening.
What is a good listener?
And, of course, that interests us as people of the kingdom of God.
And the Bible has got things to say in answer to that.
But I wonder if what sets the Bible apart in this topic
is that it's less interested in how you listen,
but it's more interested in who you listen to.
And that is, when it comes to the kingdom and the need to listen,
that's our key question.
Who do you listen to?
And particularly, are you listening to the king of the kingdom?
Are you listening to Jesus?
That's our question for this evening.
And as we reflect on these short few verses from the end of Luke 10,
they capture just one little moment in the life of Mary, Martha, and Jesus.
And I want to look at that tonight just by looking at each character in turn.
The sister who does not speak,
and the sister who does speak,
and then Jesus himself,
and what we're left to ponder when he speaks.
So, a moment in the life of Mary and Martha and Jesus.
Let's see, firstly, the sister who does not speak.
And I trust you noticed that about her as I read it.
And no word from Mary is recorded in these five little verses.
Martha speaks,
Jesus speaks,
but Mary is noticeably silent.
And her silence underscores what she's known for,
not for talking,
but for listening.
And when Jesus arrives,
she takes, doesn't he,
up the position, verse 39,
at Jesus' feet.
That is the position of learning for disciples in those days.
It's a position of humble listening.
And by taking her place at Jesus' feet,
she is recognizing Jesus' importance.
And she is, in this moment,
embodying a principle of discipleship
that the Gospel of Luke has already stressed.
I'd not really seen that until I studied this.
So come with me on a little tour of the Gospel of Luke.
Look at chapter 5 and verse 15.
Luke chapter 5 and verse 15.
But now, even more,
the report about him went abroad,
and great crowds gathered to hear him
and be healed of their infirmities.
Just over the page of chapter 6 and verses 47 and 48.
Everyone who comes to me
and hears my word and does them,
I will show you what he is like.
He is like a man building a house
who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock.
We'll go to chapter 8 and verse 15.
As for that,
in the good soil,
there are those who,
hearing the word,
hold it fast in an honest and good heart
and bear fruit with patience.
Chapter 8, verse 20 and 21.
And he was told,
your mother and your brothers
are standing outside desiring to see you.
But he answered them,
my mother and my brothers
are those who hear the word of God
and do it.
Chapter 9, verse 35.
And a voice came out of the cloud saying,
this is my son,
my chosen one,
listen to him.
And as we read a couple of weeks ago,
chapter 10 and verse 16.
The one who hears you,
hears me
and the one who rejects,
you reject me
and the one who rejects him,
who sent me.
Chapter 10, verse 24.
For I tell you that many prophets and kings
decided to see what you see
and did not see it
and to hear what you hear
and did not hear it.
You see,
it's not an obscure little theme
in Luke's gospel.
It's central.
Perhaps we could even say,
actually,
it's paramount.
And noticing that
will help us understand
Jesus' reaction to Martha here.
But for now,
we're noticing Mary.
And she has learned,
doesn't she,
this lady,
she's learned,
it seems,
just how important it is
to listen to Jesus.
But what of her sister?
What about the sister
who does speak?
What about Martha?
Well, Luke tells us
that Jesus arrived at her home
and Martha welcomed him.
It's quite likely,
I guess,
that welcoming Jesus
meant welcoming his 12 disciples
who were on the road with him too.
She opens up her home.
And Martha is almost certainly
committed to cooking a meal
for 13 hungry travelers.
That is hospitable,
isn't it?
And generous.
But I think we're even more impressed
when we remember Jesus' words
from earlier in the chapter.
Do you remember them?
You might recall a few weeks ago
in Luke chapter 10,
Jesus sent out the 72 followers
of his followers on a mission
and he told them,
in the towns you go to,
when you find somebody
welcoming you,
go on in.
Others will reject you.
And he told them
that you will be able
to recognize
those who are receptive
to my message
by the way they show hospitality.
And so it's got to be significant,
isn't it?
At the end of the same chapter,
Luke is telling us
about a woman,
Martha,
who is extremely hospitable
to Jesus and his disciples.
So this is not just a woman
who's performing a cultural duty.
I think we're meant to conclude
that she is genuinely
interested in Jesus.
like her sister.
She sees how important Jesus is.
And what's more,
we just finished,
didn't we,
last week,
looking at the passage before
about what it means to love.
And we learned from the Samaritan
in Jesus' story
what it looks like
to love generously.
What it looks like
to go out of your way
to love and serve.
And on that score,
Martha scores very highly.
Martha exemplifies
Jesus' teaching
in both these respects.
And what comes immediately
before this passage
predisposes us
as we read this
to be favourable
to Martha
and her hospitality.
And even here
in these verses,
the way that Martha
is described
is very positive,
at least in some respects,
because she's a servant.
Look at verse 40.
She's a sister called Mary,
you sat at the Lord's feet
and listed as a teacher,
but Martha was distracted
with much serving.
She was distracted
by much service.
And then later
in the same verse,
the word translated
as work
has left me alone
to serve alone.
It's the same word.
My sister has left me
to do all the serving myself.
It's the word
the rest of the New Testament
uses for Christian ministry.
And Luke wants us
to know that Martha
is not just twiddling her thumbs.
She's not just outside
playing with the pets
while Mary is in there listening.
She's not sitting on the sofa
reading the paper.
Martha is serving.
Martha is ministering
to the needs of Jesus
and his disciples.
And in that sense too,
Martha is to be commended.
And yet there are,
aren't there,
some significant differences
between Mary and Martha.
Mary is sitting
at Jesus' feet
and Martha is on her feet
working
and then standing
to talk to Jesus.
Mary is attentive
to Jesus.
Martha is distracted.
That's the word
verse 40 uses
or as Jesus puts it
in verse 41.
Martha,
you are anxious
and troubled
about many things.
And so while Mary
is quietly listening,
Martha is complaining.
No doubt the frustration
has been simmering
in the kitchen.
We know what that's like,
don't we?
It's not uncommon
in our house
for Clara and I
to have guests over
and for one of us
to be working
in the kitchen
while the other
entertains
and talks to the friends
in the lounge.
and it's not unheard of
in our house
for the one
who is working
in the kitchen,
whoever that may be,
to begin
to feel frustrated
and feel that they're
doing all the work
themselves.
Well, that's what's
going on here, isn't it?
Martha's simmering frustration
leads to an outburst.
And to put it in
today's language,
she's a bit of a meltdown,
doesn't she?
Her sacrificial service
gives way to self-pity
and the emotional
damn bursts
and she finds fault
with both her sister
and with Jesus.
She's cranky
with Mary
for not helping her
and she's cranky
with Jesus
for not doing
anything about it.
Well, the Lord speaks.
How does Jesus respond?
What happens
when people get cranky
with Jesus?
How does he react?
There's a lot of tension
in the air, isn't it,
at this point?
And Martha has exploded,
there's a meltdown
and it falls to Jesus
to respond.
And no doubt
every ear in the room
was trained to hear
what he would say.
So look at verse 41.
But the Lord said,
Martha, Martha,
you're anxious
and troubled
about many things.
But one thing
is necessary.
Mary has chosen
the good portion
which will not be
taken away from her.
And Jesus' response
is rich in compassion
and clarity.
His repetition
of Martha's name
is full of tenderness.
He doesn't tell Martha
what she's been doing wrong.
There is no rebuke
for Martha.
There is only
kind compassion.
And yet Jesus' words
do bring remarkable clarity.
they clarify things
for us too.
Jesus clarifies
that Martha
is worried
about many things
but
Martha is worried
about many things
but Mary has chosen
to focus on the one thing,
the one thing
that Jesus describes
as necessary.
And Jesus clarifies
for us
that whilst Martha
has chosen
to do good things,
what Mary has chosen
is the better thing.
And so his compassion
is mixed with firmness
here, isn't it?
And Jesus is clearly
telling Martha
he is not going
to tell Mary
to get up
and go and help
in the kitchen.
In fact,
he's suggesting,
isn't he,
that Martha
should leave her pots
and pans
and her broom
and her tea towel
and come and sit down too.
Now of course,
Jesus is not saying
that serving
is completely unimportant.
No doubt
at some point
that evening
Jesus wanted to eat
and he wasn't suggesting
that the food
didn't need to be prepared
but he was saying
there is something
more important
to human survival
than food.
And that's something
that the Bible teaches
from beginning to end.
Right back
at the start
of the Old Testament,
God had taught
the Israelites,
man does not live
on bread alone
but on every word
that proceeds
from the mouth of God.
And so let me be clear
with you,
I don't think
Jesus is saying
that Martha was wrong
and Mary was right.
He's simply saying
that Mary grasped
something
that Martha
had not.
After all,
Martha welcomed Jesus
and served Jesus
but Mary could see
that welcoming Jesus
and serving Jesus
find their proper
orientation,
their proper
fulfillment
when you listen
to Jesus.
Mary had realized
that you need
to understand
that all the other
important things
in life
need to be understood
in the context
of the one
essential thing
of paying attention
to the word
that comes
from the mouth
of God,
from the mouth
of his son Jesus.
So this is not
a contrast
between somebody
who knows
how to be a good
host
and someone
knows how
to be a good
listener.
It's not that
these two sisters
have got different
skill sets
or different
spiritual gifts,
it's just that
one of them
understood the moment
they were in
better than the other.
Mary's choice
was wiser.
And what made
Martha's
the poorer choice
was everything
to do,
has everything
to do
with who it
was that had
walked through
the door.
This is not
about how to
listen.
This is all
about who
to listen to.
And Mary
recognizes who
Jesus is
and of all the
things she could
have done
to demonstrate
she knew
how important
he is,
this is the
one thing
she chose
to listen.
And Jesus
says,
doesn't he,
at the end
of verse 42,
it will not
be taken
away from her.
The last line
of the chapter
is beautiful,
isn't it?
It's Jesus'
word of promise
for Mary.
If you seek
me,
you will find
me.
If it's me
you want,
it's me
you'll have.
And many
other things
will be taken
from you
in life.
But if you
choose to
listen to
the word
that comes
from the
mouth of
God,
it will
be never
taken
from you.
I went
to see
Dick Lucas
this week.
He's now
96,
still living
on his
own.
He's slowed
down considerably.
He doesn't
get out very
much.
He's rarely
in church.
He's the
greatest preacher
I've ever
heard.
He's the
finest man
I've ever
known.
And he's
not able to
preach now.
His voice
is not
strong
enough.
But he
still has
Jesus.
He still
has
Jesus.
What a
stunning
word of
assurance
this is,
isn't it?
What he
has,
what you
have,
will not
be taken
away from
you.
And with
that word,
Luke 10
comes to
an end.
Now,
who am I?
That's my
last point.
Where do
we find
ourselves in
these verses?
What do
they say
to us?
And once
again,
I want to
return to
the same
application that
we've come
for the last
two Sunday
nights as
well.
Who does
Jesus say
that I
am?
What does
this passage
say to
us about
who we
are?
And once
more,
I think this
passage yields
two answers
to that
question.
on the
one hand,
we find
ourselves in
Martha,
and on the
other hand,
we find
ourselves in
Mary.
Let me
explain.
So in
the first
place,
like Martha,
I'm a
servant.
And this
is important
to say,
because it
may seem
less obvious
than what
we'll go
on to say,
but it's
vital here we
see how
Jesus responds
to Martha's
service.
She's
hospitable to
Jesus and
his disciples.
it's a sign
that she is
welcoming God
himself into
her life.
She goes out
of her way
to love like
all good
disciples should.
She's serving,
she's doing
ministry here.
And Jesus
does not tell
her you're
doing the
wrong thing.
And I think
that's
significant for
us to
notice.
There is a
place and
there is a
time for
being a
servant.
Ministry
does matter.
And Jesus
affirmed that
in the first
two sections
of Luke 10.
Do you
remember,
to belong to
the kingdom
is to be
a worker.
To belong to
the kingdom
is to be
a lover.
To belong to
the kingdom
is to be a
server.
There is
ministry to
be undertaken.
Disciples
serve, and
so if you're
a disciple,
you're a
servant.
And yet
what Jesus
is pointing
out here,
isn't it,
which is so
helpful,
is that even
ministry,
serving,
can be a
distraction
from listening.
that being
a servant,
as good
as that
is,
can actually
distract you
from the
one thing
that's more
necessary than
anything else.
And I think
that can come
to us as
quite a
surprise.
In fact,
it's quite
common to
read this
passage and
feel like
Martha gets
a bit of
a raw deal
here from
Jesus.
It's often
the case that
when we read
these verses,
our sympathies
lie really
with Martha.
but it
might not
be that
the reason
why we
really need
to understand
these verses,
why we
really need
to understand
what Jesus
is saying
here,
is because
the point
that I'm
trying to
make to
you is
that
Christianity,
many people
think that
it's all
about
serving.
Many people
think the
heart of
Christianity
is how
we live
our lives
for the
sake of
others.
they think
it's about
doing to
others as
you will
have them
do to
you.
And there
are so
many people
that think
that the
good Samaritan
captures the
whole of what
it means to
be a Christian.
But we
saw last
week the
real point
of that
section in
Luke 10
is that
being
neighbourly
is not
the way
to eternal
life.
That people
cannot justify
themselves.
They need
God to
justify
themselves.
People
cannot get
right with
God on
their own.
They need
God to do
that for
them.
And so
you cannot
love your
way into
heaven.
The only
way to
get into
heaven is
by being
loved.
By Jesus
himself.
And yet so
many people
still think
that being
like the
good Samaritan
or being
like Martha,
well that's
the way to
God's heart.
Which is why
most unbelievers
when they come
to this passage
will naturally
side with
Martha.
other.
But the
surprising thing
that the
Bible says
to us
again and
again is
that loving
or serving
your neighbour
is not at
the centre
of the
Christian
faith.
That's not
the one
thing that's
essential to
being a
follower of
Jesus.
The one
thing that
is essential
is to
what?
It is to
listen to
Jesus.
listen to
Jesus.
That's the
difference
between giving
and receiving.
And that's
the same
distinction we
hear Jesus
making in
chapter 10
and verse
21.
In the
same hour
he rejoiced
in the Holy
Spirit and
said to
I thank you
Father Lord
of heaven
and earth
that you've
hidden these
things from
the wise
and understanding
and revealed
them to
little children.
Yes Father
for such
is your
gracious
will.
I hope
you understand
this.
That when
we take
when we
serve and
when we
take pride
in our
service in
what we
give to
Jesus we
can seek
to justify
ourselves.
But when
we listen
we acknowledge
that we need
to receive
from Jesus.
He alone
has what
we need.
But of
course it's
not just
in the
world is
it that
this
misunderstanding
is prevalent
it's also
in the
church.
It's not
just
unbelievers
who find
their
sympathies
here with
Martha
it's many
believers
too.
So we
need to
hear Jesus
reminding
us whilst
we are
servants
there's
something
more
essential
to who
we are.
Listening.
I'm a
servant.
And the
tragedy of
the church
in the
UK today
is they
want to
say we're
serving
Jesus but
actually we
won't listen
to him.
Last point
is this
I'm a
listener.
I'm a
servant and
I'm a
listener.
Listening to
Jesus is how
the Christian
life begins.
You cannot
enter the
kingdom of
God by
working or
by loving
or by
serving.
You enter
by listening
to Jesus
and receiving
what he
reveals to
you.
But
listening is
also how
life in
the kingdom
continues.
Listening is
at the
heart of
what it
means to
be a
disciple
from the
beginning
to the
end.
But what
do we
actually mean
when I
talk about
listening to
Jesus today?
After all,
for Martha it
wasn't very
complicated,
was it?
Jesus was
in a
lounge room
in the
flesh and
he's
talking.
But Jesus
isn't in
your lounge
room,
he's not
in mine,
not in
the flesh
anyway.
So how
do you
listen to
him?
In some
ways that's
a whole
other sermon.
But at
the very
least today I
need to
point out
to you that
is why
as Christians
we take
the Bible
so seriously.
Because in
the Bible we
read the
words that
Jesus actually
said when
he was in
the flesh in
people's
lounge rooms
like we
are here
this evening.
In the
Bible we
read page
after page
of words
that come
from the
mouth of
the Lord.
And that's
why we
read our
Bibles in
our homes
and on
our iPhones
and on
the way
to school
and on
the way
to work
and when
we meet
together
on Sundays
and during
the week.
And that's
why we
pray that
the spirit
of the
risen Jesus
who still
speaks
through
his
ancient
words
will give
us ears
to hear
his voice.
And this
is also
why we
don't just
read because
true listening
is not just
about words
going in our
ears.
It's about the
truth of those
words penetrating
our hearts.
So we meditate
on God's
words turning
them over
and we pray
about them.
And we meet
with others to
talk about them.
And we read
what other people
have said about
what they mean.
And we hear
those words
proclaimed and
expounded.
So like
Mary we're
attentive to
Jesus and
we attend
to the
Lord and
his word.
And we
let it
shape us
and we
respond when
it corrects
and rebukes
us.
We're
provoked
by it
into work
for Jesus.
Into the
love of our
neighbours.
Into ministry.
And we
relish the
way that it
grows in us
the character
of Jesus
and it
teaches us
repentance
and obedience
because we
know that
there's a
real danger
of listening
but not
putting it
into practice
don't we?
There's a
danger of
hearing but
not also
doing.
And we
know that
there's another
danger,
one that
Jesus warns
us about
here and
that is the
danger of
being distracted
from hearing
by doing.
It's the
danger of
being like
Martha.
Of being so
busy trying to
be a servant
that we fail
to be a
listener.
And so we
must hear
Jesus point
this evening
at the
end of
Luke 10
that even
ministry,
even serving
can deflect
us from
listening.
And that
applies to
the person
writing and
giving this
sermon on
a Sunday
as much to
the mum and
dad of a
busy household.
Jesus says
to us through
these words
it's better to
be a listening
disciple than
being a busy
servant.
It's better to
be a listening
disciple than a
busy servant.
time.
And so let
me ask you
is there a
time each
day when
you slow
down and
listen to
God's word?
Or are you
too busy,
too distracted
to make
time?
Or do you
find that your
Christian identity
in your service
of others is
in what you
do for the
Lord is in
your ministry
or in
you as a
little child
sitting before
him, hanging
on every
word the
Father speaks?
Are you
comfortable being
alone with
Jesus or is
there just an
awkward silence?
Is your mind
full of worries
and things you're
upset about?
Lord?
Or are you
gladly focusing
on the words
of Jesus
your Lord?
Of course
there's many
things, many
many things
that are
important for
life in
this world.
And Jesus
isn't saying
that you should
give up eating
and drinking,
that you should
give up your
jobs or your
education,
you should give
up social
education,
retreat to
a cave
somewhere with
a torch and
a Bible.
He's not
saying that.
Because we're
servants, there's
work to do for
Jesus.
There are people
to love for
Jesus.
But Jesus
does say to
you there's
something more
necessary than
all those
things.
There's
something more
essential to
who we are,
humbly listening
to Jesus.
And the word
humble is
important,
isn't it?
Because this
final passage of
Luke 10
lands us where
the previous
two passages
have as well.
The heart
of being a
disciple of
Jesus is
humility.
It's the
humility of being
a child
rather than
a wise
and learned
one.
It's the
humility of
knowing that
you need to
be loved.
And you
need to be
justified by
God rather
than trying to
justify yourself.
And it's the
humility of
being a
listening learner
at the feet
of Jesus.
And humility
is at the
heart of
discipleship
precisely
because of
who it is
that we
follow.
Ultimately,
Mary's response
was not better
than Martha's
because listening
is better than
serving, but
because Jesus
is better than
serving.
Martha was
in the
kitchen.
Mary was
with Jesus.
Jesus who
deals
compassionately
with suffering.
Jesus who
sees through
hypocrisy like
a laser.
Jesus who
has no
intolerance
for just
injustice.
Jesus who
absorbed the
terrible way he
was treated
with seemingly
limitless
patience.
Jesus who
heals people,
who forgives
people, who
tenderly restores
the broken.
Jesus whose
life was
taken from
him on a
lonely cross
outside Jerusalem
as he
suffered and
bled for the
sake of people
everywhere who
have spent so
much of their
lives failing to
listen to him.
I don't know
if you noticed,
but in the
very first
verse, verse
38, Luke
tells us, just
interestingly, that
Jesus and his
disciples were on
their way.
They were on
their way.
Let me take you
back to where
they were on
their way to.
Look at chapter
9 and verse
51.
And when the
days drew near
for Jesus to
be taken up,
that is to be
crucified, he
set his face to
go to Jerusalem.
And so Jesus
stops on this
journey to
share with you
this valuable
lesson with his
two friends,
Mary and
Martha.
But this was
really a detour.
He was headed
for his destiny
in Jerusalem.
That's why he'd
come.
He came because
he knew that
the only thing
more essential
to our lives
than us listening
to him was
him enduring
death in place
for us.
And that's by
far the most
astonishing thing
that Jesus ever
did.
And it's the
most powerful
word that Jesus
ever spoke.
And I want to
ask you tonight
what Luke asks
each one of us
in the gospel.
Is there anyone
who deserves your
attention more
than Jesus?
Than the man
who came from
God, the Lord
of heaven, who
surrendered himself
to death
that you
might have
life?
So can you
see why I
want to say
to you, it's
not so much
an issue of
how you
listen, but
who you
listen to.
Because there
is no one
more essential
to listen to
than him.
There is no
one worth
listening to
more than
him.
And Mary
had understood
that.
Martha had
yet to
grasp it.
You see, at
the end of
the day, that's
why these
five verses
are here.
They're not
here to tell
you that Mary
was better
than Martha.
They're not
even here
primarily to
tell you that
Mary's response
to Jesus
was better
than Martha's.
They're here
to tell us
that Jesus
is better
than every
alternative.
They're here
to tell us
that the man
who sat in
Mary and
Martha's
lounge that
day is the
one every
faithful Jew
longed to
see and
hear.
He's the
one who
every
spiritually
hungry
person
in
their
day
longed to
spend
time
with
and
listen
to.
And he's
the one
who every
wise
person
since the
days of
Mary and
Martha
has paid
careful
attention
to.
Because all
the ministry
in the
world and
all the
voices in
the world
and all
the
distractions
in the
world
only ever
last a
lifetime.
But you
can have
Jesus
forever.
one of the
privileges of
my job is
that I'm
with people
sometimes at
the end of
their lives.
I'm with
people when
they pass
from this
life into
eternal life.
And
very often
with people
at the end
of their life
there's very
little you can
say.
You read
them the
Bible and
you pray
with them.
And then
you read
them more
of the
Bible and
you pray
with them.
And you
keep reading
the Bible
with them
because there's
very little
to say.
Comes a
time when
they're not
able to
talk and
eat.
When they're
largely
non-responsive.
But what
you often
notice is
that they'll
nod their
head when
you pray.
Or they'll
nod their
head when
you read
the
scriptures.
Well that's
what I want
isn't it?
That's what I
want for you.
I want you
to listen to
Jesus in
your very
last
breath.
To
recognize
his voice
with joy.
To die
with his
words ringing
in your
ears.
To nod
your head.
That's what I
want for my
children.
That's what I
want for those
I love.
That's what I
want for you.
I want you
and I want
myself to be
a listener.
And if
you're a
disciple of
Jesus,
you are
too.
You can
listen to
other people
for as long
as life
lasts.
And you
can be
distracted
by a
great,
great many
things.
Maybe you
are.
Many of
them are
good.
And you
can have
years and
years of
ministry that
will bear
great fruit.
But one
day they
will all
come to
an end.
time for
you.
And you
will
come to
time for
you when
you'll
stop nodding
your head.
And you'll
stop
breathing.
But if you
trusted and
listened to the
Lord Jesus,
the next thing
you will hear
is the voice
of Jesus.
And you'll
still be
listening to
him.
The Lord
answered her,
Martha,
you are
anxious and
troubled about
many things,
but one
thing is
necessary.
Mary has
chosen the
good portion
which will
not be taken
away from
her.
Let's pray.
Mary has