Luke 10:38–42

³⁸Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. ³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. ⁴⁰But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." ⁴¹But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, ⁴²but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

You have known this story all your life, but have you really understood? You look down on Martha because Jesus criticized her and because he complimented Mary, you think that Mary represents you. That's all because of your proud self-righteousness. The fact is, Martha really was being a good disciple. She was busy serving Jesus. She loved him and her heart was set on being his disciple.

You too are disciples of Christ! You have been baptized, Catechized, and confirmed. You come to the Table of the Lord often where you eat his body and drink his blood. You are dedicated to serve Jesus and follow him all the way to the grave. You work hard to serve him. You cheerfully give your life in service to Jesus. You smile and are friendly to everyone you meet; you are helpful. You gave up your drinking binges; you have learned to control your anger; you have cleaned up your language.

Yes, you are on the road of obedience. You are progressing toward righteousness. You are completely dedicated to serving in church, on the boards and committees. You are a good disciple. You really follow Jesus with all your heart.

Sometimes it seems like you are running ahead of the others in discipleship. You wish more people would be active in church. It seems like there are only a handful who do all the work and the rest just sit around. If everyone were like you the church would really be on fire. You can't figure out how people can claim to be disciples of Jesus but sit around and do nothing to serve him.

Then one Sunday you come to church and the Gospel lesson is from Luke chapter 10. You hear about when Jesus visited Mary and Martha at their home. First you hear about Martha and are immediately drawn to her. She is working so hard to serve Jesus. She reminds you of yourself. She is a fine example of how to be a true disciple. You decide you need to be more like her. There she was working, while all the others were sitting around not getting anything done, she was busy at work serving the Lord, preparing a meal, getting the house clean for their guest. So selfless; so dedicated; so committed to serving Jesus. You want to be just like her.

You think I am being facetious. But I am not. We should commend Martha for her dedicated service to Jesus. Oh, that all of you were so dedicated to serve Him! Oh, that I were as dedicated to serving Jesus! You see, Martha was doing the right thing. There is nothing wrong with her actions. She was doing what any good hostess should do when a guest arrives for dinner. She was going good works and serving the Lord. She was being all that a disciple should be.

Even though you have always had a bad impression of Martha, you can't ignore the fact that Martha was doing what she was supposed to be doing, and she did it because she loved Jesus and wished to serve him with all her heart and strength. Same as you.

But while you are wondering about all this, the Holy Spirit speaks to you. And you become suddenly aware that you are not such a good disciple of Jesus as Martha was. Because even though you try with all your strength to serve him, you find that there is still something wrong with your heart and motives. Now and then you have thoughts and attitudes that just aren't quite right, and you know it. You know you shouldn't be judgmental of people, but you can't help it. You know that you shouldn't get angry, but you still get angry. Those lips that have eaten the body and drunk the blood of Christ should not have said some of the cruel and unloving things you have said. That heart that was reborn in Baptism should not have been so cold and unloving to others. Those who are your brothers and sisters through Baptism, should have been treated with greater love and respect.

Then you see Martha's sister sitting in the living room just visiting with the guests. Oh, that makes you mad. You think of all those people in church who don't do their share. You can really identify with Martha now. You know just how mad she was.

"Lord, please tell my sister to come and help me in the kitchen." Yes! Go for it Martha. I hope Jesus really gives it to her. There you go again being judgmental; condemning others!

You see others in the church who aren't doing their fair share of the work, and you too get mad. Why should they let me do all the work, and they don't raise a hand to help. They don't even say "Thank you." You sometimes get mad and in an outburst of anger say things that you shouldn't. You get offended or jealous and then hold grudges and resentment because all the hard work you do is not appreciated.

There are those other thoughts and attitudes that you know a true Christian should have. You wonder why God sometimes seems so far away. There is even that occasional lustful thought when you see an attractive person go by. You secretly wonder what is wrong with you.

Maybe you're not really as good a disciple as you thought. Maybe you shouldn't judge Martha so much as you used to. She was dedicated and committed to being a follower of Jesus. Compared to her, you fall flat on your face. In spite of all the hard work you have done to live a better life, to be a better Christian, your heart is just as black as it was the day you first believed in him.

Then the pastor reads on a little further in the Gospel lesson: "Martha, Martha,.. only one thing is necessary, and Mary has chosen the good part."

That's why you have always had the impression that Mary is the greater disciple. But, wait a minute. If that's the case, then Jesus is saying that all your hard work, all your unending service to the church, all your good deeds would be down the drain. They apparently aren't worth anything. But "Mary is not doing her part," you object. The floor is not swept, the meat is not cooked. They need someone to run to the store for a couple of tomatoes and something to drink. Mary is not helping. She's not serving you, Jesus.

Yes, Jesus sees that too. He sees that both Mary and Martha and you have hearts as black as coal and has hard and cold as a stone.

He sees that being active and busy and hard working; sweeping the floors, cooking the meals, painting the walls, drawing water from the well, helping serve the meal, none of these things make you a good disciple, because your heart is unclean. They make you a busy disciple, but not a good one.

What do you suppose Mary did as soon as Jesus had finished teaching? She got up and went to the kitchen and she and Martha finished preparing the meal and together they set the table. Then they all sat down together for dinner with Jesus sitting beside them. They were busy serving Jesus and doing the right things. But they both were sinning. They both still had hearts black as coal and hard as stone. All their good works were still just filthy rags, because nothing that a sinner does is holy or righteous.

Yes, Jesus sees Martha's heart; he sees Mary's heart; and he sees your heart. He sees that all of them are sinful and corrupt, so that all Martha's hard work, all of your hard work, and all of Mary's good works are nothing but filthy rags.

There was only one thing that could make their good deeds good; and that was the blood of Jesus Christ which washes them and cleans them up. And that blood is given to us in his Word. "My word has made you clean," says Jesus. That is why Mary had chosen the better thing, because it is only thing that is necessary. It is only by the Word that Jesus makes his disciples clean. Mary and Martha both loved Jesus and dedicated their lives to his service. But they both had the same sinful flesh that you and I have so all their good works were nothing but filthy rags. But those Words of Jesus, yes, those very words that he spoke to Mary, washed her dirty, sinful, "good deeds" and make them clean good deeds!

Being a good church member does not make you a good disciple of Jesus. Being busy and involved in church does not make you a good disciple. All your good works are but filthy rags. It is Jesus' blood given to you by his Word through Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper that cleans up your deeds and service and makes them holy. It is Jesus' blood that you receive through the word of God that makes you a good disciple because he washes your dirty works and filthy good deeds and makes them clean.

Mary had chosen the better thing; because through the Word, and only through the Word of Jesus, her works were sanctified. Apart from the Word all our works and good deeds are nothing. For that reason the number one important task you can do in church is hear, learn and study God's word. For without God's word, everything else you do is mere business, but is not a good work unto the Lord.

You have been Baptized, instructed, confirmed and communed, but your hearts are still hard as stones. There stands a huge stone hill outside Jerusalem. About two thousand years ago some Roman soldiers drilled a little hole in that stone and stood a wooden cross upright in it. To that cross they nailed a righteous and holy man and crucified him. When they pierced his side with a sword, blood flowed out and washed the stone underneath the cross. It was still a stone, but now it has been bathed in the holy blood of the Lamb.

Just so, your hearts are cold, ugly stones, but they too have been bathed in the blood of the Lamb. Through the word's of Jesus you were bathed in that blood at Baptism. Through the words of Jesus you are bathed in the blood in Absolution,. Through the words of Jesus you are bathed in the blood of the Lamb in Holy Communion. Your dirty hearts have been washed, your black hearts are covered in blood, your filthy deeds are cleansed all by the blood of Jesus.

When Mary and Martha and Jesus and the disciples finally sat down to eat the meal, it was a holy, sacred meal, but it was not a sacrament. It was holy because Jesus was present and his presence made it holy. It was sacred because of the Word which Jesus had spoken cleansed them from all sin.

A sacrament is when Jesus is present through his Word joined to the things of creation. So today, when we come to dine at the altar it is a sacrament. By His words connected to the bread he is present in the flesh. By his words connected to the wine his blood is poured out into that chalice from which we drink. And by his blood, our dirty hearts and our filthy deeds are covered in the righteousness of Christ and are made holy unto God.

By his word, Jesus dips his finger into his precious, holy blood, and paints the sign of a cross over your dirty hearts and filthy deeds and they become holy and precious unto God and you are covered with the righteousness of Jesus.

Amen.

With a firm faith hold fast to the riches of God's grace and joyfully give thanks to his mercy forever and ever. Amen.