St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church of Watertown-WELS

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Luke 10:38-42 Pentecost 9 series c

July 29 + August 1, 2004

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She 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. She came to him and asked, “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 are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

Next weekend we are expecting company at our home—relatives and friends from out of town. We have been making preparations for weeks now. We have new flowerbeds around the deck—a brick border—shredded Cyprus bark—some lilac bushes on the corners. The firewood in the back yard has been split and neatly stacked—the bits of bark burned up. The lawn is mowed and the weed wacker has trimmed every edge. Inside everything has been vacuumed, dusted, washed, polished and waxed within an inch of its life. We have stocked up on everyone’s favorite beverage. Grandpa’s classic Coke—Grandma’s 7Up. Kirby the puppy might even get a haircut. Everything is being done to try and make everything just perfect! And yet—the fact remains—what’s important—what really counts isn’t how things look on the outside. What matters isn’t how neat all the Bibles are on the shelves in my office. What counts is God’s Word in our hearts and our lives. What counts is law and Gospel—in the faith life of blood bought people of God! That’s all that really matters. Today we are thinking about a very familiar Bible account. Jesus is the guest at the home of his friends Mary and Martha and their brother Lazarus. Today we pray:

Come, Lord Jesus, Be Our Guest

1. Help us not to be worried and upset

2. But feed us with law and gospel.

As we catch up in spirit with the Lord Jesus today—it would seem he is on the way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Dedication! Do you know about the Feast of Dedication? It was a celebration of the rededication of the Temple. It happened during the Intertestimental time—the 400 years between when Malachi warned about Judgment Day—“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire—says the LORD Almighty. Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet…” Malachi 4:1-3 And the warning from John the Baptist—“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire!” Matthew 3:7b-19 Some very important things happened during those 400 years between Malachi and John the Baptist. You know how in our Church Library we have those little People’s Bible Commentaries? Those precious volumes that help explain law and Gospel in God’s Word? There are also some very valuable companion books—little paperback volumes. One of them is called the Four Centuries Before Christ—When God Was Silent. It was written by Pastor Kauffeld from St. John’s here in town! It talks about how down through history God has used terrorists like Attila the Hun and his murderous armies as a scourge. When God’s people get so caught up in the things and stuff of this world—making lots of money and indulging themselves in sinful hurtful pleasures—the LORD sometimes uses times of persecution to cause His people “to think, to talk, to be willing to defend their faith, and to die for their faith!” One of those times was about 165 years before baby Jesus was born. The ruler was horribly corrupt and arrogant man named Antiochus. He made people call him Antiochus Epiphanies—claiming he shined with the glory that belongs only to God! A man named Judas Maccabeus with an army of only 10,000 crushed an army of 60,000 foot soldiers and 5 thousand cavalry. Into Jerusalem Judas marched. He found the Temple a disaster. There were weeds and shrubs growing in the courtyards. The priests’ quarters destroyed. The whole Temple area—a placed dedicated to the Holy One of Israel—had been profaned—made painfully common—desecrated. God’s people rebuilt the altar for sin offerings, guilt offerings, whole burnt offerings, fellowship offerings. For eight days God’s people rededicated the Temple—rededicated themselves hearing God’s Word and to serving their LORD! Happy Hanukkah! Happy Feast of Lights! Happy Dedication!

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village the village of Bethany—house of dates! There must have been lots and lots of date palm trees there! In Bethany a woman named Martha opened her home to him. Martha thought—the pressure is on! If the Rabbi—the Teacher—my most precious friend and my Lord is coming for a meal at our home everything needs to be absolutely perfect! If Jesus was coming to your house for a meal—what would you serve? Would you serve an appetizer? Maybe some of that artichoke and cheese and spinach that you scoop on taco chips like they serve at TGI Friday’s. Would that be followed by a cup of soup made with wild rice and mushrooms? Would that be followed by a tossed salad with crispy little cheese croutons—and the choice of three or four salad dressings? Would you want to make prime rib—pink on the inside? Would you want to make twice-baked potatoes? What about desert? Strawberry shortcake? Maybe Napoleon Brandy after that? I think if Jesus came to our house for supper what Jesus would like best would be pizza! I think Jesus would like it best if you would just call up and order a Pizza—and maybe some bread sticks. Then you could just sit and visit with Jesus—just sit and listen to him. Listen to all that Jesus would teach you about the kingdom of God! Listen to what Jesus would teach you about law and gospel. Order a pizza. And then when the pizza guy came to your front door—invite him in—to meet Jesus, too!

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. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” Martha meant well. But Martha was missing the point. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” God’s Word talks a lot about attitude. God’s Word talks a lot about worry. God’s Word says, “Don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6,7 Don’t be anxious about anything! Don’t worry about anything! Jesus said, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air…See how the lilies of the field grow…” Matthew 6:25f If Jesus takes care of the sparrows and the chickadees—so that they are absolutely round in the dead of winter when it’s 20 below. If Jesus takes care of the wild flowers that grow beside the highway—don’t you think Jesus will take care of us? Are we worried and upset about many things? We don’t need to worry—when on the evening news they say they have found three jars of baby food contaminated with ground up castor beans and notes from domestic terrorists. We don’t need to be afraid—when the news says most cars have electric power windows. Do you know how children could be hurt by them? We don’t have to worry if our puppy has low carb kibbles! We don’t have to worry about paying our bills! We don’t have to worry about sharp pains or lumps or blood where it isn’t supposed to be. We don’t have to worry about our children going to Kindergarten or college for the first time. We don’t have to worry about our loved ones in the military—far from home. Because Jesus will take care of all of us!

“Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Have you read any good books lately? There was a time when people used to read lots! According to surveys—people are reading less and less. They say only about 45% percent of adults read any literature for pleasure. 45%! That’s less than half and the numbers are shrinking! Back in 1840 Charles Dickens wrote a novel called “The Old Curiosity Shop”. People in America had to wait for ships to bring chapter after chapter across the Atlantic. They say dockworkers literally shouted at the ship bringing the next chapter—did little Nell die? They had to know! If people are that excited about characters that are only make believe and pretend—what about the book that is completely true from start to finish? What about the Scriptures that are God-breathed and powerful enough to change your life! God’s Word is powerful to convict us of all our sins! It pushes aside excuses. When people a few weeks ago were literally beaten and bashed to death with lengths of lumber—people said—the problem was a lack of education and a lack of jobs! The problem is sin—ugly, festering in the hearts and minds of people—so that Satan succeeds in making them so cold and hard and godless that they can spill the blood of a man clutching a Bible—to beat him to death. When a woman in Salt Lake City is missing—and cadaver dogs look for her body in the city garbage dump—the problem is sin—awful and ugly and capable of unspeakable evil. When a mommy picks up her two year old son—from spending the weekend with his birth father—and the little boy’s body is covered with bite marks and cigarette burns and he has been victim of even worse—the problem is sin—so gross and so hurtful and so painful—the harm done to that little heart—like the scars on his arms and legs—will last the rest of his life on this earth. When suicide bombers pull up beside buses—and take the lives of some 62 people in an instant—the problem is sin—horrible and murderous and cowardly and wrong. The only solution is Jesus’ blood bought forgiveness. The only solution is Jesus forgiveness—ours by grace through faith. The only solution is Jesus’ forgiveness—ours in baptism and Lord’s Supper and on the pages of Scripture! The only solution is Jesus’ unconditional and never failing love.

“Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” How well do we know God’s Word? Back in 1940 British soldiers were trapped on a Beach called Dunkirk. They were surrounded by the enemy—their back up against the sea. A British officer sent a three-word message: “But if not!” Would that make sense to you? It ought to! Back in 1940—people all over England read their Bibles! They knew at once—the words but if not—were part of what Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said when they were commanded to worship a golden image or perish. Trusting in the LORD they said, “Our God who we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods!” When we read God’s Word—when we search the Scriptures—when we read our Bibles and think about them—and talk about them—and put them into practice—then our faith will grow stronger and stronger! Our marriages will be stronger—our families stronger—our nation will be stronger. Pray—come Lord Jesus, be our guest in our homes—not just at mealtime but all day every day. Amen!