The Priorities of Martha and Mary
- by: Pastor Gordan Gottfred
- Apr 11, 2010
- Series: The Book of Luke
The Priorities of Martha and Mary – Luke 10:38-42
The Tyranny of the Urgent, has a simple message to keep our priorities straight: “Don’t allow the urgent to crowd out the important.”
Context: Jesus gives us Kingdom priorities in Luke 10:25-42
Kingdom Priority #1: Love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind.
Kingdom Priority #2: Show mercy and compassion to those who
need help.
Today we look at Kingdom priority #3 stop & listen to Jesus and allow HIS truth to change your life.
1. The Setting: Priorities revealed: Verses 38-39
v Jesus comes to a village because people are important.
v Martha is a hospitable person with a busy mind and a crowded
heart.
v Martha has a sister named Mary. She is a worshiper of Jesus.
v Mary has a peaceful mind and a loving, focused, heart.
2. Martha approaches Jesus. Priority change requested: Verse 40
v Martha’s view of reality reveals symptoms of a deeper heart
problem. She has a distracted heart because of much serving. This means pulled away, dragged away.
Other symptoms are: confrontational, demanding, secretly lonely, angry and needing rest.
v The real problem is that Martha is not allowing the truth of God’s Word to strengthen her heart and life. She was seeking to find value in activity instead of value in Christ. She is caught in the performance trap. Ephesians 3:16-17
v She confronts/approaches Jesus smolderingly and says, “Don’t you care I’m serving alone? Jesus, are you insensitive and unaware?
v Martha tells Jesus what to do . . . “Tell her to help me.”
3. Jesus corrects Martha & Commends Mary’s one priority: Verses 41-42
v Martha, Martha is a Jewish form of affection and intimacy.
v Jesus confronts Martha’s misplaced priorities. You are worried about many things. She is loving things and using people instead of loving people and using things.
v Jesus commends Mary for her right priority. “She has chosen to be with Jesus which won’t be taken from her.”
What are you choosing? Lessons from the Text:
Where did Martha go wrong? She welcomed Jesus but didn’t worship Him. She thought serving was more important than listening to Jesus. She thought Jesus was unaware of the problems in her heart. The real problem, her priorities were out of order. What about you? James 1:19-22
