Only One Thing Is Needed
07/22/07
Luke 10 : 38-42
Pentecost 8
Once upon a time, many years ago, there lived a king who had a beautiful daughter. This princess had many offers of marriage, but she couldn’t make up her mind. A romantic girl, she wanted a man who would love her more than he loved anything else. Finally, she devised a way to test the love of her suitors.
An announcement was made and sent throughout the kingdom that on a certain day, there would be a race. The winner of the race would marry the princess. The race was open to every man in the kingdom, regardless of his position. All that was required was that the man had to love the princess more than he loved anything else.
On the chosen day, men rich and poor gathered at the starting line. Each man was told that the princess waited at the finish line. Whoever reached her first could take her as his bride.
Just before the race was to begin, the king made an announcement. Not wanting any man to run in vain, the king had liberally scattered some of his finest treasures along the course. There were necklaces and pendants and jewel-encrusted cups and swords and knives. Each runner was welcome to take as many as he liked. The race was begun.
One by one, the runners, princes and paupers alike, turned aside to fill their pockets and carry off what treasures they could. Blinded by the immediate promise of wealth, they forgot the princess and all their professions of love.
All except one. He pressed on, ignoring what to him were trinkets when compared to the incomparable beauty of the princess, finally crossing the finish line, the winner. Only one was victorious, and that was because he kept his eye on the true prize.
Today we read the story of Jesus visiting in the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. You’ve probably heard the story. Martha was a doer. She served well. Martha hurried about doing all the household preparations necessary to make her guest feel at home. At the same time, Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he had to say. Martha finally got fed up. “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
I’m sure we’ve all felt that way at one time or another. “This isn’t fair. I’m doing all the work around here. Can’t somebody give me a hand?” Surely, you would think, the Master would take Martha’s side.
But he doesn’t. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and distracted by many things, there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Mary had only done one thing--she sat at the feet of Jesus. But that one thing, in this case, was enough to draw Jesus’ praise. It’s a priceless story with a very important message. Work and service, when divorced from constant communion with God, become meaningless. Simply being busy has no eternal value. Placing too much value on things that are transitory, that come and go, is not good. There’s more to life than that. As Jesus said to the devil when tempted in the wilderness, “Man does not live by bread alone.” There’s something of greater value than just doing and having things.
Pastor John Gable tells a story about parishioners Al and Betty Johnson who live on a farm about 60 miles northeast of Rapid City, S.D. This is a pretty isolated area. Needless to say, there isn’t a WalMart on every corner, so whenever the Johnsons have a reason to go into Rapid City, they keep a running list of things they want to do and need to buy.
Some time back, Betty’s mother was flying in for a visit. Al made a list of all the things he needed to do on his way to the airport in Rapid City to pick up his mother-in-law.
When he finally got home late that evening, he was so pleased to tell Betty about all he had accomplished. He had gotten new tires put on the truck and found everything she wanted at the mall. He had even bought her a new dress that he couldn’t wait to show her.
Finally, she interrupted him and asked, “Al, where’s Mom?” Poor Al’s face turned ashen, and then red. It seems, in his determination to complete the list, he had forgotten to go to the airport. He had forgotten the only real purpose he had for going to town in the first place. (1) Poor Al. It’s easy to do, to be so busy that you forget the one thing you were supposed to do.
Martha was hurrying around doing those little things that are so important to someone having guests in her home, and we know Jesus appreciated her efforts. Mary and Martha became two of Jesus’ closest friends. It was with kindness that Jesus gently scolded Martha. It was a loving rebuke. “Martha, Martha,” he said, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better . . .”
Only one thing is needed. That is what Jesus said to Martha. Only one thing.
There is a time-honored story about a young man fresh out of seminary who was called to his first pastorate in a small, farming community. Having to preach every Sunday was quite a challenge for this young man who was accustomed to the world of academia, not the world of the small, country church. Each Sunday he preached sermons that were little more than lengthy quotations taken directly from his seminary classroom notes--dry, academic stuff, to be sure. I remember those days, when I thought people actually cared about what scholars were saying about a particular topic.
This congregation was used to having ministers fresh out of seminary. In fact, over the years they had become quite patient and tolerant. They understood themselves as a congregation gifted with the task of training young ministers in the realities of church life.
Months went by as this congregation waited for the young man to work his way into his new role of pastor and teacher. Then one Sunday the elder who prepared the sanctuary for the service left a note on the pulpit. On a small piece of paper he wrote a Bible reference, John 12:21. That’s all it said, John 12:21.
Well, the young minister arrived not long afterward, and he too went into the sanctuary to prepare for the morning’s service. He saw the note on the pulpit which read “John 12:21.” A curious thing to find in the pulpit, he thought, so he quickly thumbed through his Bible and found the passage which read: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (3)
The young pastor got the point. He began to change his messages. Christ is that one thing that is needed. We need to know Jesus. Mary understood that intuitively. Activity and service are necessary. Remember last week’s message on the Good Samaritan? The Samaritan, the one who served, is the model lifted up by Jesus for all people. “Go and do likewise,” he says to the lawyer. But when our service becomes the source of distraction, anxiety, busyness, and stress, we’ve got to stop and reevaluate what it is we’re doing. The cure is taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus and to be reminded why we are doing the things that we do.
Paul reminds us of the centrality of Christ for us when he writes in Colossians 1, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and (now listen) in him all things hold together.” Jesus is the center. When we have him there, things hold together. When he’s not there, we can become distracted by many things, and life can come unglued.
The number one illness I see at work in people’s lives, certainly in this community, is busyness. There’s hardly a day that goes by that I don’t hear someone say, “I’m just so busy.” This story of Martha and Mary ought hit pretty close to home then for many of us. Have you let the things of this world so fill your life with busyness, that you’ve forgotten what’s really important? Are you happy and fulfilled by all this busyness? Are your days so full that, like Martha, you’ve forgotten the one thing that is needful, a relationship with God?
Only you can answer that. Only you can set your priorities. But part of my job is to remind you that busyness in and of itself has no eternal reward. You need some space in your life where you can both listen to God and serve in God’s name. Hopefully your church home can provide that place for you, a place to reflect on what really matters.
I think our busyness is really a spiritual disease. We’ve allowed other things to crowd God out. It’s up to us to take back control of that, making sure we take time to listen and connect with God. For in the end, only one thing is truly needed, a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Let me close with these words about Jesus, the very source of our lives.
To artists, He is the One altogether lovely.
To architects, He is the Chief Cornerstone.
To [doctors], He is the Great Physician.
To preachers, He is the Word of God.
To philosophers, He is the Wisdom of God.
To the dying, He is the Resurrection and the Life.
To geologists, He is the Rock of Ages.
To farmers, He is the Lord of the harvest.
To professors, He is the Master Teacher.
To prodigals, He is the forgiving [Parent].
To lost sheep, He is the Good Shepherd.
To thirsty souls, He is the Water of life.
To the hungry, He is the Bread of life.
To philanthropists, He is God’s Unspeakable Gift (5)
Have you discovered that presence in your life? Or have you become too busy to even think about it. Take a clue from Mary today. The one thing needful is Jesus. In him, all things hold together. Let us each day, in the midst of our busy lives, turn our thoughts to Jesus, and listen to him. Amen
1. Rev. L. John Gable, http://www.crossroadspres.org/052100s.htm.
2. Merlin T. Batt, http://www.trucc.org/sermons/020302.htm.
3. Herbert Gabhart. Cited in The Book of Jesus, Calvin Miller editor, p. 41.
Pentecost 8
Once upon a time, many years ago, there lived a king who had a beautiful daughter. This princess had many offers of marriage, but she couldn’t make up her mind. A romantic girl, she wanted a man who would love her more than he loved anything else. Finally, she devised a way to test the love of her suitors.
An announcement was made and sent throughout the kingdom that on a certain day, there would be a race. The winner of the race would marry the princess. The race was open to every man in the kingdom, regardless of his position. All that was required was that the man had to love the princess more than he loved anything else.
On the chosen day, men rich and poor gathered at the starting line. Each man was told that the princess waited at the finish line. Whoever reached her first could take her as his bride.
Just before the race was to begin, the king made an announcement. Not wanting any man to run in vain, the king had liberally scattered some of his finest treasures along the course. There were necklaces and pendants and jewel-encrusted cups and swords and knives. Each runner was welcome to take as many as he liked. The race was begun.
One by one, the runners, princes and paupers alike, turned aside to fill their pockets and carry off what treasures they could. Blinded by the immediate promise of wealth, they forgot the princess and all their professions of love.
All except one. He pressed on, ignoring what to him were trinkets when compared to the incomparable beauty of the princess, finally crossing the finish line, the winner. Only one was victorious, and that was because he kept his eye on the true prize.
Today we read the story of Jesus visiting in the home of two sisters, Mary and Martha. You’ve probably heard the story. Martha was a doer. She served well. Martha hurried about doing all the household preparations necessary to make her guest feel at home. At the same time, Mary sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he had to say. Martha finally got fed up. “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
I’m sure we’ve all felt that way at one time or another. “This isn’t fair. I’m doing all the work around here. Can’t somebody give me a hand?” Surely, you would think, the Master would take Martha’s side.
But he doesn’t. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and distracted by many things, there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Mary had only done one thing--she sat at the feet of Jesus. But that one thing, in this case, was enough to draw Jesus’ praise. It’s a priceless story with a very important message. Work and service, when divorced from constant communion with God, become meaningless. Simply being busy has no eternal value. Placing too much value on things that are transitory, that come and go, is not good. There’s more to life than that. As Jesus said to the devil when tempted in the wilderness, “Man does not live by bread alone.” There’s something of greater value than just doing and having things.
Pastor John Gable tells a story about parishioners Al and Betty Johnson who live on a farm about 60 miles northeast of Rapid City, S.D. This is a pretty isolated area. Needless to say, there isn’t a WalMart on every corner, so whenever the Johnsons have a reason to go into Rapid City, they keep a running list of things they want to do and need to buy.
Some time back, Betty’s mother was flying in for a visit. Al made a list of all the things he needed to do on his way to the airport in Rapid City to pick up his mother-in-law.
When he finally got home late that evening, he was so pleased to tell Betty about all he had accomplished. He had gotten new tires put on the truck and found everything she wanted at the mall. He had even bought her a new dress that he couldn’t wait to show her.
Finally, she interrupted him and asked, “Al, where’s Mom?” Poor Al’s face turned ashen, and then red. It seems, in his determination to complete the list, he had forgotten to go to the airport. He had forgotten the only real purpose he had for going to town in the first place. (1) Poor Al. It’s easy to do, to be so busy that you forget the one thing you were supposed to do.
Martha was hurrying around doing those little things that are so important to someone having guests in her home, and we know Jesus appreciated her efforts. Mary and Martha became two of Jesus’ closest friends. It was with kindness that Jesus gently scolded Martha. It was a loving rebuke. “Martha, Martha,” he said, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better . . .”
Only one thing is needed. That is what Jesus said to Martha. Only one thing.
There is a time-honored story about a young man fresh out of seminary who was called to his first pastorate in a small, farming community. Having to preach every Sunday was quite a challenge for this young man who was accustomed to the world of academia, not the world of the small, country church. Each Sunday he preached sermons that were little more than lengthy quotations taken directly from his seminary classroom notes--dry, academic stuff, to be sure. I remember those days, when I thought people actually cared about what scholars were saying about a particular topic.
This congregation was used to having ministers fresh out of seminary. In fact, over the years they had become quite patient and tolerant. They understood themselves as a congregation gifted with the task of training young ministers in the realities of church life.
Months went by as this congregation waited for the young man to work his way into his new role of pastor and teacher. Then one Sunday the elder who prepared the sanctuary for the service left a note on the pulpit. On a small piece of paper he wrote a Bible reference, John 12:21. That’s all it said, John 12:21.
Well, the young minister arrived not long afterward, and he too went into the sanctuary to prepare for the morning’s service. He saw the note on the pulpit which read “John 12:21.” A curious thing to find in the pulpit, he thought, so he quickly thumbed through his Bible and found the passage which read: “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” (3)
The young pastor got the point. He began to change his messages. Christ is that one thing that is needed. We need to know Jesus. Mary understood that intuitively. Activity and service are necessary. Remember last week’s message on the Good Samaritan? The Samaritan, the one who served, is the model lifted up by Jesus for all people. “Go and do likewise,” he says to the lawyer. But when our service becomes the source of distraction, anxiety, busyness, and stress, we’ve got to stop and reevaluate what it is we’re doing. The cure is taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus and to be reminded why we are doing the things that we do.
Paul reminds us of the centrality of Christ for us when he writes in Colossians 1, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers- all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and (now listen) in him all things hold together.” Jesus is the center. When we have him there, things hold together. When he’s not there, we can become distracted by many things, and life can come unglued.
The number one illness I see at work in people’s lives, certainly in this community, is busyness. There’s hardly a day that goes by that I don’t hear someone say, “I’m just so busy.” This story of Martha and Mary ought hit pretty close to home then for many of us. Have you let the things of this world so fill your life with busyness, that you’ve forgotten what’s really important? Are you happy and fulfilled by all this busyness? Are your days so full that, like Martha, you’ve forgotten the one thing that is needful, a relationship with God?
Only you can answer that. Only you can set your priorities. But part of my job is to remind you that busyness in and of itself has no eternal reward. You need some space in your life where you can both listen to God and serve in God’s name. Hopefully your church home can provide that place for you, a place to reflect on what really matters.
I think our busyness is really a spiritual disease. We’ve allowed other things to crowd God out. It’s up to us to take back control of that, making sure we take time to listen and connect with God. For in the end, only one thing is truly needed, a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Let me close with these words about Jesus, the very source of our lives.
To artists, He is the One altogether lovely.
To architects, He is the Chief Cornerstone.
To [doctors], He is the Great Physician.
To preachers, He is the Word of God.
To philosophers, He is the Wisdom of God.
To the dying, He is the Resurrection and the Life.
To geologists, He is the Rock of Ages.
To farmers, He is the Lord of the harvest.
To professors, He is the Master Teacher.
To prodigals, He is the forgiving [Parent].
To lost sheep, He is the Good Shepherd.
To thirsty souls, He is the Water of life.
To the hungry, He is the Bread of life.
To philanthropists, He is God’s Unspeakable Gift (5)
Have you discovered that presence in your life? Or have you become too busy to even think about it. Take a clue from Mary today. The one thing needful is Jesus. In him, all things hold together. Let us each day, in the midst of our busy lives, turn our thoughts to Jesus, and listen to him. Amen
1. Rev. L. John Gable, http://www.crossroadspres.org/052100s.htm.
2. Merlin T. Batt, http://www.trucc.org/sermons/020302.htm.
3. Herbert Gabhart. Cited in The Book of Jesus, Calvin Miller editor, p. 41.