Sundays: 9:00 AM Sunday School | 10:30 AM Worship Service

Watch Live

|

Contact

|

App

|

Sermon

Only One Thing Is Necessary

Speaker
David Capoccia
Scripture
Luke 10:38-42

Listen to Audio Save MP3
Reading Tools:

Aa

Auto Transcript

Note: This transcript and summary was autogenerated. It has not yet been proofread or edited by a human.

Summary

Luke 10:38-42 teaches us that devoted discipleship under Christ must come before and be central in all service for Christ. Through the contrast between Mary and Martha, we are reminded that the “only one thing necessary” is sitting at the Lord’s feet — knowing, loving, and learning from Jesus. Martha’s distraction with service, though well-intentioned, led to worry, bitterness, and even accusation against Christ himself. Mary’s choice to prioritize relationship with Jesus is commended as the “good part” that cannot be taken away.

Key Lessons:

  1. Good things like service can turn bad when done with wrong priorities — making secondary things essential and essential things secondary leads to unhappy, bitter service.
  2. Jesus is more interested in what He can give us (His presence, word, and love) than in what we can give Him — we must receive before we serve.
  3. Devoted discipleship — knowing, loving, and learning from Christ through His Word — is the one necessary foundation that enables joyful, fruitful service.
  4. Jesus welcomes all who come to sit at His feet, regardless of status or background, and He will not let anyone take that good portion away.

Application: We are called to honestly evaluate whether busyness, causes, or self-generated visions have pulled us away from time with Christ. Practically, we should recommit to regular Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship — and help one another do the same. Husbands, wives, children, and parents should ask each other how they can set one another up for spiritual success.

Discussion Questions:

  1. In what areas of your life have you, like Martha, made good but non-essential things into essential things that crowd out time with Christ?
  2. How does understanding that Jesus values giving to us more than receiving from us change the way you approach service and ministry?
  3. What practical steps can you take this week — and how can your church family help — to ensure devoted discipleship comes before and fills all your service?

Scripture Focus: Luke 10:38-42 — Jesus teaches that only one thing is necessary: the devoted discipleship Mary chose. Supporting passages include Psalm 27:4, 8, 11 (seeking the Lord’s face as the one thing), John 17:3 (eternal life as knowing God), Jeremiah 15:16 (God’s words as joy and delight), and Mark 14:6-7 (Jesus defending Mary’s worship over service).

Outline

Introduction

Well, it is a great joy to gather with you all this morning. I didn’t know how many people would come today because of all the warnings and such, but the weather has held off so far, and I’m just so glad to see all of you. I feel a special joy this morning.

Maybe I’m a little bit surprised to see me in the pulpit. Our originally scheduled preacher was not able to come, so we had a last-minute substitution. The next sermon in John is not ready yet.

I thought that we would go back to a text that I feel like I need to hear, and I trust that it will be a blessing to you as well. This text that we’re going to look at today may at first seem like it contradicts what you just heard last week from our brother Mark in 1 Peter 4:10-11, but I think you’ll find on closer examination it’s complementary, as we would expect the word of God to be.

Let’s turn to that text, and then I will pray.

Please open your Bibles to Luke 10:38-42. If you’re using our pew Bibles, you can find the passage on page 135.

Please follow along as I read.

Now, as they were traveling along, Jesus entered a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to his word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations. And she came up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary. For Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Pray with me.

Lord, we are privileged to be your people. What a joy it is to sing praises to you, to gather with your people, to hear your word read and explained.

But God, we acknowledge our weakness and our tendency to drift. We do need you to bring us back to the biblical center, to the biblical path.

So God, help us to honor you rightly and actually have the joy you meant for us to have. Please help me to explain this text well. And God, help us to focus, hear it, and then put it into practice.

In Jesus’ name. Amen. Amen.

Back to Basics: The Lombardi Illustration

One of the greatest, if not the greatest, American football coach was a man named Vince Lombardi.

He was coach of the Green Bay Packers in the 1960s and also briefly the Washington Redskins. He led his teams to winning records every season and to five championship wins in seven years, including victories in the first two Super Bowls ever.

Even today, the trophy given to the winning team at the Super Bowl is called the Vince Lombardi trophy, named after this coach. What made Vince Lombardi so great?

What was the primary ingredient to his success?

Surprisingly, the answer is not brilliant strategy or unconventional techniques. Rather, it was a commitment to mastering the fundamentals.

“The answer is not brilliant strategy, unconventional techniques, rather, a commitment to mastering the fundamentals.”

In just his second season as the Packers coach, Lombardi led his team to the NFL’s 1960 championship game versus the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers had played well and were winning going into the fourth quarter, but then they lost in the final few minutes when the Packers were stopped from scoring just a few yards away from the end zone. It was a demoralizing defeat. Victory was so close.

Where had the team gone wrong? How were they supposed to pick up the pieces for the next season?

When summer training camp came around, Lombardi’s idea was to get back to basics and to make no assumptions about what his players already knew.

He therefore began his new training camp with these famous words while holding up a certain object: “Gentlemen, this is a football.”

Lombardi continued training his team with this mindset, going over with each player how to block, how to tackle, starting from page one, teaching the team’s whole playbook to the players.

While some of the players initially found their coach’s approach amusing, little by little, the team began to excel at all the skills that the other teams took for granted. These seemingly small skills made a difference. This reorientation soon paid off. In the 1961 season, not only did the Packers make it again to the championship game, but this time they won it 37 to zero.

Back to Basics for Christians

I bring Vince Lombardi up this morning because this back to basics mindset is also really good, really important for Christians.

After all, we too face many difficulties, frustrations, even defeats in the Christian life. Perhaps we are asking ourselves, “Why do I always feel so stressed, angry, and anxious even when I try to serve God?

Why do I seem to keep yielding to the same sins again and again?

Why do my love and zeal for the Lord feel so cold?

Is there some secret? Is there some new teaching or technique that I can add to my life to find a breakthrough?

The answer is there is no secret except to go back to the basics.

“There is no secret except to go back to the basics.”

And what are the basics? Well, for the Christian life, the basics are essentially to sit again at the Lord’s feet in devoted discipleship.

And that’s what today’s text is all about. Recapturing the only one thing that is necessary.

That’s what we’re looking at. Only one thing is necessary. We can state our text’s main idea in this way: In Luke 10:38-42, God teaches us that devoted discipleship comes before happy service.

You want to happily serve Christ, you must get back to basics. Realize that devoted discipleship under Christ is what enables happy service for Christ.

“Devoted discipleship under Christ is what enables happy service for Christ.”

Now you can see our passage is not very long. In this short narrative, we can organize the account under three headings. These headings will focus on particular characters as the plot unfolds.

Let’s now move our way through the text under these headings.

The Devoted Disciple (vv. 38–39)

Our first heading covers verses 38 and 39. The heading is: who’s the highlighted character in these verses? That’s number one, the devoted disciple.

Look at verses 38-39 with me again.

Now, as they were traveling along, he entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a sister called Mary who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to his word.

Jesus Enters the Village

Verse 38 begins unremarkably. We learn that Jesus and his traveling group of disciples happen to enter another village.

Luke doesn’t name the village here. But this is probably the village of Bethany just east of Jerusalem.

I say this is probably Bethany because the Apostle John tells us in John 11 that Bethany is where Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus lived. You may remember we looked at this not too long ago.

Jesus was a friend of this family. He loved the three of them and ministered to them personally.

They in turn loved the Lord. They believed in his word and they were happy to offer him a place to eat and rest.

Now remember that as a traveling preacher, Jesus had no permanent home to lay his head. He relied on the hospitality of generous people in the cities he visited and in which he preached.

Because of his various trips to and from Jerusalem, like for the feasts, Jesus often stayed with this dear family in Bethany.

“Jesus had no permanent home. He relied on the hospitality of generous people in the cities he visited.”

Luke is describing one of these stays. Probably not the first and also not the last since we’re not close to Jesus’ final trip to Jerusalem.

But notice in verse 38 that it says Martha welcomed Jesus into her home.

Because of the importance of hospitality, especially at this time, this was a clearly righteous act. But why does it say Martha welcomed him and not Lazarus? Isn’t he the man of the house?

Well, we cannot say for sure, but it may be that Martha was the oldest of the three siblings and therefore took on a more prominent and even motherlike role.

As Lazarus is apparently not important to this particular story, he’s not mentioned.

Mary’s Remarkable Posture

So we’re introduced to Martha in verse 38, but the one who really catches our attention is her sister Mary in verse 39.

Why should she grab our attention?

Because of what she’s doing.

We’re told in verse 39 that Mary is sitting at the Lord’s feet and listening to his word.

Now, you might ask, what’s so remarkable about those actions?

Well, not only does sitting at someone’s feet demonstrate humility and deference for the one who’s sitting, but also this description to sit at one’s feet meant something special in that culture. It meant to take the position of a disciple, a learner, a follower of someone else.

You can see the same description in another place in the Bible in Acts 22:3. In Acts 22:3, the Apostle Paul is explaining his salvation testimony to the Jews in Jerusalem, and he mentions that he was educated under Gamaliel.

Who’s Gamaliel? Well, he was just one of the most celebrated rabbis at that time.

But that phrase that Paul uses, “educated under Gamaliel,” is a fine translation. But more literally, it is, “I was educated at the feet of Gamaliel.”

In other words, Paul was saying, “Gamaliel was my master and I was his student. I sat at his feet and sought to absorb everything that he would teach me.”

The same idea is being expressed here in Luke 10:39 with Mary and Jesus. Young Mary voluntarily takes up a position as a humble learner before the great teacher, even the Lord. Notice it is not Jesus’ name that is used in verse 39, but the title “the Lord.”

“Mary voluntarily takes up a position as a humble learner before the great teacher, even the Lord.”

Mary has evidently come to the same realization about Jesus as the other disciples. No doubt she would say as Peter does to Jesus in Matthew 16:16.

Peter says in Matthew 16:16, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” She would also say, as Peter does in John 6:68, “You have words of eternal life.”

Mary apparently understands who Jesus is. He is the Lord. And so she wants to be his follower. She therefore seats herself to pay close attention to all the gracious words that are falling from Jesus’ lips.

In short, Mary takes up the posture of a devoted disciple as she ought and really as we ought.

Jesus Welcomes a Woman Disciple

But more remarkable than the fact that Mary takes up this posture is the fact that Jesus allows her to do so.

Actually, as we’ll see in the later verses, he not only permits this, but he welcomes it and insists that no one remove Mary from it.

And why is that remarkable?

Because many people at that time, even some Jewish rabbis, looked down on women, treated women as inferior, devious, and spiritually incapable.

One ancient rabbi proclaimed, “Better to burn the Torah, the law of God, than to teach it to a woman.” Not everyone among the Jews shared that opinion.

Nevertheless, for Jesus to so openly welcome a woman disciple and quite literally give her a front row seat to his teaching would have raised more than a few eyebrows.

“For Jesus to so openly welcome a woman disciple would have raised more than a few eyebrows.”

This fact of Mary’s privileged position fits well into Luke’s overall purpose in writing this gospel record.

Fundamentally, Luke writes to show that Jesus is the savior of all mankind—Jew and Gentile, man and woman.

Thus, Luke highlights more than any other gospel writer the many times Jesus went out of his way to minister to and include women.

Notably, Luke is the only writer who gives us this specific account about Jesus, Mary, and Martha.

This is the first part of our text, and we see this beautiful display of Mary’s regard for the Lord and the Lord’s regard for Mary. Mary takes up the position of devoted disciple, and Jesus gladly receives her and speaks to her his life-giving word.

But not all is happy in this wonderful scene. For we soon learn that there is trouble brewing in the kitchen.

The Unhappy Servant (v. 40)

We thus arrive at our second heading and second highlighted character in verse 40: the unhappy servant.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations. She came up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.”

Can you relate to this scene at all?

You’re trying to do what’s right. You’re trying to serve God and others. Maybe you’re trying to take care of your children, but then your heart starts to murmur and your grumbling heart soon manifests in actual words of grumbling out loud to others.

I think we’ve all been where Martha is in this text.

“Martha is not the villain. She’s not the bad woman. She loves and believes in the Lord.”

So let’s understand that Martha is not the villain. She’s not the bad woman. Well, Mary’s the good woman. No, Martha’s a good woman, too. She loves and believes in the Lord.

This is evident from John 11 and her powerful profession of faith in Jesus Christ, even when Lazarus, her brother, dies. Even here, we see that she’s righteously showing Jesus hospitality. Even her desire to serve and prepare a proper meal comes from a good heart.

Martha’s Self-Generated Burden

But even good things can turn bad when they’re done with the wrong attitude or with improper priority.

Here Martha falls into two traps just like we ourselves do all too easily. She makes too much of a secondary thing and she makes too little of the primary thing.

Notice how verse 40 says Martha was distracted with all her preparations. The word translated distracted here literally means to be pulled or dragged away. That’s a good image. Martha’s heart is being pulled in many different directions by her various hospitality concerns.

Now, we aren’t given any details here as to what, if any, division of responsibilities Martha and her sister had agreed upon when Jesus arrived. Did Martha say, “Mary, you go into the main room and make sure Jesus has all his needs met. Well, I’ll take care of the meal,” or was there no agreement and their responses were just spontaneous? Mary says, “Oh, Jesus is here. I better go sit and listen.” And Martha says, “Oh, Jesus is here. I better get busy with much service.” We don’t know.

Something we can say though is that Martha’s overburdening was unnecessary and self-generated. It’s not that preparing a meal was so difficult that Martha couldn’t do it by herself. It’s that preparing the meal the way that Martha felt was necessary was too much for her.

“Martha’s overburdening was unnecessary and self-generated.”

She was finding it hard to reach her own self-devised standard of what a proper meal for Jesus should be. And again, we can sympathize.

Someone really important showed up in your house after a long day’s journey. Would you want to serve up three-day old leftovers on paper plates for someone really important? Would you not rather serve your best meal fresh and on your finest dishes and maybe also clean the house, buy flowers, arrange the lighting very specially?

Again, it’s not wrong that Martha wanted to prepare something nice for Jesus. He is the Lord. But she made a good thing that was not an essential thing into an essential thing. And if she couldn’t present to Jesus the perfect meal that she envisioned, well then all was lost and Martha was a failure.

Forgetting What Jesus Offers

Martha also forgot that Jesus is more interested in what he can give rather than what anyone can give him.

It’s like what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Jesus asks the woman there for a drink of water. When she questions his right to ask her, he replies, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you, you would have asked him for the water that he gives, living water, which satisfies thirst forever and wells up to eternal life.”

What is it that Jesus had offered Martha already in this scene? The thing that she considered nice, but that’s not the essential thing. Well, Jesus only offered himself.

He offered his presence, his love, his companionship. He, the son of God, the Lord. He offered his life-giving word, the wisdom of God.

Jesus was prepared to give all this to Martha, but she was too busy to receive it.

“Jesus was prepared to give all this to Martha, but she was too busy to receive it.”

Martha didn’t realize it. But what she was really communicating to the Lord by getting carried away with all her service, all her meal preparation was, “Thanks for coming by, Jesus, but I don’t have time for you yourself. I’m too busy doing all the burdensome service that you require.”

Obviously, this kind of attitude does not honor Jesus Christ, but it does result in unhappy service.

So we should stop and ask ourselves, what do our lives communicate to Jesus?

Do you get caught up in good but non-essential or good but less essential things so that you don’t have time to be discipled by the Lord himself?

Do you see Jesus as the burden?

Or rather, do you lay aside the real burdens, the unnecessary burdens so that you can have Jesus?

Martha’s Accusation Against Christ

Well, Martha’s agitated mind leads to angry action. Notice how Martha accuses her sister in verse 40.

Look, Jesus, my sister left me to do all the meal preparation and hospitality work alone.

How inconsiderate, right? How selfish of a younger sister after all I do for her.

Poor me. I’m left to do this good but important work alone.

Have you ever said something like this in your heart or out loud?

You come up with your own vision of what needs to happen in a situation and then when others don’t help you achieve your vision, you complain about them and you pity yourself.

But notice that Martha’s accusation is not only against your sister but also against Christ. She says, “Lord, do you not care?”

Lord Jesus, you can see what’s going on here. You can hear me working hard in the kitchen while Mary just sits at your feet. Don’t you see what’s wrong with this picture? Why haven’t you intervened?

Could it be that you just don’t care?

You don’t really love me. After all, why would you let me be left alone when I’m working so hard for you?

But Martha gives Jesus a chance to redeem himself. She suggests, “If you really do care about me, then help me achieve my vision. Tell Mary to get back into the kitchen and help me.”

And again, can’t we do the same as Martha here? When life’s not going right, when ministry is getting frustrating, when we have a great vision of what we’d like to accomplish for God, but it’s just not coming together, we not only blame others, but we also question God’s love for us.

“When ministry is getting frustrating, we not only blame others, but we also question God’s love for us.”

Surely, God, if you cared, you wouldn’t have let all this happen. You would have given me more help. You would have helped me achieve my vision of good work for you.

You may remember that 12 disciples raised the same complaint against Jesus when they were caught in a dangerous storm while Jesus was sleeping. Mark 4:38. They wake him and say, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

Look at the storm. Why haven’t you done anything about it? Could it be that you just don’t care? Our hearts can say this. Yes, even to God.

But then we add something more.

Jesus, I’ll forgive you if you just set everything right now.

Do what I think is necessary. Do what I want you to do because I know what is best.

If you just do that, then I’ll believe in your love again and I’ll trust you.

The Contrast Between Mary and Martha

We can already see a pretty strong contrast between Mary and Martha here, can’t we?

Mary sits to listen to Christ. Martha stands to tell Christ what to do.

Mary regards Christ with reverence. Martha regards Christ with suspicion.

Again, Martha is not evil, but her heart has strayed. She has strayed into pride, into an evil way. She regarded the lesser things as essential things and she regarded the essential thing as something unimportant.

“She regarded the lesser things as essential things and the essential thing as something unimportant.”

How does Jesus respond to Martha?

Well, we’ve seen the devoted disciple.

The Compassionate Teacher (vv. 41–42)

We’ve seen the unhappy servant. The heading for our last two verses is our last highlighted character number three, the compassionate teacher. Verses 41 and 42.

“But the Lord answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things, but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her.”

This is such a remarkably gentle answer from Jesus, demonstrating his great love both for Martha and for Mary, even while Martha questions that same love.

“A remarkably gentle answer from Jesus, demonstrating his great love both for Martha and for Mary.”

For consider how Jesus might have responded to Martha. After all, she has just interrupted Jesus in the middle of teaching his disciples. She has criticized him and thus publicly dishonored Jesus in front of his disciples. And she has publicly rebuked her sister, a sister who has not done anything wrong.

So, how might Jesus have justly responded to Martha?

Martha, how dare you? How dare you interrupt my life-giving teaching with your petty complaint? You would not only rebuke your righteous sister, but also me, your righteous Lord. Is your heart not proud, self-righteous, and full of bitterness? Woman, you need to repent.

But this is not the way of our savior with his own. And this is not the way of the good shepherd to those he loves. It shouldn’t be our way either.

Jesus’ Gentle Rebuke

Look at how Jesus begins in verse 41.

Martha, Martha.

Generally, it’s a sign that a rebuke is coming if Jesus has to say your name twice.

We do see this in other scriptures. Luke 13:34, “Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her.” And Luke 22:31, “Simon, Simon, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat.”

Yet, while this opening to Martha does indicate that Jesus will chide her, it’s also an indication that he truly cares for her. In this name repetition, there is a communicated tenderness.

“In this name repetition, there is a communicated tenderness.”

Martha, Martha, I love you and I hear you, but I have to tell you, you’re looking at this situation all wrong.

Notice how Jesus correctly diagnoses Martha’s problem. In verse 41, he says, “You are worried and bothered about so many things.” That is to say, you are unduly troubled about many things that are good but not necessary.

You have multiplied concerns for yourself according to your own thought of what is needful. So it’s not surprising that you are now feeling overwhelmed.

Understand, dear sister, that I didn’t overburden you and neither did your sister.

You did this to yourself.

Only One Thing Is Necessary

And then Jesus reminds her at the beginning of verse 42, “But only one thing is necessary.” It’s not that Jesus is saying that a meal for him was totally unnecessary.

Skip the meal. We’re fasting today. Or that any service or obedience to him is not necessary. He’s not saying that either. We see in Luke 10 just in the earlier context and many other places that service to Christ is necessary. It’s exactly as our brother Mark preached last week. A servant who’s not serving should feel disturbed because that is necessary for Christ.

If you are his disciple, obedience is the expected result, as is love for others.

So this passage, please listen to this. This passage is not teaching the need for quietism instead of activism. That we just need to quietly contemplate Jesus instead of actually serving him in the world.

However, in setting the priorities of the Christian life, one thing must come before and be present in everything else. That priority needs to be so obvious that it’s like the one and only necessary thing.

“One thing must come before and be present in everything else — so obvious it’s like the one and only necessary thing.”

And Jesus clarifies what this necessary thing is in the rest of his statement in verse 42. For Mary has chosen the good part which shall not be taken away from her.

What is the only necessary thing? It’s the same good part or good portion that Mary chose for herself. It is sitting at the feet of Jesus. It is devoted discipleship. It is simply knowing, loving and learning from your Lord.

Scripture Parallels: The One Good Portion

Isn’t this the same prioritized portion that we heard about earlier in Psalm 27?

What David says to remind you: Psalm 27:4, “One thing I have asked from the Lord, or from Yahweh, that I shall seek, that I may dwell in the house of Yahweh all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of Yahweh and to meditate in his temple.”

Some more verses there: Psalm 27:8, “When you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said to you, ‘Your face, oh Yahweh, I will seek.’” And then Psalm 27:11.

Psalm 27:11, “Teach me your way, oh Yahweh, and lead me in a level path because of my foes.”

We could add many other scripture parallels. Psalm 16:5, “Yahweh is the portion of my inheritance and my cup. You support my lot.” John 17:3, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” And Jeremiah 15:16, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart. For I have been called by your name, oh Yahweh, God of hosts.”

Psalm 27:4: “One thing I have asked from the Lord… that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”

Christianity Is First a Relationship

Friends and brethren, Christianity is not some mere philosophy to follow. Nor is it a set of rules to keep. Nor is it a set of service lists to do.

It is first and foremost a relationship.

It is a relationship with the creator God, the holy Lord, the loving savior Jesus Christ.

“Christianity is not some mere philosophy or set of rules. It is first and foremost a relationship.”

Martha forgot this one necessary thing.

She neglected the relationship for the sake of the service.

But all the service in the world does not compare to simply knowing Christ.

Devoted discipleship under Christ must come before and be central in all service for Christ.

Because of this fact, Jesus was insistent with Martha that Mary’s good portion would not be taken away.

Rather than Mary going to help Martha, Martha needed to come and sit with Mary at Jesus’ feet. What I find really interesting?

Mary’s Example Repeated

This proper priority demonstrated by Mary here is to know and love and learn from Jesus. It’s also seen in another event recorded in the gospels. This time three of the gospels capture it: John 12:1-8, Matthew 26:6-13, and Mark 14:3-9.

They record Jesus’s final stay in Bethany.

Jesus is at the home of a man named Simon, a former leper. Once again, Martha is serving, though this time without complaint. Lazarus is also there. But then Mary comes in with a costly alabaster vial of nard perfume.

She breaks the vial and pours the perfume on Jesus, even anointing his feet with it and wiping his feet with her hair.

She engages in an extraordinary display of love and devotion, really worship to Christ.

But what’s the reaction of those present, led by Judas Iscariot?

They are indignant with Mary’s financial waste because that vial of perfume could have been sold for more than a year’s wages, and the proceeds could have been given to the poor.

Does that sound familiar?

Mary once again is publicly rebuked for choosing worship before service.

What’s Jesus’s response? I give you Mark’s version of that account: Mark 14:6-7.

But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you bother her? She has done a good deed to me. For you always have the poor with you. And whenever you wish, you can do good to them. But you do not always have me.”

Mark 14:6–7: “She has done a good deed to me. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

Let’s understand: Jesus is not anti-service.

There are many good causes with which we Christians can and should be engaged. You should care about serving your spouses, your parents, your children, your church, and your nation.

We should be committed, as Jesus commands us, to making disciples, teaching them everything that Jesus commanded, baptizing them, and fighting for sound doctrine.

But what must come before and what must fill all that service?

Simply sitting at the feet of Jesus, worshiping and listening to him.

Devoted discipleship comes before busy service.

Based on this account and the other one with Mary and Martha in the gospels, understand that taking this biblical position will frequently be misunderstood by others. Even professing Christians will accuse you of being lazy, cowardly, and unloving.

But this is the position that Jesus commends in Mary and commands of us.

In fact, Jesus was so pleased by Mary’s actions that he declared, “Wherever my gospel is preached, the story of her devoted discipleship will be proclaimed also.” Talk about honor.

Application: How Is Your Relationship with the Lord?

How’s your relationship with the Lord?

First of all, have you become his devoted disciple? Have you repented of your sin and believed in Jesus? Have you seen how you failed to live up to God’s one perfect standard both in your actions and in your speech, but also in your heart?

Have you therefore become broken over your pride, rebellion, and sin? That you must pay the penalty, but you take Jesus at his word. And his life, death, and resurrection are enough to totally cover your sins and save you from hell forever.

You thus forsake yourself and all your sins, all the treasures of the world, so that you may have Jesus. Has that happened for you?

If not, it needs to. And the invitation is open today. Even from this passage, Jesus says, “Come sit at my feet. Be my devoted disciple and I will save your soul.”

But if you are a disciple of Christ, do you live like it? Is your priority to spend time with your Lord, to get to know him, to learn his word?

“If you are a disciple of Christ, do you live like it? Is your priority to spend time with your Lord?”

Do you have a growing affection for Christ, regardless of how well life is going for you? And before you look to feed others with the grace of Christ, do you feed on him yourself?

Or like Martha, have you gotten distracted? Have you gotten pulled away from Christ with a million unnecessary or good but less necessary things?

Are you so caught up in your work or your parenting that you do not have time for Christ? Has a political or social cause taken over your life, even taken over your thoughts and conversations?

Do you have a good but self-generated vision for what even this church should be? And you’re more committed to accomplishing your perfect vision on God’s behalf than actually knowing God and loving him.

Now, brethren, I know it’s easy to drift. That’s why I wanted to come back to this passage. And God reminds us from this text that his ways are indeed different than our ways. He will always provide what is truly necessary.

But what we need most of all is the simple reminder of who we are. Come, Jesus says, sit at my feet and learn from me as my disciple. Then go serve.

Sitting at the Lord’s Feet Today

Now you might be asking, “But Jesus isn’t here anymore. How can I sit at the Lord’s feet as his disciple today?”

Well, an answer we need to pull a Vince Lombardi.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how you sit at the Lord’s feet.

This is Jesus’ word. This is the revelation of Jesus. So what should you do? You should devote yourself to this.

Read this. Study this. Talk about this. Pray according to this, hear this explained.

This is the way. This is the word of Christ. And I’m not just talking about the red letters. All of this is written by the spirit of Christ. Jesus was speaking through all the authors and all the pages of scripture and all the words of scripture.

This is the way the Lord has chosen to reveal himself to us and to reveal the Father.

So do you devote yourself to this?

Don’t read this book merely to check a box or to become a better debater.

Read it regularly as a devoted disciple to get to know your Lord.

You don’t need to be a trained scholar to enjoy the Bible. You just need to be a devoted disciple.

So make it your food. It is your necessary spiritual food because it is how you feed on Christ.

“Make it your food. It is your necessary spiritual food because it is how you feed on Christ.”

But someone will say, “I hear you, Pastor Dave, but I am just so busy.” To which I say, “I know, but is that really a good excuse for a disciple? Sorry, master. I don’t have time for you.”

The truth is we make ourselves busy, don’t we? We fill up our schedules with all the work and play that we deem necessary for ourselves.

But Jesus says only one thing is necessary.

So let us adjust our lives accordingly. Let’s identify, limit, and if need be, cut off what is unnecessary or prioritize in the right way what is less necessary.

And we can get creative about this. You say, “But my job, Pastor Dave, there’s literally no time to sit down and read the Bible.” Okay, well then, can you listen to the Bible while you’re doing another task?

Or while maybe you drive or do chores, can you think of other ways that you can devote yourself to the Lord’s word? This is also something that we can help each other with and should help each other with.

If you’re not sure how to read the Bible or where to start, especially if you’re a new believer, ask a mature brother or sister for help. Not just where should I start reading, but could you read with me? Or I read this and I totally don’t understand it. Could you help me understand it?

And if you just can’t seem to secure time away from the kids to concentrate, and believe me, I know that is a real issue, if possible, ask a family member or friend to fill in for you for a bit just so you could go spend some time with the Lord.

Helping Each Other Pursue Christ

Let’s make it our ambition as a church to set each other up for spiritual success.

Husbands, ask your wives how you can help them sit at the Lord’s feet.

“Let’s make it our ambition as a church to set each other up for spiritual success.”

Wives, ask your husbands how you can help them pursue Christ.

Children, ask your parents how you can be a blessing to them spiritually.

And parents, consider even with your children how you can lead them to hear Christ, to love him.

The Transforming Power of Devoted Discipleship

Now, I do want to give one other clarification.

Let me make clear that reading the Bible is not the magic bullet that will suddenly slay all your sins.

You can regularly read the Bible and even pray and still live a life of unbelief and sin.

There is no formula where you just input hours of Bible reading and prayer and you automatically get a certain level of holiness.

Nevertheless, I have not known one person leading a spiritually happy and healthy Christian life who wasn’t also a regular Bible reader and prayer.

It’s basics. It’s back to basics Christianity.

Indeed, it’s amazing to observe the slow but perceptible transformation that often takes place with those who simply devote themselves to feeding on Christ. They read the Bible. They pray. They fellowship with the church. They listen to preaching.

And their love for Christ and others just grows and grows.

“It’s amazing to observe the slow but perceptible transformation in those who simply devote themselves to feeding on Christ.”

Their faith grows. Their joy grows. Their peace grows.

And they want to serve, no longer because they merely feel obligated to it as their duty, but because they want to express worship to Christ.

And isn’t that what we all want?

It starts with devoted discipleship.

So let’s recommit ourselves to that today.

Closing Prayer

Pray with me.

Jesus, you are so patient with us. We could insert our own names into this text instead of Martha.

Martha, you could justly chide us for being distracted and bothered with so many things while only one thing is necessary.

But Jesus, we believe you’ve spoken to us from this text so that we would take hold again of that one thing.

Jesus, we do want to serve you. We know that is our calling and that is where our joy is magnified.

But before that and in that we want to know you. We want to love you. We want to learn you.

So Jesus, would you do that for us? Draw us back to your feet.

Help us to discover again the wonder of knowing you and learning your word.

Being your disciple so that we serve with the right heart.

God, I pray that this would be, if you will, something of a revolution for us, that our church, everyone here, would be drawn to worship you again and as a consequence be invigorated to serve with zeal.

Thank you for this encouraging text. For those that don’t know you, God, I pray that they would repent and believe today and become your devoted disciple.

But for those of us who believe, God, thank you for this very important reminder.

Amen.

Share this sermon:

More from Special Sermon