"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 come and 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'."  (Luke 10:38-42).

In these five little verses I notice seven keys which are important lessons for us today.  Keys to change us and which, when we apply them in our lives, will help us in our walk with the Lord.

Key 1
The first key is in verse 38 where the Scripture tells us that Martha opened up her home to the Jesus and to His disciples.  Considering the custom and practices of that time, it appears that Martha was the older of the two sisters because it was her home.  This also suggests that because it was her home, she felt more keenly the domestic responsibilities of housekeeping and hospitality.  I wonder when you go into peoples' homes - and maybe you have it in your own house too - you sometimes see the scripture verse "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).  Well, I don't know if Martha would have had that text above the door of her house, but it seems to me that that was indeed Martha's heart's desire.  She desired to serve the Lord.  Sometimes you can  go into a home with that text on the wall, and it is just that, a plaque on the wall.  It says the words, but the Saviour doesn't really have a place there.  The text is there but the Lord hasn't really been admitted into our homes.  And the key for you and me today is this:  Have you opened your home to Jesus?  Simple.  Have you opened your home to Jesus?  That doesn't mean that you forever have to be throwing parties or entertaining people.  It just means that you allow the Lord to use your home in whatever way He wants to use it.

Key 2
The second point that I want to bring to your attention is in verse 40 where "Martha was distracted by all the preparations".  Martha's legitimate concern was to be a good hostess, but her performance becomes more important to her than Jesus' presence.  That has a lot to say to us, doesn't it?  The programme without the presence.  We can have a full programme in our church.  We can have a lot of people doing a lot of things; we can have a lot of activity going on, but are we doing it at the expense of His presence?  Are we doing without the presence of God?  We need to remember that Jesus said "I will build my church".  We need to take our hands off His church and allow Him to build His church the way He wants it.  We should not get distracted by preparations and activities that end up pushing Him out of the picture, or interfere with our enjoyment of His presence in His House.  The second key for us is to ensure that what begins as a means to serve Him, does not become a demonstration of our talents.  Sadly that happens all too often in the church today.  Even in our own denomination.  What starts off as a wonderful means of serving the Lord has got to the stage where, in places, it's little more than a demonstration of our talents and you can predict what's going to happen every time the church door opens.

Key 3
There is another key to notice in verse 39.  These two women were both practical but also spiritual disciples.  So often when this passage of scripture is read and preached about, Martha is portrayed as the practical sister and Mary as the spiritual one.  I don't believe that this is the case.  If you look closely at the original text you'll find in verse 39 the word "also" appears in the original text (it's not in the NIV but is in most other translations). "She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said". This word also implies that Martha sat at the Lord's feet as well. Mary was not the only one.  Both women had sat at Jesus' feet at times; both were practiced at sitting listening to Jesus.  Then in verse 40 we get another clue when Martha asked Jesus: "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?".  In other words, it was the norm for both of them to do the work together, but on this occasion Mary had left Martha to do it by herself.  So both of them were practical as well as spiritual.  On this particular occasion, one sister chose the practical route while the other chose the spiritual route.  What's the message for us?  The key is that  of balancing personal devotions and practical duties.  They should never be pitted against each other.  Out of our personal devotions should come the motivation for our practical duties - if we don't get the personal devotion right, the practical duties will only by good ideas and not God's ideas.

Key 4
Mary sat at Jesus feet, listening.  When the disciples and Jesus called at their home, Martha became busy preparing a meal to feed her guests, but Mary sat listening.  I believe that Mary knew that Jesus would not go hungry.  Mary knew that if He was hungry He would ask for food. Mary knew that Jesus knew about feeding people. Mary knew He could turn water into wine. Mary knew that he could multiply bread and fish.  Mary knew that if Jesus were hungry on that particular occasion at their house, all she needed to do was supply Him with a glass of water and a scrap of bread and He could do the rest.  She'd seen what He could do with food and water.  On this basis, she felt free to enjoy an opportunity for life-changing intimacy with Jesus.  Something she might never be able to have again.  I wonder how we would behave if Jesus came to our house?  Would we be a Mary or would we be a Martha?  Would we sit down and listen to Him and talk with Him or would we get into a bit of a fluster because someone so important had called at our house?  Busy people in churches are very often spiritually barren.  There is nothing really there except a lot of action and energy and they're not getting anywhere.  Some of the most blessed people on the other hand, are people who refuse to let anything or anyone rob them of the priviledge of intimacy with Jesus.  John Wesley's mother, Suzannah, had a very large family in days when there were no dishwashers, washing machines, vacuum cleaners and the like.  She was a very busy woman but she had her priorities right.  She made time in the midst of all her daily chores for intimacy with Jesus.  When her family saw her with her apron thrown up over her head they knew not to disturb her because she was spending time with the Lord.  What's the key for us?  Simply this: avoid setting the Lord's work as a priority over the Lord's presence.

Key 5
When Martha complained to Jesus about Mary, he answered "only one thing is needed".  He used the words "one thing".  That struck me and I decided to do a little research into those two words and I found that the words "one thing" appear a number of times in Scripture.  Psalm 27:4 says  "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may swell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life..."  One thing, the Psalmist said.  He was focused upon where the Lord was.  Then in Luke 18:22 Jesus said to the rich young ruler: "You still lack one thing.  Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in Heaven.  Then come, follow me".  He focused the young man's attention on following him.  You cannot lead those who have not decided to follow.  Think about that.  If someone has not decided to follow and you want to move them, you have to drive them, and if you have to drive them you're probably driving them against their will.  You cannot lead anybody who has not decided they want to follow.  Like a good shepherd, you lead followers.  In Philippians 3:13-14 we find another example: "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining towards what is ahead.  I press on towared the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenwards in Christ Jesus".  Paul was focused on the call God had given him.  And these are the same words Jesus used to Martha "one thing is needed". She was distracted and looking all around her.  Have you and I made provision for this one thing?  The key is to focus on Jesus.  Concentrating on the plan that He has for us, on the path He wants us to follow, both individually and corporately.  Putting Him in the centre of everything we do.

Key 6
Another key I'd like you to notice is how Jesus described the "one thing".  He says in verse 42 "Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her".  He describes the one thing as the better choice.  Jesus did not condemn Martha's activity anywhere in this little story.  And he didn't condemn Martha for her activity.  He just said to her there's a better way Martha.  There is nothing as important as hearing the words of Jesus.  Martha's concern that day was being a good hostess.  Mary's concern was becoming a better disciple.  There was nothing wrong in what Martha was doing but there was a better choice.  The key we need to remember is always prefer Mary's place, even while serving as Martha did.

Key 7
The last key I'd like to highlight, is in Verse 41 when Jesus says to Martha:  "Martha, Martha ... you are worried and upset about many things". You may not agree with me on this, but I don't believe that Jesus said these words to Martha because she was fussing around, setting the table, preparing food etc.  I don't think that was what prompted Him.  I believe Jesus looked right into her spirit.  I believe Jesus looked right into the very depths of Martha's being and He saw what was going on inside her.  He saw the upset, the turmoil and the worry.  And he was speaking about the real Martha - not just about what was visible on the outside.  You might disagree, but that's what I believe because Jesus always sees more than just what's going on on the surface.  I believe therefore He saw more than just Martha bustling around with her preparations.  It's interesting what the word "upset" actually means in the original Greek text.  It means  too busy, over-occupied, cumbered.  Cumbered isn't a word we use nowadays, but we sing it very often in the hymn What a friend we have in Jesus - "Are you weak and heavy laiden, cumbered with a load of care?".  That's what upset means here.  Flustered, busy, over-occupied and cumbered.  Martha's worry and trouble caused her to under-emphasize the one thing that was needed.  It wasn't that Martha didn't know about the one thing or that she hadn't focused upon the one thing before, but the turmoil and the trouble inside her, her upset, had reduced her ability to concentrate upon the one thing that was needed.  So Jesus said to her "Martha, Martha ... you are worried and upset about many things".  Did you know that worry is a sin?  Why?  Anything that is contrary to or contradicts the word of God is sin.  In Philippians 4:6-7 we're told "Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, and with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus"  Here is God, through Paul, making a very direct and clear statement: "Do not be anxious about anything ..."  It's a specific instruction.  And when we begin to be anxious or worried, we are really going against God's instruction to us and not allowing "the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus".  Proverbs 12:25 tells us that  "An anxious heart weighs a man down but a kind word cheers him up".  Worry and anxiety will drags you down.  1 Peter 5:6-7 says "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you".  God's not saying that things won't come that will cause you to worry; that temptation to worry won't come.  The Bible doesn't say that, but what it does say is that when these thing come, cast that worry, cast that care, cast that anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.  "So do not worry, saying 'what shall we eat?' or 'what shall we drink?' or 'what shall we wear?'.  For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own". (Matthew 6:31-34).  Do not worry - a very clear and specific instruction.  No matter how bad a thing appears, God will take us through it.  Proverbs 14:30 says  "A heart at peace gives life to the body but envy rots the bones".  When we allow the peace of God to come into our lives it gives life and health to our whole body.  I looked up the word "troubled" in the Greek and its meaning shocked me - it means liable to death, mortal and fleshly.  Martha was thinking about earthly things; she was concerned about fleshly things; things of this world rather than thinking on the things of God.  So what is the key for you and me?  The key is refuse to be troubled or upset or worried about anything and simply learn to trust the Lord.  It involves you and me taking a specific decision:  I refuse to allow this thing to upset me.  I refuse to allow this thing to fluster me.  Now because we live in this world there will be plenty of things come to us that trouble or upset us but we can do something about it.  We can decide not to allow things to get on top of us.  We can decide to trust God in all circumstances.  Are you worried and upset like Martha?  Jesus can deal with everything that troubles you, if you'll only let Him. Whether big or small, cast all your cares on Him.

The story of Martha and Mary.  As we've seen, it is much more than an anecdote of an evening with Jesus.  It's a little story with a big message.  Only five verses and yet how important and powerful they are.  Let's learn from the word of God and allow ourselves to be changed by it.  Let's put God's word into practice now and pray, thinking about all we've learnt from this short story about Martha and Mary.