Good Housekeeping?

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Imagine for a moment two houses. The first house, when you go in for a visit, is immaculately clean. I mean not just tidy and well-kept, but museum-quality spotless. The kind of place where dust would not dare to fall. This house is beautiful, practically sparkling. The kind of place they put in Good Housekeeping magazines and in ads for maid services. So, you enter this house, and how do you feel? Probably, you feel uncomfortable. It is so clean and neat that you are afraid to touch anything or to sit too heavily on the furniture. Your host asks you in, and you see a beautiful, Martha Stewart-quality banquet set, and you know that the host and hostess have worked all day on it. However, you sit down to table, and you feel like eyes are watching your every move. Conversation is polite, but formal.

Now, imagine another house. This house is quite a bit less formal and fancy than the other. It is smaller in size, but more filled with furniture, toys, and decorations. This house is picked up, but certainly would not win a Good Housekeeping seal of approval. Your host here asks you in, and you settle into a large, well-used sofa in front of an impressive home entertainment center. A dog runs around at your feet. When you arrive, they send out for pizza, then settle in for honest, friendly conversation, while kids play in the other room. How do you feel in this house? Probably much more at home than in the first house. This house, while much less clean and tidy, feels like more of a home, like the people here actually live here, rather than just maintain the space.

This contrast in hospitality is a bit like the difference between Martha and Mary in today's gospel lesson. St. Luke records, “And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving.” We see a snapshot of two sisters with very different responses to Jesus' visit.

Martha was the one to welcome Jesus into their home, according to Luke. But she was distracted – literally, dragged off – by the duties of preparing the house and probably a meal for Jesus. She was very anxious to make things just right. Now, this is not in itself a bad thing. Martha was better than the Samaritans who had refused to entertain the Lord at all. She willingly invited Him in, and was preparing a meal for Him. She was doing what was expected of a good hostess. Her hospitality would have been commended by her peers.

On the other hand, we have no mention of whether Mary welcomed Jesus into the home, or how she reacted to His arrival. But she sat down at His feet and listened continuously to His teaching. She was so enrapt by His teaching that she could not tear herself away to help Martha prepare the meal. She was dumping all her responsibility on her sister. So who had the right reaction?

Jesus says, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Martha was so wrapped up in “doing the right thing” that she failed to recognize why she was doing what she was doing. Yes, her hospitality was commendable, on the surface, but she failed to realize that the better work was to listen to Jesus' words. She was so busy serving her Lord, that she neglected the gifts He came to give.

On the other hand, Mary chose the better portion. She recognized the wonderful gifts that Jesus has to give, and she sat at His feet and received all that He had to give to her. And in so doing, she demonstrated a lively and robust faith in Jesus and His Word.

“Faith is the divine service (latreia) that receives the benefits offered by God. The righteousness of the Law is the divine service (latreia) that offers to God our merits. God wants to be worshipped through faith so that we receive from Him those things He promises and offers.” (Ap IV.49 Reader's Edition).

Now, what are those things which our Lord promises and offers? He offers to us none other than Himself. Jesus offers to us His life, sacrificed upon the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. He has taken upon Himself the sins of the whole world, of every man, woman, and child who ever was, is, or will be. Upon the cross, Jesus completed the joyous exchange of all our sin and death for all His righteousness and life. He died so that our death might be destroyed. He rose so that we too might rise in His new life. He offers to us the Word that says to each guilty and condemned heart “You are declared not guilty for My sake. Your sins are no more.” He promises to us that we have the Holy Spirit now, enlivening us for love toward God and service to our neighbor. He promises us that on the Last Day, He will call us by name into the Holy City, to forever worship around the throne of God and the Lamb.

So what happens when you hear Jesus' Word being spoken to you? Jesus says in Luke 8, “Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.” You have this greatest treasure and promise – the message of the forgiveness of your sins and life with God in heaven. Listen to the Word of God and receive His Gifts, and you will not cease to have abundantly all that is His to give. As St. Paul instructs, “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Faith is the highest and best worship of God.

Come, sit at Jesus' feet. Come, hear Jesus' voice as He tenderly speaks to you. Come, receive Jesus' gifts as He seeks to give you all good things. Come, ye faithful, raise the strain Of triumphant gladness!

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Rev. Ryan McDermott

St. Peter Lutheran Church

Elma, IA

Proper 11C – 18 July 2010