Choosing Peace: Lessons from Martha and Mary

Devotional

Day 1: Unity with God through Christ

True peace is not the absence of chaos but a profound unity with God through Jesus Christ. This peace reconciles us with God, transforming us from enemies to friends. It is a gift that surpasses our understanding and circumstances, offering a deep sense of belonging and purpose. As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem, he emphasized this peace to his disciples, instructing them to bring it to every household they entered. This peace is not dependent on external conditions but is a steadfast assurance of God's presence and love in our lives. [03:24]

"For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility." (Ephesians 2:14, ESV)

Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need to invite God's peace, allowing it to transform your perspective and relationships today?

Day 2: Preparing the Way with Peace

Jesus sends us out to prepare the way for him, emphasizing the importance of peace and discernment. We are called to bring peace to every household, sharing the message of God's kingdom, regardless of acceptance or rejection. This mission requires us to be vessels of peace, embodying the love and grace of Christ in our interactions. As we go forth, we must discern where our peace is received and where it is not, trusting that God is at work in every situation. Our role is to faithfully carry the message of peace, leaving the results to God. [05:05]

"And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you." (Luke 10:6, ESV)

Reflection: How can you intentionally bring peace into your interactions today, especially in challenging situations or relationships?

Day 3: Choosing the Better Portion

Like Mary, we are invited to sit at Jesus' feet, choosing the better portion of his presence and words. This choice is not about perfection but about prioritizing time with the Lord over distractions and tasks. In a world filled with demands and noise, it is easy to become like Martha, distracted and anxious. Yet, Jesus gently calls us to choose the better portion, to find rest and wisdom in his presence. By sitting at his feet, we open ourselves to his transformative love and guidance, growing in faith and understanding. [13:18]

"But one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42, ESV)

Reflection: What specific distractions can you set aside today to prioritize time with Jesus, allowing his words to shape your heart and mind?

Day 4: Embracing Gentle Correction

Jesus' gentle correction invites us to examine our hearts and let go of striving. By sitting at his feet, we open ourselves to his transformative love and guidance, growing in faith and understanding. This process involves recognizing our tendencies to strive and control, surrendering them to Jesus' gentle correction. He invites us to rest in his presence, trusting that his love is sufficient for our needs. As we embrace his correction, we experience growth and transformation, becoming more like him in our thoughts and actions. [22:33]

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29, ESV)

Reflection: What areas of striving in your life need to be surrendered to Jesus' gentle correction, allowing his love to bring rest and transformation?

Day 5: It's Never Too Late to Choose Faith

Martha's story reminds us that it's never too late to choose the better portion. Despite her initial distractions, she later demonstrates great faith in Jesus, showing that he never abandons us to our distractions but calls us to deeper faith. This narrative encourages us to let go of past mistakes and distractions, embracing the opportunity to grow in faith and intimacy with Christ. Jesus' invitation to sit at his feet is open to all, regardless of our past. He calls us to a journey of faith, where transformation and growth are always possible. [26:42]

"Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.'" (John 11:25, ESV)

Reflection: How can you take a step of faith today, trusting that it's never too late to grow closer to Jesus and embrace his transformative love?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound lessons found in Luke 10, focusing on the story of Martha and Mary. Jesus' journey to Jerusalem was marked by his determination to prepare his disciples for the mission ahead, emphasizing the importance of peace and unity with God. This peace is not the absence of chaos but a deep, abiding unity with God through Jesus Christ. As we delved into the scripture, we saw how Jesus sent out his disciples to prepare the way for him, instructing them to bring peace to every household they entered. This peace is a gift, a unity with God that transcends our circumstances and distractions.

Martha and Mary provide a vivid illustration of the choices we face in our spiritual lives. Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, yet became distracted by her tasks, missing the opportunity to sit at Jesus' feet and receive his peace. Mary, on the other hand, chose the better portion by sitting at Jesus' feet, listening to his words. This story challenges us to examine our own lives: are we striving and distracted like Martha, or are we choosing the better portion like Mary?

The message also addressed the common tendency to compare ourselves to Martha or Mary, often leading to self-condemnation. It's crucial to remember that Jesus' invitation to sit at his feet is open to all, regardless of our past distractions or striving. The story of Martha doesn't end with her distractions; she later demonstrates great faith in Jesus, showing that it's never too late to choose the better portion.

As we reflect on this message, let us be encouraged to let go of our distractions and tasks, and instead, prioritize sitting at Jesus' feet. In doing so, we find true peace and unity with God, preparing us to be effective disciples who carry his message of love and peace to the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Peace with God: True peace is not the absence of chaos but unity with God through Jesus Christ. This peace reconciles us with God, transforming us from enemies to friends. It is a profound gift that surpasses our understanding and circumstances. [03:24]
2. The Call to Prepare: Jesus sends us out to prepare the way for him, emphasizing the importance of peace and discernment. We are called to bring peace to every household, sharing the message of God's kingdom, regardless of acceptance or rejection. [05:05]
3. Choosing the Better Portion: Like Mary, we are invited to sit at Jesus' feet, choosing the better portion of his presence and words. This choice is not about perfection but about prioritizing time with the Lord over distractions and tasks. [13:18]
4. Gentle Correction and Growth: Jesus' gentle correction invites us to examine our hearts and let go of striving. By sitting at his feet, we open ourselves to his transformative love and guidance, growing in faith and understanding. [22:33]
5. It's Never Too Late: Martha's story reminds us that it's never too late to choose the better portion. Despite her initial distractions, she later demonstrates great faith in Jesus, showing that he never abandons us to our distractions but calls us to deeper faith. [26:42]
** [26:42]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[03:24] - Peace with God
[05:05] - The Call to Prepare
[13:18] - Choosing the Better Portion
[20:10] - Gentle Correction and Growth
[22:33] - It's Never Too Late
[26:42] - Martha's Faith and Transformation
[30:00] - Invitation to Serve
[35:00] - Final Encouragement and Prayer

Sermon Clips

Before we can spend time with him, we must welcome him in faith, accepting his offer of peace, which is unity with God. And I've said it before, and it bears repeating, peace is not the absolute. of chaos. Peace is not, I have everything controlled and lined up in my life. Peace is unity with God, who when we are in sin, we are enemies of God and against him. Yet by Jesus Christ, we have peace and friendship with God. [00:03:32] (35 seconds)

That is what peace is, to be given unity with the supreme creator who loves you, no longer divided from him, by your sin. That's what peace is. Complete unity with God, reunited. [00:04:07] (21 seconds)

After this, the Lord appointed 72 others, and he sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself was about to go. He sent them to prepare. The way. He told them, the harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest. Now go. I'm sending you out like lambs among wolves. Don't carry a money bag, traveling bag, or sandals. Don't greet anyone along the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, peace to this household. [00:05:05] (41 seconds)

If a person of peace is here, your peace will rest on him. But if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they offer, for the worker is worthy of his wages. [00:05:45] (16 seconds)

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home she wasn't perfect and neither are you nor was mary for that matter all we see of the different characters of the bible is not every second of every single moment of every single person who's mentioned in the bible of their entire lives we see this little glimpse and there's so much more to mary and to martha than what you see in this little bit just like if somebody were to spend only 10 minutes with you there's more to you than those 10 minutes none of us are perfect following jesus is not about your perfection it is about his ladies please with all gentleness in my heart stop using this scripture as a gentle way to shame yourself highlighting your sin as inescapable identity by saying i'm a martha not a mary yes let scripture correct and convict you of sin but don't wallow in the correction with passion to mary conveniently forgetting that jesus entered martha's home because martha welcomed the lord and his peace and he remained with martha to not just mary even after martha turned to striving [00:13:18] (103 seconds)

We can all relate to letting distractions convince us that they're more important than time with Jesus. We can all relate to this heart of accusing others, of not doing enough, or of the Lord not caring enough. [00:19:40] (22 seconds)

I welcomed Jesus in faith, but I had no clue what it meant to actually spend time with him in peace. I did everything I could to avoid spending time with him because time with him meant the tasks weren't getting done, and I'd actually have to confront my lack of peace if I slowed down enough to spend time with Jesus. [00:22:33] (27 seconds)

Opening our eyes to sin while drawing our eyes to the Redeemer who's already with us and is just waiting for us to sit down at his feet. If we don't sit at his feet, then we're only playing at his feet. That discipleship. Anxiously keeping up appearances through striving and distractions. I encourage you, don't just appear to accept peace. [00:23:16] (33 seconds)

Martha welcomed Jesus into her home, but quickly became distracted by her many tasks. Rather than sitting with peace, she fluttered about with anxiety and stress. She said to Jesus, Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone? So tell her to give me a hand. Her lack of peace produced accusations. First, accusations. Second, [00:24:05] (28 seconds)

Martha martha you're worried and upset about many things distractions and tasks preparing your home and table for an honored guest but mary has chosen the better meal and it will not be taken away from her martha was so busy preparing herself and her home for jesus that she actually chose to reject his presence her striving was in the name of honoring him but it was far more about her than it was about jesus if our discipleship our pursuit of christ is more about striving more about attempting to earn his peace rather than simply standing with his peace hungry to ingest his word then we fall into the same trap as Martha we are sent by him only after we've sat with him we sit with him only after we accept his peace the forgiveness of sin for salvation now if you're struggling if you're suffering if you're filled with anxiety and anger if your mind and your heart are embittered toward one another with accusations if you question whether the Lord cares about your situation sit at his feet open your Bible and read not just to grow in knowledge but to spend time with the Lord who speaks to you through scripture sit at his feet let him tell you about how much he cares and show you his hands and his feet that were nailed to the cross let him gently correct you sometimes sharply rebuke you and know that he does so because he cares I discipline my children because I care because he loves you and he will not abandon you like Martha our accusation of the Lord's heart for us isn't because he doesn't care but because we make a choice to prioritize distractions tasks accusations and the world over sitting in his presence the tasks would still have been there had Martha sat with the Lord but how much better if she could have done them with the Lord rather than instead of the Lord [00:32:11] (174 seconds)

you she's no longer coming to him with accusation that lord if you had been here my brother wouldn't have died isn't an accusation it's a statement of faith spoken in sorrow hungering for hope hope jesus gives her although she shuffles it off to eternal life not daring to hope to see her brother live and breathe on earth again your brother will rise again jesus told her martha said to him i know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day jesus said to her i am the resurrection and the life the one who believes in me even if he dies will live everyone who lives and believes in me will never die do you believe that yes lord she told him yes lord martha told him i believe you are the messiah the son of god who comes into the world my friends don't deride martha she saw the messiah and she believed she watched lazarus watch lazarus walk out of the tomb in the end both mary and martha made the right choice it wasn't too late for martha just like it's not too late for you jesus didn't abandon her to her distractions just like the lord doesn't abandon you to your distractions he restored her and called her to also sit at his feet and because she did she grew in faith and saw the glory of god on earth he'll do the same for you i encourage you to let go of your distractions let go of your tasks let go of your accusations your anxiety and your anger none of those will fill your heart nor do they honor jesus even if they're done in striving if it's done more about you feeling like you've done it right just simply sit at jesus feet fill your heart and your mind with his word let him prepare you for his glory in the kingdom of god after all that is what it means to be a disciple of christ which you are let's stand and sing [00:37:25] (168 seconds)

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