The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
July 20, 2025
Luke 10:38-42
Undivided Attention— On the One Thing Needed!
38As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40But 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 help me!”
41“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (NIV1984)
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
There are certain lessons that everyone needs to learn for themselves. One of those lessons is the difference between a “need” and a “want.” We have all been to the store with a child or a grandchild who sees something that they really like. Almost instantaneously they look at you and say, “I need that!” If you do end up buying it for them, it may not take long for them to set it aside and rarely use it. Obviously, it was not something they needed. It was something they wanted.
Unfortunately, that same scenario can carry over into adulthood. Someone sees something they really like. They convince themselves that it is something they need and they buy it— even though they know they can’t afford it. This is one way in which many people end up with a stifling credit card debt! But it doesn’t take very long for the thing that they needed to become something that they haven’t used in so long that they end up giving it to Goodwill.
It’s not difficult to connect the dots between learning the difference between a need and a want and our sermon text for today, is it. Drawing upon our own personal experience, let’s see how this very familiar portion of Scripture reminds us to give our Undivided Attention to the One Thing Needed!
Look at the opening verse of our text. Luke tells us, “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.” As Jesus was making His way to Jerusalem He and His disciples stopped at the home of His friends— Mary, Martha and Lazarus. This was a home where Jesus and His disciples were always welcome. They had stopped here more than once on their travels to and from Jerusalem. While the Holy Spirit does not reveal to us the purpose of this particular visit, He has Luke record what took place during this visit in order to give us a valuable lesson on the importance of not just taking the time but making the time to listen to the holy Word of our God.
The Holy Spirit does this by having Luke reveal to us two very different reactions to Jesus’ unannounced arrival at the home of His friends. Look at verses thirty-nine and forty. Luke continues, “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 help me!’”
We get the impression that this was Martha’s home. Since she was the one who “opened her home” to Jesus and His disciples, she felt an obligation to provide her visitors with a nice home-cooked meal. She wanted her friends’ stay in her home to be as comfortable as possible. The possibility that her Lord had something important to share with her didn’t seem to occur to her. She was “distracted” by all the things she thought she had to do! In fact, there were so many things that she thought she had to take care of for the meal she was preparing for her Lord, that Martha ultimately became very frustrated with her sister, Mary! Picture that scene in your mind: While Martha was working very hard her sister was just sitting there! Finally, Martha because so frustrated that she went to Jesus and said rather impatiently, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
Not only can we hear the frustration in Martha’s words, but we can see ourselves in Martha’s actions. How many times have we found ourselves juggling all the “obligations” we have. There are the “obligations” that we have to our family and our friends. There are the “obligations” that we have at school and at work. And then to top it all off there are the “obligations” that we have to God and to His church! All of these “obligations” can leave us feeling frustrated with the people we think could and should be helping us!
Whenever we get to that point in our own personal lives, we would do well to remember Jesus’ gentle words to Martha. Look at verses forty-one and forty-two of our text. Luke writes, “’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.’”
We can hear the concern in Jesus’ voice. We can envision the love in Jesus’ eyes. Martha had lost sight of who the real Servant is. Martha had mistakenly thought that she was the host and Jesus was the Guest. Martha had forgotten that Jesus did not come into this world to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many— including Martha! Marhta had looked at Jesus as Someone who expected to be given a lot of attention rather than the Lord who would give her the assurance of eternal salvation.
This is something that we also need to take to heart, my friends. When we become frustrated about how others are not thankful enough or helpful enough, when we find ourselves grumbling and complaining and dragging ourselves from one “obligation” to the next, that is when we need to stop and realize that perhaps our difficulties are the result of the fact that we are not allowing Jesus to serve us first.
Jesus emphasizes how much we need to be served by Him by reminding Martha— and by reminding us— “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.” Notice that Jesus did not chastise Martha for what she was doing for her Lord. Her desire to use her gifts, talents and abilities to provide a fine meal for Jesus and His disciples was commendable. In fact, Martha serves as a reminder to all of us that we all should use whatever gifts, talents and abilities God has given to us to serve Him and to serve others to the very best of our ability. At the very same time, however, we would do well to remember how Jesus gently reminded Martha, “only one thing is needed.” That could also be translated, “only one thing is necessary.”
What is the “one thing” that Jesus Himself says is “necessary”? The answer to that question is found in Jesus’ words, “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” A more literal translation of that sentence would be, “Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from her.” While the various “portions” of the meal that Martha was so worried about preparing for Jesus were undoubtedly both delicious and nutritious, Mary understood that the “good portion” of what was being served that day was the “portion” that Jesus was freely providing. That is why Mary chose to simply sit at Jesus’ feet and carefully listen to every word He was sharing. To Martha it may have looked like her sister Mary was being lazy or negligent. To Jesus Mary was revealing her undivided attention on the “one thing needed,” the “one thing” that was “necessary.”
Undivided attention on the “one thing” that is “necessary” is a very good description of why we come here to God’s house as often as we can. Think about it. It is extremely easy to become worried and distracted by all the things that we think need to get done. Every single day we encounter “distractions” which in and of themselves are neither “good” nor “bad.” Every single day we are confronted by so many choices and so many options that we can easily end up feeling confused and/or frustrated. Whenever that happens to us the question we need to ponder is this: Are those choices, are those options drawing us away from the “one thing needed,” the “one thing necessary”— namely, gathering together here in God’s house to sit at His feet (Pointing to the cross) and carefully listen to Him as He speaks to us through His holy Word and His holy Sacrament? Just prior to our text for today we hear Jesus say to His disciples, “He who listens to you listens to me” (Luke 10:16).
This is one of the reasons that I both enjoy and appreciate the way or worship service is designed. The central focus of the worship service revolves around God’s service to us! Going to church should never be viewed as doing God a “favor.” We come here to God’s house to receive the benefit and to bask in the joy of what Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection gives to us, namely, complete forgiveness for all of our sins, eternal life and salvation. Yes, we joyfully respond to His grace and to His forgiveness (Pointing to the cross) by confessing and praising His Name and loving our neighbor as ourselves. But we always need to strive to give our undivided attention to the one that that is needed! Unless we quietly sit at Jesus’ feet and listen as He speak to us through His holy inspired Word, unless we humbly stand before His altar and listen to Him as He gives us His true body and His true blood in His holy Supper, even attending the worship services here in God’s house could feel like an “obligation” that we are “supposed” to do instead of an opportunity to have our faith and our trust in Jesus strengthened and nourished.
There are certain lessons that everyone must learn for themselves. One of those lessons centers on understanding the difference between “needs” and “wants.” If we do not learn that lesson we will face difficulties throughout our life. There are also certain lessons that each and every child of God must learn for themselves. One of those lessons centers on the difference between our service to God and God’s service to us. Our service to God is good and right and proper. Jesus undoubtedly appreciated and enjoyed the meal that Martha worked so hard to prepare for Him. While Martha’s service may have made Jesus’ visit in her home more comfortable for Him, it caused Martha to feel “worried and upset.” What Mary was doing— simply sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to His Word— not only filled Jesus’ heart with joy, but it also fed and nourished Mary’s soul..
My prayer this morning is that we will all strive to learn from both Martha and Mary. Like Martha let’s strive to use the gifts, talents and abilities that God has given to us to serve— serve both our God and serve others. Like Mary let’s strive to make the time to give our undivided attention to the “one thing” that is “needed,” the “one thing” that is “necessary”— listening to Jesus as He speaks to us through His holy Word and His holy Supper!
To God be the glory!
Amen