Old Llantrisant Hill
Introduction
- Most people would like choose to speak upon Mary and not Martha
- Mary seems to be a better character
- Less us consider Martha
- There are only three occasions where she is specifically mentioned
- One in Luke
- Two in John's Gospel
- Is there any growth and development in her
- We have to be careful not to just to take a snapshot/one picture and get a wrong picture
- We have to see the context
- In isolation it would seem the most important thing is to sit at the feet of Jesus Christ
- This story comes right after the incident of the lawyer and the question of the good neighbour, the parable of the Good Samaritan
Martha's Home (Luke 10:38-42)
- Martha's home:
- In Bethany, about 2 miles from Jerusalem
- Jesus was happy to come into and be present at Martha's (and Mary's) house
- Would we be happy if Jesus came into our home?
- Would we be content to receive Jesus Christ into our home?
- What would we be happy with or ashamed of in our house?
- Example of Dr Martin Lloyd-Jones
- Yet there are problems and issues there
- Mary and Martha are different
- Martha seems distracted with cooking the perfect meal for Jesus - Mary was content to listen to Jesus' word
- Hospitality is good, but ...
- The most important thing is sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to His word
- Nothing should distract us from this
- Martha gets us a mild/gentle rebuke from Jesus
- If we sit at the feet of Jesus and receive His teaching, it will remain with us
- There is nothing more important than sitting at the feet of Jesus and listening to Him
- Be careful not to cause someone to stumble by pulling them away from the word of God
- Coming to church
- Coming to the prayer meeting
- Spending time in prayer
- Spending time reading the Bible
- Christ gives us a mild rebuke
- He gently leads us in the right direction
Martha went to meet Jesus (John 11:20)
- Martha went to meet Jesus
- Different attitude now
- She went immediately to Jesus to meet Him
- She wanted to meet with Jesus alone
- How much of this do we know in our own experience?
- What are we like on our own with God?
- She had the most staggering reward possible
- "I am the resurrection" (John 11:25)
- It didn't come easy
- She is hovering between faith, grief, doubt, anxiety and fear
- Belief, trust, faith (v21-22, 27)
- Misunderstanding v24
- At the graveside
- Is this not descriptive of our daily lives?
- Do we believe that Jesus is the resurrection and the life?
- Jesus asks Martha if she believes it?
- Jesus' words draws out a confession of belief
- Martha confirms her belief
- Let us make that confession also
Martha served (John 12:2)
- Just three words
- A feast in celebration of Lazarus' life
- In the midst of that, Martha served
- Jesus is only one week away from the cross and resurrection
- A wonderful event in the Christian calendar
- Isaiah 42
- No complaints, no rebuke, just a quiet submission to the will and the word of Jesus Christ
- Her fears are gone
- Martha's role hadn't changed
- How much are we changing?
- How much of the servant heart characterises us?
- How sad it is that often we don't change
- Like the disciples - who is the best in the kingdom of heaven?
- Jesus came to serve
- Is that description ours?
- John 13:4
- We must esteem others higher than us
Closing Remarks
- 3 fragrances (to help aid memory)
- Fragrance of food
- Fragrance of death
- Fragrance of ointment/perfume
- May we serve God also