Scripture Luke
10:38-42
Time, Trust, and Worship of Jesus are key ingredients
for a person of faith.
Mary,
Martha and Lazarus – that is the order we give their names – not the order
others view them.
From
what your deacons and staff learned at a conference yesterday, this family
of 3 in Bethany – near Jerusalem, was a part of Jesus’ OIKOS – his 8-15 with
whom he may have some influence. How do
I know he was a part of his OIKOS – his familial group? John 11:5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Notice that Mary’s name is not given by
John. She holds a special place in
Jesus’ heart, but the other disciples don’t seem to give her the credit she
deserves. There are people in your OIKOS
that others don’t give them the credit they deserve for how Jesus can work in
their lives. Who are the 8-15 people
among your relatives, neighbors, coworkers, classmates that you would call your OIKOS? Your group? Your
family and friends? Which of them do not
currently attend church anywhere? Maybe
you have invited 7 times and they have not responded. Maybe some thought Mary wasn’t really that
interested in Jesus. In each of our
stories about Mary, either Martha or Lazarus is the lead off to the story, but
she seems to be at the center of Jesus’ heart.
And it is not how we think a person might or might not respond to Jesus,
it is about how Jesus responds to that person.
SCENE
1 Jesus
visits the home of Mary, where Jesus becomes her teacher.
Luke 10:38-42 As
Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman
named Martha opened her home to him. (Could opening her home to him mean to
his disciples as well? – makes more sense about the preparations.) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at
the Lord's feet listening to what he said. (This is the perfect picture of
a disciple.) 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!" (I don’t think her request
for help was out of line – it is what she didn’t say that is off the mark. What if she had said, “Jesus, I can’t wait to sit and visit with you because I love our time
together, but I know that you and the others are hungry, you sit and relax, but
if Mary could help me for a few minutes, then we can visit while you eat.”)
"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."
A person of
faith, takes time to visit with and listen to Jesus.
How do we do
this? Read scripture, pray and meditate.
SCENE
2 Jesus
visits the town of Mary, where Jesus becomes her Savior.
John 11:1-46
Jesus was near the
place where John had baptized him.
Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus,
"Lord, the one you love is sick." The one you love (part of Jesus’ Oikos).
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in
death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through
it." Jesus loved Martha and her
sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he
was two more days.
Then he said to his disciples, "Let
us go back to Judea." "But Rabbi,"
they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried
to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to
wake him up." His disciples replied, "Lord,
if he sleeps, he will get better." So then he told them plainly,
"Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I
was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Then Thomas said, "Let us
also go, that we may die with him."
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in
the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and
many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their
brother. Mary and
Martha and Lazarus each have their own Oikos (and each of their Oikos showed up
– a larger audience for what Jesus was about to do). Martha
went out to meet Jesus, "Lord, if you had been
here, my brother would not have died.” 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha answered,
"I know he will rise again in the resurrection
at the last day." Jesus said to her, "I
am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though
he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this?" "Yes, Lord," she told
him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come
into the world."
28 Martha went back and called Mary aside.
"The Teacher is here, and is asking for you."
When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. When the Oikos who
had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up
and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn
there. When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his
feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my
brother would not have died."
When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Oikos who had come along
with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied. Jesus wept. (Jesus cares deeply for you)
Then the Jews said, "See how
he loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have
kept this man from dying?" LOOK, some people in your Oikos get who Jesus is, some do
not and you are the one who can invite them to see him as Mary was doing at
this moment – she didn’t have to convince them, she just needed to get them
near him and allow him to draw them to himself.)
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the
tomb. "Take away the stone," "But, Lord," said Martha, "by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there
four days." Notice that Mary does not protest – she trusts
Jesus. Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that
if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
So they took away the
stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I
thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said
this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that
you sent me." When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice,
"Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet
wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." Therefore
many of the Oikos who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put
their faith in him. WHO? The Oikos
that visited Mary? Why, she had put her
trust in Jesus and they now saw why and put their trust in him as Savior as
well.
SCENE
3 Jesus
visits the heart of Mary, where Mary anoints Jesus as Lord.
John 12:1-11
Six days before the Passover, Jesus
arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among
those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure
nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped his feet
with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. Mary went beyond taking time to visit
or even putting her trust in Jesus, she worshipped him – humbling herself
before him therefore making him her Lord!
4 But Judas Iscariot objected, "Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the
poor? It was worth a year's wages."
He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a
thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into
it. "Leave her alone," Jesus replied.
"It was intended that she should save this perfume
for the day of my burial. You will always have the poor among you, but you will
not always have me."
SUMMARY
Mary
is one of those people of faith whom we see three times in scripture and learn
more about her faith each time we see her:
1)
Mary
and Martha – Mary has chosen what is right- spending time with Jesus
A person of faith finds ways to spend time with Jesus
2)
Lazarus
has died – Jesus asked for Mary to come to him in her grief.
A person of faith finds ways to trust Jesus even when they
don’t understand why.
3)
Mary
anoints Jesus Feet – pure worship - A person of faith finds ways to worship
Jesus – worship that costs something.
MARY: Amodel of faith for
her Oikos and for you and me; Time
(teacher), Trust (Savior), and Worship (Lord) of Jesus are key ingredients for
a person of faith.
Friendship of Christ
I had to write to tell you how much I
love you and care for you. Yesterday, I saw you walking and laughing with your
friends; I hoped that soon you’d want Me to walk along with you, too. So, I
painted you a sunset to close your day and whispered a cool breeze to refresh
you. I waited – you never called – I just kept on loving you.
As I watched you fall asleep last
night, I wanted to touch you. I spilled moonlight onto your face – trickling
down your cheeks as so many tears have. You didn’t even think of Me; I wanted
so much to comfort you.
The next day I exploded a brilliant
sunrise into glorious morning for you. But you woke up late and rushed off to
work – you didn’t even notice. My sky became cloudy and My tears were the rain.
I love you, oh, if you’d only listen.
I really love you. I try to say it in the quiet of the green meadow and in the blue
sky. The wind whispers My love throughout the treetops and spills it into the
vibrant colors of all the flowers. I shout it to you in the thunder of the
great waterfalls and compose love songs for birds to sing for you. I warm you
with the clothing of My sunshine and perfume the air with nature’s sweet scent.
My love for you is deeper than any ocean and greater than any need in your
heart. If you’d only realize how I care.
My Dad sends His love. I want you to
meet Him – He cares, too. Fathers are just that way. So, please; call on Me
soon. No matter how long it takes, I’ll wait – because I love you. COMMUNION
39 years ago tomorrow, I gave
Jesus my time, trust and worship and he became my teacher, savior, and Lord.
share the story behind…Blest Be the tie that binds
Here is a short
version of it: Dr. John Fawcett was the pastor of a small church at
Wainsgate, and was called from there to a larger church in London in 1772. He
accepted the call and preached his farewell sermon. The wagons were loaded with
his books and furniture, and all was ready for the departure, when his
parishioners gathered around him, and with tears in their eyes begged of him to
stay. His wife said, ”Oh, John, John, I cannot bear this.” "Neither can
I,” exclaimed the good parson,” and we will not go. Unload the wagons and put
everything as it was before.” His decision was hailed with great joy by his
people, and he wrote the words of this hymn in commemoration of the event. This
song, and ”God be with you till we meet again,” are the most useful farewell
hymns in the world.
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