- Jul 20
- 5 min read
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” [Luke 10:38-42]
One Thing Is Necessary
Anxious and troubled about many things. And, more and more things to have – or more and more things that you accomplish. That more and more doesn’t take it away. More sure, more certain, more secure, will never be enough. And more itself will never be enough.
The anxiety of life – whether it’s anxious worry or that anxiousness for something more – is an empty spot in the middle of us that gets bigger the more you try to fill it or meet its demands.
There is, by nature, a big empty area in the center of each of us – needing to be filled or satisfied – with love and certainty, security, identity and belonging – which can only be filled with our Creator and Redeemer. He’s what’s missing. Only He can fill it.
There’s a saying, which comes from the thought and writing of Saint Augustine, that we have a “God-shaped hole” in our hearts, or in ourselves. Saint Augustine said it this way, in a prayer to the Lord, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” [Saint Augustine, Confessions]
Jesus Christ – who is God in human flesh – one of us – came down to us to be for us God-who-can-fill-us in the way needed. You are His. He is yours. And you have Him in the means by which He comes to you to keep you filled – to keep filling that spot of anxious need in you – until He comes again to make us fully whole.
The way that Jesus comes to you is in His Word, the Scriptures. Preached and read. His Word heard in your ears and read by your eyes fills your heart and your deepest being with Him, the One who can fill it. The One who does make your heart content and at ease.
He is daily available, yet we are distracted by many things.
Martha was “distracted with much serving.” Even serving the Lord much cannot replace receiving the Lord much. He Himself is what we need.
Let’s look at our Gospel reading. The village that Jesus entered at the beginning was called Bethany. It was the village where Mary and Martha lived with their brother Lazarus [John 11:1]. Jesus is there at Mary and Martha’s house. He is in their home, teaching His word.
While the teaching is going on, Martha is, as we said, “distracted with much serving.” Martha is focused on everything that she believes is most important. And she is doing all of it. And because Martha is convinced that she’s doing what’s really needed, she’s frustrated that her sister Mary isn’t: “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?”
Jesus responds, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary…”
The one thing necessary is Jesus and what Jesus does for you. Jesus gave Himself for you and, as we said, gives Himself to you.
Jesus gave Himself for you on the cross. He laid down His life to redeem sinners. By atoning for your sins with His death, Jesus restored full unity between God and you. That’s what you needed.
Sin separated us from God and created that empty spot in us that the whole world spends its time trying to fill. Jesus died for your sins. By His death, your sins are forgiven. This unites you back to God.
Jesus gave Himself for you. Jesus gives Himself to you in His Word and Sacraments. Jesus in your life is the one thing necessary.
Having Jesus in your life is the one thing necessary, and He is yours as you sit at His feet to hear His Word as Martha’s sister Mary did. “…Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
You are not left empty. You are not left to your own solutions. You are not left to your “much serving”. You are not left to the unending list of things you can do or acquire to fill yourself or make yourself secure.
Though you may, like Martha, be “anxious and troubled by many things” you do have – for you, given to you – the “good portion”, “the one thing necessary”, “which will not be taken from you” – His Holy Word, by which He keeps coming into you like a daily meal.
You have His Word preached here. You have a Bible at home. You have the Portals of Prayer devotions. Only a fool would starve while their fridge is full. You are well supplied, so be sure to be filled with His Word.
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” [Colossians 3:16]. “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst” [John 6:35]. His is the “Word of Life” [1 John 1:1]. “Whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life.” [John 5:24]
Don’t leave yourself empty for even one day. Jesus made you His in your Baptism. A living believer in Christ was born in you that day. Let Him dwell in you richly through His Word, every day.
Sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary, choosing the best portion each day. Jesus, who is Lord of this life, will be there for the things you struggle with and are anxious about. Jesus, who is Lord of time, will give you the time, not less, if you spend some time in His Word.
Listening at Jesus’ feet by hearing and receiving Him in His Word is the one thing which is most necessary in your life. Don’t approach all the rest without Him but with Him each day by receiving Him each day in His Word. Like Mary, choose the good portion. Amen.
- Jul 15
- 6 min read
[Luke 10:25-37 – The Parable of the Good Samaritan]
And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii[a] and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
You Will Be a Neighbor
Imagine, giving up such a great thing for the sake of something so small. The lawyer in our Gospel reading asks Jesus, “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Nothing is bigger than that. But he is then willing to risk the whole thing just so he can keep not liking the group of people he doesn’t like. The Samaritans.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” “Yes”, Jesus says, “Do this, and you will live.” But the man will risk it all rather than call that person or those people his neighbor.
I.
Our Lord Jesus shows us by this parable that “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” doesn’t get it to mean that some people are your neighbors and others aren’t. No, the commandment means “you shall be a neighbor” to each person.
So Jesus ends the parable asking the lawyer, “Which of these three – the priest, the Levite, or the Samaritan – proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among robbers?” “The one who showed him mercy.” “You go and do likewise.”
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” means “You shall be a neighbor to them” regardless of who they are. Would you give up eternal life so you don’t have to be a neighbor to that person who wronged you? Or, those people?
This command is at the backbone of the Law of God: “For the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,’ and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” [Romans 13:9]. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” [Matthew 7:12].
And to love your neighbor as yourself doesn’t mean only to love those who love you back: “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.” [Luke 6:32-33]
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for them…” [Matthew 5:43-44]. Where the world has an “us” vs. a “them”, we have a neighbor.
II.
Our Lord’s parable in today’s Gospel makes the “to whom” clear in the command, “Be a neighbor.” We should also think about the “where”. Where am I to be a neighbor?
You are called to be a neighbor at home. To your husband. To your wife. To your children. They are your first neighbor. When they’re doing what you like and when they’re not doing what you like, love your neighbor as yourself. Be a neighbor to them. Also to mom and dad, and brother and sister.
You are a neighbor at work. To the well liked and to those not well liked. To those with common interests and to the annoying and the odd. You shall be a genuine neighbor and friend to them. When there’s no advantage to you. For their sake.
You are a neighbor on the road, on the sidewalk, in the parking lot, in the store. In your neighborhood (to your neighbors!), in your building.
Being a neighbor as we go about our day means extinguishing that thought within us which says, “It’s not my concern.” Being a neighbor means not just looking straight ahead but seeing my neighbor’s needs or inconveniences as my concern. You are your neighbor’s keeper, not just your brother’s keeper [Genesis 4:9].
What the fellow shopper or the cashier needs out of you – which might just be your friendliness, your acknowledgment that they are there, and that you’re happy they are there – this is your concern, as if it’s a need in your own day that day. Love your neighbor as yourself.
And, finally, you shall also be a neighbor when no one’s around and you’re watching the news at home. “Who is my neighbor?” There’s not a place or a space, not even on a screen, where the Lord let’s us say, “Not them!”
Though you may never meet the people on the screen, spitting venom along with the world at people in the news – though the words will never reach their ears – it does affect your heart for the worse. Aren’t you training your heart to hate your neighbor? Is that pleasing to God?
Every person on the screen – TV or phone – is a real person, created by God, who exists, has a life, and is sitting somewhere right now – at home, at work, at a church…
How you interact affects your heart. And, in truth, contributing to a general negative attitude, or a general positive attitude, about others in your nation does eventually really affect others, for good or for bad.
III.
It really is true, what our Lord said, that if we kept those two great commandments – to love God and our neighbor – we would inherit eternal life. But it is just as true than none of us have kept those two laws.
This is how God’s Law works. If you keep the Law, you will live. But everyone who does not keep all the things written in the Law are under a curse [Galatians 3], condemnation. That is how the Law works, and the lawyer asked about what he must do – which is a Law question. The Law leaves each of us condemned.
The way the Gospel works is this: Jesus Christ has come to redeem, to save, sinners. Jesus, the only man who has kept those two great commandments in their fullness, is also the one who has now, on the cross, suffered that curse – condemnation – for the sins of the world. Your sins and mine.
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” [Galatians 3:13]. “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” [Colossians 1:13-14]
Jesus has been the perfect neighbor – He has loved you as Himself. He has given His life for you. By His offering, your sins are forgiven. Your falling-short of those two great commandments is forgiven. Jesus, the very Son of God, has been a neighbor to you.
And now, because of Jesus, “You shall be a neighbor” has become “You will be a neighbor.” Inch by inch, Jesus is lifting you up to this heavenly goal – to be to others what He has been to you – and He will bring His work to completion in you on His day [Philippians 1:6]. Thanks be to God. Amen.
- Jul 6
- 5 min read
[Luke 10:1-6] After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of Him, two by two, into every town and place where He Himself was about to go. And He said to them… “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you.”
Publishers of Peace
I’ve been traveling with a lot of baggage lately. In the past two and half weeks, four thousand miles, house to house. At each house and hotel I’ve entered, the baggage has come in, and out, with me. Lugging baggage in and out is exhausting. It’s a relief to finally put it down. Peace.
Every Sunday, you come into to God’s house with baggage. Lord willing, you leave without it. This is the place to come in with baggage and to be freed from it.
Come in with the baggage of sin. Past and present. Come in, filled with the baggage of the news and politics. Heavy and frustrating to carry around in you. Come in with the baggage of mistreatment and hurtful words, heavy scars and wounds to carry inside.
Come in with the baggage of worry. About your money and finances. Come in with the baggage of fear or confusion about what happens in the world.
Come in with the baggage of guilt. Your mismanagement. The weight of what you have failed to do, what you’ve left undone. And what you’ve done.
The week gone by accumulates baggage each day. Here is the place to bring it in and put it down in God’s home. To have peace because of the good news.
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news, who publish peace and bring good news of salvation.” [Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7]
The Divine Service, the Sunday worship service, is a publishing of divine peace. We remember that on Easter evening, when Jesus first greeted His disciples after His resurrection, He showed them His pierced hands and side and said, “Peace be with you” [John 20:19-22].
The Divine Service – which is the Lord’s service for us – is Jesus’ continued Easter proclamation of “Peace be with you”, spoken to you by the Lord through His sent minister. The worship service is a service of declaring, of publishing to the world, God’s peace with guilty sinners and those in need of healing.
“Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will toward men” [Gloria in Excelsis]. “Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” [spoken right before the sermon]. “The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” [spoken directly after the sermon].
“The peace of the Lord be with you always” [directly after the consecration of the Lord’s Supper]. “O Christ, Thou Lamb of God, that takest away the sin of the world, grant us Thy peace” [Agnus Dei, as we come up for Communion]. “…depart in peace” [the blessing after Communion].
“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word” [Nunc Dimittis]. And the final benediction, “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.”
Those are just the direct references to peace. The whole rest of the service is geared toward peace, from Confession and Absolution, through the readings and the sermon, and every part of the Liturgy.
The service is geared toward peace because the whole service is the communication of the good news that Jesus, the Lamb of God, has died and risen for you. The whole service says, “God has forgiven your sins, your baggage, in the blood of Jesus. Sins of this week. Sins farther back.”
And to the hurting and burdened, the whole service says, “In His wounds you are healed” [Isaiah 53:5]. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest… for your soul” [Matthew 11:28ff]. Jesus has carried all your baggage in Himself on the cross. “It is finished” [John 19:30]. You can lay it down.
Without Jesus, you still carry your own baggage and have God’s anger against your sins. With Jesus, He has carried your baggage and God’s anger is put away. You have peace because God, your Creator, is now at peace with you because of Jesus’ self-offering on your behalf:
“In Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” [2 Corinthians 5:19]. “…through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… making peace by the blood of His cross” [Colossians 1:20].
In this morning’s Gospel, Jesus sent seventy-two disciples, two-by-two, to proclaim this peace to every town He was about to visit. If those in a town or a house believed it, the peace of God would remain with them. If they did not believe the forgiveness and healing of the good news of Jesus, peace would not remain but flee from them.
When you enter this house, know the purpose God intends. Don’t be like a patient who loves their sickness more than the doctor’s cure and therefore spits out the medicine.
Don’t leave here carrying the baggage you came with. It belongs to Jesus now. And don’t give each other new baggage on Sunday morning. You are here for peace.
If we neglect, reject, or lose sight of the purpose God intends – our peace – we may even leave worse than how we came. Our peace flees. Don’t do that.
Instead, let us each come with baggage. Give it to Jesus. And go in peace. That is God’s purpose in the weekly service. To apply to your week what Jesus has done on the cross for your life.
This morning’s Scripture readings and verses in the Divine Service are full of peace. “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river… As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you…” [Isaiah 66:12-13]. “How beautiful are the feet of those who publish peace” [Isaiah 52:7].
And geared toward peace, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” [Galatians 6:1]. “Say, ‘Peace be to this house!’” [Luke 10:5]. And we prayed in today’s Collect, “Continue to send Your messengers to preserve Your people in true peace.”
The seventy-two had their unique calling, as did the twelve apostles, as do pastors and other servants of Christ. And each one of you, as His baptized children, in your various vocations – in your various callings – at home and in the world, you are called to be publishers of His peace, to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you” [1 Peter 3:15].
Each of us are called to receive the peace of Christ and then to have the courage, and the love, to let others know where our peace comes from. My peace comes from knowing Jesus. His peace is for you too.
Every week, brothers and sisters, come into God’s house with your baggage, leave it at the feet of Jesus’ cross, receive His forgiveness, healing, and peace in the words of this Divine Service. Leave unburdened and tell others the reason for the peace within you. Amen.
