What To Do When You’ve Outrun Your Soul: A Sermon in Triptych, Luke 10.38-42.

Collect

Great God who sits enthroned among the cherubim, Your Son commended Mary when she sat in simplicity at His feet. Grant us today the grace to know that we must sit with Christ before we can serve Christ, so that when we go forth in Jesus’ name, we will also go forth in Jesus’ presence and power. In the name of Him who promises rest for our souls, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

Right Panel: The World in the Text

An apocryphal story tells of a group of Englishmen who hired some native Bushmen to guide them through the Kalahari desert of Africa. The whites pushed to complete the journey as soon as possible; to their dismay, the Bushmen sat down after a couple of days and refused to budge. No amount of threatened punishment or promised rewards could shift them. They were, they explained to their bosses, waiting for their souls to catch up.

Central Panel

In the passage before us today, Martha has outrun her soul while Mary waits for hers to catch up. Mary’s inaction in the face of Martha’s compulsion, and Jesus’ gentle decision in favor of the former, teach us the critical lesson that the soul advances fastest when it sits at Jesus' feet.

Before we talk about Mary, take a moment to look at Martha. Why does Jesus rebuke her? Why does he set aside her service and hold up the seeming inactivity of her sister? Martha does many right things, and she does those things right, but she misses the one right thing. In Martha’s hurry to serve the Lord, she has outrun her soul.

Consider Martha’s condition. We have three verbs to describe her state of mind (v.40-41): She was distracted, worried, and distracted. (The first and third are actually different words in the original; the English Standard version says Martha was distracted, anxious, and troubled.)

Consider Martha’s action. Martha went up to him. The phrase implies an impulsive and explosive action; the desire to be with Jesus did not push her beyond the social conventions of her day, but the desire to drag someone else away from Jesus overcame her sense of social etiquette.

Consider Martha’s prayer. She said to him, Tell her to help me. The command shows that her first question was merely rhetorical. Of course Jesus agreed with her about the problem and the solution. She wasn’t seeking information; she was giving orders.

In Martha’s hurry to serve the Lord, she has outrun her soul.

Now watch as Jesus offers gentle spiritual direction to Martha. But one thing is necessary. Some ancient manuscripts have Jesus saying, Only a few things are necessary, really only one, as if Jesus means, “Martha! There’s no need for the seven-course banquet. Just zap a frozen pizza in the microwave or something.” In other words, stop trying to be Martha Stewart of Bethany. Yes, society says that your only access to worth is through fulfilling a certain role. Never mind: dare to be a second-rate hostess and a first-rate disciple. But I think there is also a deeper meaning in Jesus’ words: Martha, only one thing matters, and that is to let my teaching transform you. After that, you may do many things, but you will do them all differently; you will do them like a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven and not like the president of the Junior League. Martha, your soul advances fastest when it sits at my feet.

In Mary’s stillness at the feet of Jesus, she waits for her soul to arrive. Mary only does one thing, and she not only does that one thing right, she does the one right thing. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what he was saying. Don’t miss what it means that she sat at the Lord’s feet. That is the position of discipleship; that is the position of an apostle (Acts 22.3). The rabbinic teaching of the day held that it was better to burn the Torah scrolls than to allow a woman to read them, yet here sits Mary, not reading the written Word of God but listening to the words of the Word which became flesh and dwelt among us (Jo 1.14). Mary’s still soul leads her to perform a radically counter-cultural act. She abandons the kitchen for the position of an apostle and I don’t care what that great theologian Kirk Cameron says, Jesus not only does not condemn her but publicly defends her.

Mary leaves the social space that her culture said she should occupy and invades spaces where she supposedly does not belong. She does not set out to be a radical, only to be a disciple; she does not seek to gain attention from the world, only to pay attention to Jesus; by sitting still before Jesus she boldly marches where women had not yet gone. Mary’s soul advances fastest when it sits at Jesus’ feet.

Left Panel: Bearing Witness

The soul advances fastest when it sits at Jesus' feet. If we want to get it right as Christians, we must display spiritual sensitivity and courageous hospitality. We must receive Jesus, make him the center of our homes and hearts. When so many around us see the Christian faith as a yellow brick road to the opulent Oz of consumerism we must see it as a hard road to the cross. When others reject Jesus because he sets his face toward suffering, we must welcome him and turn our faces in the same direction. And like Mary, we can manage to do this only if we are willing to waste time at the feet of Jesus, and willing to breach social standards in order to do so. We should all keep a mental Martha List to let us know when we’ve outrun our souls.

When I share Martha’s language, then I’ve probably outrun my soul. When it takes three words to describe my distraction, then I’ve outrun my soul. When I find my vocabulary consists largely of words about my fatigue, my frustration, my distraction, and my division, I need to pause and wait for my soul to catch up.

When I commit Martha’s action, then I’ve probably outrun my soul. When I would rather keep others away from Jesus than be with Jesus myself, then I’ve outrun my soul. When I worry more about whether other people are allowed to be Christians than about whether I am seeking Christ, then I’ve outrun my soul. When I spend more time and energy rebuking others for ministering in Jesus’ name than ministering in Jesus’ name myself, then I’ve outrun my soul.

When I pray Martha’s prayer, then I’ve probably outrun my soul. When all of my prayers consist of rhetorical questions, then I’ve outrun my soul. When most of my prayer consists of giving good advice to God on how to run the world, then I’ve outrun my soul. When I automatically assume that God shares my anger at others, then I’ve outrun my soul. As Anne Lamott says in her book Traveling Mercies, “You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.”

So how do I respond when I check the Martha List and realize that I’ve gone 0-for-3? What do I do when I realize I’ve outrun my soul? When I’ve outrun my own soul in the service of the Savior, I must look at the example of Mary.

When I accidentally violate the rules because I intentionally seek Jesus, there’s a good chance I’m waiting for my soul. Mary has chosen. We’ve seen that Mary is sitting where she does not belong, but she’s not some radical feminazi hell-bent on making trouble; she’s just a woman so focused on being where Jesus is that other boundaries become invisible. Christians are not called to break rules; we are called to follow Christ. If we do that, we’ll break plenty of rules in the process but at least we’ll know they were the right ones to break.

When I do less in order to do more, there’s a good chance I’m waiting for my, soul. Mary has chosen the better part. When I’ve outrun my soul, I may have to sacrifice efficiency on the altar of prayer and let go of the praises and prizes I could win if I produce the goods and services that people desire.

When I let Jesus do the talking, there’s a good chance I’m waiting for my soul: It will not be taken away from her. Notice that Mary never says a word in this entire story. She does not defend herself against Martha’s accusations. She simply sits at the feet of Jesus and lets her Lord be her defender. The last thing that many of our own Christian brothers and sisters would ever understand would be a church full of people who decided to take Jesus’ teachings seriously. It will put us in the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong things for the wrong reasons. And sometimes we’ll just have to smile and let Jesus do the talking.

Martha hurries to failure. Mary sits still and succeeds. The soul advances fastest when it sits at Jesus' feet.

Conclusion

Brother Lawrence was a great man of prayer who lived in France in the seventeenth century. In a letter to a friend, he offered the following assessment of a mutual acquaintance: “She seems to me full of good will, but she would go faster than grace. One does not become holy all at once.”

Sometimes, in our zeal to be holy, to serve Christ, we try to go faster than grace; we try to become holy all at once; we outrun our souls. May this story be our reminder, as individual believers and as a congregation, that the soul advances fastest when it sits at Jesus' feet. Amen.

Benediction

When Jesus comes to us walking in the way of the cross,

May we welcome him as our unseen guest.

When Jesus comes to us walking in the way of the cross,

May we offer him the gift of our service.

When Jesus comes to us walking in the way of the cross,

May we sit to learn and rise to serve,

And join Jesus in walking in the way of the cross.

In the name

Of the Father,

And of the Son,

And of the Holy Spirit,

One God now and forever,

Amen.

The Parable of the Good Bad Guy: A Narrative Sermon from Luke 10:25-37

Collect

Great God in Whom all nations are blessed, Your Son taught that neighbors often come to us in distressing disguises. Grant us grace today to discover Christ in those who need our help, and Christ in those whose help we need, that we might show our war-weary world the New Jerusalem, where the tree of life in eternal bloom brings healing to all nations. In the name of Him who became flesh and moved into our neighborhood, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

A woman was going down from a frat party to her dorm, and fell into the hands of scholarship athletes, who stripped her, raped her, and went away, leaving her half dead. Now by chance a coach was going down that way; and when he saw her, he said, “What was she doing alone in such a dangerous place?” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a booster, when he came to the place and saw her, said, “She was probably drunk. She was asking for it.” But a work-study student while picking up trash came near her; and when he saw her, he was moved with pity. He went to her and bandaged her wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he balanced her on the handlebars of his bicycle, brought her to the emergency room, and called the police. The next day he took out his Obama care card, gave it to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of her; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”

A man was going home from his minimum wage job, and fell into the hands of payday lenders, who charged him exorbitant interest, put a lien on his car, hounded him with collection calls and went away, leaving him half broke. Now by chance a Christian businessman was going down that road; and when he saw him, he said, “When will these people ever learn to live within their means?” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a Dave Ramsey teacher, when he came to the place and saw him, said, “You should’ve attended my class,” and passed by on the other side. But an Über driver from Pakistan, while on his way to pick up a fare, came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him in his own car, even though the bloodstains would probably hurt his customer ratings, and brought him to his mosque, and took care of him. The next day he took out two twenties, gave them to the imam, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”

An Israeli citizen was driving his car on the Sabbath when he fell among radical Ultra-Orthodox Jews who threw stones at his car, breaking his windshield and causing him to crash. They ran away and left him to bleed out. Now by chance a conservative Israeli politician was going down that road; and when he say him he said, “I’d help, but there might be a photographer around and I need the Orthodox vote in the next election,” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a resident of one of the Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory, when he came to the place and saw him, said, “Probably those dirty Terrorists did this. The car may be booby-trapped with an IED,” and passed by on the other side. But a Palestinian, on his way to the checkpoint so he could get back home from his minimum-wage job, came near; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went  to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him in his arms and hauled him to a hospital and sat with him through the night. The next day he took out his entire week’s wages and told the administrator, “Take care of him, and when I get paid next week, I’ll settle the bill. It might take longer if the Israeli government closes the checkpoints, but I’ll get back eventually.”

A teenage girl was running away from Sinton to Corpus, and fell into the hands of a sex trafficker, who got her hooked on drugs, pimped her out, and, when he saw she was too sick from venereal disease to turn a profit, went away, leaving her half dead at her usual corner, trying to score tricks. Now by chance a pastor was going down that road; and when he saw her, he thought, “Look at those tattoos! Look at those needle marks! And she’s half-naked. What a tramp! I can’t imagine what I’d do if that was my daughter!” and passed by on the other side. So likewise a deacon, when he came to the place and saw her, thought, “If anyone saw me talking to her, or if I gave her a ride to a shelter, I could claim I was helping her, but who’d believe me? She might even blackmail me by threatening to yell rape,” and passed by on the other side. But a female impersonator while on his way to work at a nightclub came near her; and when he saw her, he was moved with pity. He went to her and bandaged her wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he gave her his own bus pass, told her to go to his address, and wrote out a note for his housemates to look after her. The next day he took out his tips from the night before, gave them to the other residents, and said, “Take care of her; and after my next shift, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”

An atheist UT professor was going down from Austin to Kyle, and fell into the hands of some rednecks, who stripped him of his “Hillary for President” T-shirt, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a colleague who was in line for the same teaching post was going down that road; and when he saw him, he took a photo and tweeted it out with the caption, “Drunk again,” then passed by on the other side. So likewise an academic dean, when he came to the place and saw him, thought, “Well, this should give me some leverage for negotiating his salary.” But a construction worker while stuck in traffic on his way home from a double shift came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then he put him in his dual-axle pickup, which sported a rifle rack and a  “Make America Great Again” bumper-sticker, brought him to a nearby Motel 6, and took care of him. The next day he took out his credit card, gave it to the innkeeper, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you in case the card maxes out.”

A cheerleader was going down from a pep rally, and fell into the hands of some mean girls, who stripped her of her boyfriend’s letter jacket, beat her up and went away, ruining her makeup and her hair and tearing her $200 blouse. Now by chance the student class president was going down that sidewalk; and when she saw her, he passed by, smirked and said, “Serves her right.” So likewise the class valedictorian, when he came to the place and saw her, thought, “I’m sick of the jocks and the cheerleaders getting all the attention around here anyway.” But a Goth chick, who was cutting class to sneak a smoke, came near her; and when she saw her, she was moved with pity. She went to her and bandaged her wounds, having poured oil and wine on them. Then she hefted her up piggyback, brought her to the school nurse, and insisted on staying until her parents arrived. The next day she cashed her paycheck from her job at Whataburger, took the bruised, beaten girl to the hairdressers, and said, “Give her a makeover. If this doesn’t cover it, I’ll come back and settle up.”

A boy was growing up in Robstown, and fell into the hands of a father who cooked meth for a living and a mother who was hooked while she was pregnant, who beat him regularly and finally went away, leaving him as a ward of the state growing up to repeat the cycle of addiction and crime and finally winding up homeless. Now by chance an evangelist was holding a meeting down in the Cut; and when he saw him, he gave him a tract. So likewise the guest soloist, eager to plug his new CD, saw him, told his wife to keep an eye on the sound equipment because it was easy to steal and easy to fence. But a child molester, who lived in a camp outside the city limits due to the terms of his release from jail, came near him; and when he saw him, he was moved with pity. He went to him and nursed him through withdrawal. Then he put him on his own bicycle, brought him to a shelter, and got him checked in. The next day he took out his last five singles, gave them to the attendant, and said, “Take care of him; and when I come back, I will repay you whatever more you spend.”

Which of these, do you think, was a neighbor to the one who fell into the hands of the athletes, payday lenders, religious radicals, pimps,  rednecks, mean girls, and drug dealers?" The one who showed them mercy? Go and do likewise. Amen.

Benediction

May you love your neighbor as yourself,

For this is the law of love.

May you love your neighbor who is unlike yourself,

For this is the law of love.

May your neighbor be whoever loves you, when you are in need yourself,

For this is the law of love.

In the Name of the Triune God,

Father,

Son,

And Holy Spirit,

One God now and forever,

Amen.