Luke 10:28-42 [show]Luke 10:28-42 [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(1) 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." Martha and Mary [38]Now as they went on their way, Jesus(2) 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.(3) Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her." (ESV) Footnotes 1. [10:35] A 'denarius' was a day's wage for a laborer 2. [10:38] Greek 'he' 3. [10:42] Some manuscripts 'few things are necessary, or only one'

Mary & Martha are the yin and yang of hosting a dinner party. One sister focused on last-minute preparations while the other sister focused on the guest of honor. Martha got mad at Mary for not helping out. Jesus stepped in and explained to Martha that, while she was doing good things, in the present situation Mary had chosen the best thing.

We all learn early that there is a significant difference between “good” and “bad.” Evil is the polar opposite of goodness. But in the persistent struggle between good choices and bad choices we frequently opt for the bad ones. Confession and repentance, then, are in order. As a Baptist minister, of course, I do not hear confessions as part of my job description, but I hear a good many; and I have my own confessors (who will remain anonymous!). A Roman Catholic priest once described the experience of hearing the confessions of nuns. He said it was like “being stoned to death with popcorn.”

What keeps most of us from being who God wants us to be is not so much the tension between good and evil as the conflict between the good and the best. When you are feeling bad about yourself and a bit done in by life, how often is it because of something evil you have done?

It is more likely the result of an unfortunate choice between the good and the best. The good can be a ferocious enemy of the best. We can become so involved in good things that we never get around to the best things.

Thomas Kelly, in A Testament of Devotion, writes of “the poverty of life that can result from an overabundance of opportunity.” We can become so involved in responding outwardly, even to good things, that we become inwardly poor. When we try to embrace too many possibilities, we get over-extended. The result is a diminishing of joy in almost everything.  We do not do this intentionally. We know what our priorities are. When we are under pressure, however, our priorities are put to the test. Facing deadlines, or being pulled in different directions, it is easy to lose sight of what matters most. Can’t we all relate to Martha? Jesus was coming to dinner!

Given the rapacious human appetite for nearly everything, it is difficult to accept the reality of limits. Life teaches us, however, that we simply cannot have everything. We are left with a painful truth: we cannot say Yes to something without saying No to something else.

A child in a candy store beholds a mind-blowing scene. There is candy everywhere! There is not only a lot of candy, but hundreds of different kinds of candy! And usually there is a parent saying, “Choose one.” Saying Yes to one kind of candy means saying No to all the rest!

Saying Yes always involves saying No. It is the nature of choice. If two people choose each other as marriage partners, if they commit their lives and futures to each other, then in saying Yes to each other, they are saying No to millions of other individuals. The Yes is meaningless if it is not exclusive, if it does not exclude all others. “I take you” means “I do not take any others.” At the opposite end of the spectrum is the foolish attempt to say Yes to everything and everyone, which becomes self-destructive.

This is not bad news. We are not children in a candy store. Sometimes we are dealing with matters of such worth, with things of such extraordinary value, that saying No becomes a glad part of saying Yes. Consider all the times when we say Yes by saying No. Saying No to peer pressure may be saying Yes to self-respect. Saying No to a loved one may be saying Yes to really loving the loved one. Saying No to a lucrative promotion may mean saying Yes to your family. Saying No to some Saturday preoccupation may mean you will say Yes to a neighbor. Saying No to drugs may mean saying Yes to hope. Saying No to a drink may mean saying Yes to real feelings. Saying No to a supervisor may mean saying Yes to integrity. Saying No to more may mean saying Yes to health. Saying No to longer hours may mean saying Yes to a child. Saying No to pleasure may mean saying Yes to purpose. Saying No to the present may mean saying Yes to the future. Saying No to anger may be saying Yes to healing. Saying No to an invitation may be saying Yes to rest. Saying No to self-pity may be saying Yes to God.

The incomparable beauty of Jesus’ life is largely in its simplicity. It is the simplicity of single-mindedness. Single-mindedness is not the same as a one-track mind. Single-mindedness is centeredness, groundedness. It is living your priorities. How do we do this?

Right after the little episode with Mary and Martha in Luke, we find Luke’s version of the Lord’s Prayer. It is considerably shorter than Matthew’s version, but the priorities are the same. Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us our daily bread. Forgive us as we forgive. Keep us from temptation. That’s it.

Right after acknowledging God’s holiness is the petition, “thy kingdom come.” After that it speaks of our needs – - for bread, forgiveness, and help in avoiding temptation. But what is the primary thing we are to say Yes to? God’s kingdom. “Thy kingdom come.” People for generations have been so confused about the kingdom of God that it has been mainly thought of as heaven. But is Jesus teaching us to pray for heaven? Probably not.

In Matthew the Lord’s Prayer reads, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The kingdom of God is wherever God’s will is done. Our principal petition is supposed to be for God’s will to be done.

Now, you ask me, how do we say Yes to the kingdom of God? How do we say Yes to the will of God? By saying No to our own wills. And, as willful as we are, that is extremely difficult!

The prayers of children are so simple – - simple and honest. The older I get the simpler my prayers become. It has taken most of a lifetime for me to believe that God’s will really is best – - in all things. Now my prayers consist mostly of asking, “Show me your will, be my guide today.” But saying No to my own stubborn will is still a large part of saying Yes to the kingdom of God.

Prayer:  Have your own way, Lord. Have your own way. Your are the Potter, we are the clay. Mold us and make us after your will, while we are waiting yielded and still. Amen.

C. David Matthews  /  Royal Lane Baptist Church  /  Dallas, Texas 75230  /  7.18.10