This past Sunday, Pastor Mat preached from Luke 10:38-42 challenging us to embrace a both/and faith, where sitting is sacred and serving is holy. In a world that pits contemplation against action, the story of Mary and Martha shows us something deeper. It shows us that discipleship includes both devotion and labor.
Mary dared to sit at Jesus’ feet, claiming space traditionally reserved for men, and Jesus didn’t push her away. Instead, he welcomed her. This sister dared to believe that the Word of God wasn’t just for the menfolk. That God’s truth was hers too. Simon Peter, James, and John left their nets. Matthew left his tax collecting. And Mary left her household duties.
Now, Martha opened her home and embodied hospitality, yet was overwhelmed by her busyness. There have certainly been times when we’ve gotten so caught up in what we’re doing, that we missed the presence of the one I was doing it for. Jesus wasn’t rebuking her work but inviting her back into presence.
Pastor Mat noted that this text is placed right after the parable of the Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. Together these stories shows us the fullness of faith: the Samaritan loved his neighbor and Mary loved God. Together, they show us that to live into the Gospel, we must do both.
At Bethel, we’re called to be a people who both march and pray, who serve snow-cones to neighbors and and the body of Christ. We don’t have to choose between spirit and justice, we pursue both. So Church, let us listen to the Word and live the Word. Let us sit, and let us serve. Because in the Kin-dom of God, sitting is sacred, and serving is holy.
Amen.
To listen to the live-stream of the service, click here.
