Introduction:

In our fast paced world, there is so much for us to get done. Do you ever feel that kind of stress? Pick up the kids from practice. Get the project finished at work. Pay the bills on time. Clean the house. Plan the vacation. Buy groceries. Call your family. The list goes on and on. How can you ever get it all done?

Many people make lists. They put everything down on paper and then decide what takes the priority. However, sometimes when you look at those lists, it can be extremely overwhelming. How do you decide what takes priority in your life?

I am sure many of you feel the pressures of a high stress life with so much to do. God knows that and he gives you His guidance in the Scriptures. In the lesson for today from the gospel of Luke, Jesus shows Martha and us what must go at the top of our list of things to do. Our Savior says, "Slow down and simply your life. Put first things first." Christ tells us that only one thing is really needed in our life and he encourages us to choose what it is better.

1. Only one thing is needed.

Luke's gospel account reveals two humble servants. One is gently admonished for not setting her priorities straight. The other is commended for choosing what is better. Martha had so much to do. She had a very important guest in her house, Jesus. If Jesus were staying at your house could you possibly prepare enough? I doubt it. That's how Martha felt. She wanted to serve Jesus with all her heart. She busied herself with the preparations for Jesus' stay with her. Would we be any different?

Martha knew who Jesus was. In John's gospel, Jesus asked Martha if she believed and she answer, "Yes, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God." She knew that Jesus was the Almighty God who could raise her brother Lazarus from the dead. She knew Jesus as her savior. And she also knew Jesus as a close family friend. John's gospel tells us, "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." Jesus wept with Mary and Martha when Lazarus died. Martha knew who was in her home that day. It was her saving Lord and her close friend.

So Martha was excited and busy. "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." She was so busy making everything just right that she was missing the only thing that was really needed, God's Word. She was so blind to what was going on that she said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?" Maybe you have seen this in your home between siblings. Dinner is over and one child clears the table and starts to do the dishes. He or she looks over and see the other child sitting there doing nothing. Immediately the cry goes out, "Mom, tell him to help me!" Martha reacted exactly this way. She wanted Mary's help because she felt she was the only serving Jesus.

On a human level, we can sympathize with Martha. But knowing the whole story, we know that Martha did not put first things first that day. She did not put the one thing she needed at the top of her list. She was missing the opportunity to hear the gospel straight from the Savior's lips.

So how do you stack up in the Martha test? How often do miss the opportunity to receive the one thing that is needed? Do you put the message of the gospel far down the list of things to do in your day or do you place God's Word at the top of the list. Of course we can make all the objections in our mind that we want. We serve God all the time. We think about God. We pray to God. We believe in God. But where is God's Word on that list? Are you distracted like Martha? Sadly, we have to admit that we have all failed to put first things first on our list. Our sinful nature and the devil want us to make sure God's Word gets pushed further and further down the list, because that hurts our faith.

When we get distracted, we are neglecting the saving message of the Bible. And we need that message more than we need anything else in this world. For in that precious word of God we hear God's law. We need to hear God's Word often to be reminded of our sins. We need to hear God's Word so that we can feel the enormity of the sacrifice our savior made for us. When we truly see the blackness of our sin, the pure whiteness of our salvation is almost unbearable to our feeble minds. For Jesus, true God, left the heavenly realms and lived our perfect lives for us. He also gave himself for us when he died on the cross. And he rose for us on Easter Sunday to take seal our salvation once and for all. Consider that through faith in Jesus as your Savior, you have heaven instead of hell. We need the gospel. It comforts our aching souls. It is what strengthens us to serve God. If God would take every other blessing away from us in this world except for His Word, we would be OK. God's Word is the only thing that is needed and God gives it to you freely.

2. Choose what is better

We do have busy lives. Everybody seems to be going here and there. Our days and nights fill up so quickly. With all these tasks at hand, we need to remember to put first things first. In our lesson for this morning Mary, Martha's sister, does just that. We are told that Mary sat at Jesus' feet and listened to him. Jesus set her as an example to Martha and to us. We don't know exactly what Jesus was saying to Mary, but we do know he felt it was very important. He was sharing with her his message and we know how powerful that message is. I Corinthians 15:2 tells us, "By the gospel we are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you." Now why wouldn't everyone want to sit at Jesus' feet and hear the message that saves us?

In the lesson, Jesus goes on to tell Martha that this word would not be taken away from Mary. It would not be taken away because Jesus knows it is the one thing she needed. Let me explain it this way. Life on earth is short, yet we still take the time to feed our physical bodies. That is because our bodies need to be nourished with food and drink. We take care of our bodies this way because it is necessary for life. However our spiritual welfare is far more important than physical welfare. Why would we ever neglect to nourish our spiritual lives? These bodies of ours will pass away but our souls are for eternity. Why would we ever want to stop hearing that we are loved and forgiven? Why would we ever want to stop growing in our faith? And yet, somehow we allow the distractions of this world pile up. Somehow we get led astray by the preparations that need to be made. We know how important it is to feed our faith with God's Word and yet somehow we fail to put first things first on our list.

And when this happens, then Jesus does the same thing with us as he did with Martha. Jesus said to Martha when she didn't put first things first, "Martha, Martha." Jesus spoke these words with affection, sort of how a loving father speaks to his child. He too gives us a loving reminder when we feel like going to church is not as important as some other part of our life. He gives us a loving reminder when we feel we are too busy to read the Bible stories to the children. Jesus reminds us with words like these from the book of Romans, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ." Jesus encourages us to sit at his feet with words like these from Psalm 122, "I rejoiced with those who said to me; let us go to the house of the Lord."

Let us be filled with joy to sit at Jesus' feet and receive the one thing that is needed just as Mary did. Let us cheerfully choose what is better, just as Mary did. Let us gladly hear the message that our sins have been cast off us and we need not carry the burden anymore, because Jesus has carried it for us.

Now you may say, "Sure it was easy for Mary to choose what was better. She had her Lord and Savior sitting right there in her house. If Jesus were sitting in my living room, I sure would listen. I sure would put first things first and choose what is better." But let us recognize that Jesus is with us. He is with us in the Bible. He is with us when faithful pastors proclaim the message of salvation from the pulpit. He is with us when mothers teach their children about forgiveness of sins with Bible stories. He is with us as fathers lead their families in devotions. Recognize that Jesus is with us and choose what is better.

You can allow yourself and your family to become distracted so easily. You can put so many things ahead of God's Word on your daily list of things to do. But stop and think about it. Choose what is better. Pull out the Bible and read it. Enjoy the peace of God that comes from studying His Word. Revel in the lifesaving message of the gospel. Be like Mary and sit at Jesus' feet.

May God grant us the wisdom and courage to always put God's word at the top of our lists. We have the one thing that is needed, let us put first things first, and choose what is better. AMEN.