‘And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.’

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The Lord has come to the home of this woman Martha; perhaps he is a prophet of the Most High, perhaps the Christ, perhaps even the Lord. It does not matter; for the duty of the faithful is to welcome him who brings the word of the faith.

Is this not what the Lord Himself asked not two weeks ago? ‘A laborer is worth his hire.’ ‘And you shall eat what is set before you.’ St. Paul even commands such. ‘Let the elders that rule be counted worthy of double honor, they who labor in the word, and in doctrine.’ For he teaches nothing less than Moses, ‘Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn.’ ‘For the worker is worthy of the reward.’ For it is written, ‘Wait, I say, on the Lord.’

Abraham welcomed the LORD at Mamre. Bowing before the three, he pleads with them, “O Lord, if I have found favor in your sight, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree, while I bring a morsel of bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.” So they said, “Do as you have said.”

The widow of Zarephath, who had no food even for herself and her son, upon the coming of Elijah, baked for him bread. For many days was she fed, even as they spent her last to feed the prophet.

For Abraham’s humble service, he was rewarded with a son of his old age, that through him, all nations might be blessed.

The widow for her hospitality had her son restored to her, who in the flower of his youth was given over into death.

How then should the kindness of Martha be viewed as anything less than that of the ancients, who were rewarded, one with life, and the other with salvation?

Martha indeed is to be esteemed among the saints, and greatly to be praised.

Is it not written that in the judgment, such as Martha shall enter into eternal life? To whom else might it be said,  ‘I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.’ ‘Come, you who are blessed of my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’?

Let no one ever deny to Martha the veneration due her work, for what she has done shall be rewarded with eternity; and those who do otherwise shall be punished in the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and all his angels.

For the Lord comes to none more than this, that as He knocks upon the door, it be opened unto Him; for now to the one who knocks, the door has been opened. Even opened by Martha.

Martha first asked of Christ to come heal her brother Lazarus, and more than this was given unto her.

Therefore, it is written: ‘Now Jesus loved Martha.’

For these and every good reason, Martha asks the Lord, ‘Do you not care that my sister has left me alone? Tell her then to help.’ Even help as your faithful Abraham, even as your faithful widow. ‘Tell her then to help. For some by such have entertained angels unaware. But we worship what we know.’

The Lord does not rebuke her. Nor does He seem to answer her request. ‘You are anxious and troubled about many things. But one thing is necessary.’

The Christ never defines what is this one thing necessary. Rather it is simply explained as being ‘the thing that Mary has chosen.’ ‘The good portion.’

It seems pious enough to say that the one thing necessary is Jesus Himself. But who in their right mind would argue that Martha has not, in all her labors, chosen Jesus?

Alternatively, it seems particularly Lutheran to say that the good portion is to hear the word of the Lord, as opposed doing so many things on His behalf. Yet it is written, ‘Be thou doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves… but the one who does shall be blessed in it.’

What, then, has Mary chosen?

Mary has chosen nothing different from Martha. Mary has done nothing better than Martha. It is not Mary who is to be praised over Martha for sitting at Jesus’ feet, for making a ‘wiser choice’ and listening to the Master teach; a choice that we are obviously to imitate if we are to be ‘good Mary’s’ instead of ‘meddling Marthas.’

Mary’s portion is good, because it is perfect. It is good, because it is final. What Martha lives is faith as it is. What Mary enjoys is love as it shall be. And for this reason it is good, for faith and hope shall pass away, but love never fails, even as the Lord pronounces, ‘what she has chosen shall never be taken away from her.’

What Martha has chosen is nothing else than what Mary has chosen. They have chosen the Lord. To choose the Lord in this life is to choose His cross, His burden, His labor, His persecution, His mockery, His death. None shall come to the Father who do not take up this Lord, to follow Him.

Do not be deceived. Those who sit idle and complacent, who grow as the seed in rocky soil and thorns, only to be choked by the bribes and persecutions of the world, shall in no wise enter into the kingdom. For we too must fill up what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ, that we receive the mystery hidden for ages and generations. For if we are baptized into Christ, and this mystery of Christ be in us, shall we not suffer? We must, not because we strive to, but because this world strives against us, for a student is not above his master, ‘for they hate you because they first hated me.’

But a better portion awaits us, when all the torments of this life shall be rolled up as a scroll, and the sea will be quieted. When the mouths of them that speak lies shall be stopped, and the Accuser and sinners, those who rebuke the Spirit of grace,  be cast into the outer darkness. The second death. Then will come the kingdom, and our heavenly Jerusalem. Then will come the end and completion of all the suffering that Christ in and with His saints have endured; a wage of blood and trial to purchase a treasure hidden in a good land.

In that place, the sea will be calm like glass, like crystal unmoving. And there we shall be still, and know that God is the Lord. There shall we sit, and feast upon every word that flows from the mouth of God. There, now, sits Mary, for there is the portion that Mary has chosen; and we as Martha labor to finish the race, to complete the sufferings, to give up the whole world, that we might gain our own soul. For Martha and Mary, they are nothing but the Church, the first as it is, the one as it shall be. The first as she works, the last as she rests.

‘Let us therefore strive to enter that rest.’

‘For this we toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within us.’

‘That we would see the goodness of the Lord, In the land of the living.’

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Preached by Pastor Fields

Sermon Texts: Genesis 18:1-10; Colossians 1:21-29; Luke 10:38-42.