At His Feet, Part 1

Print the new listeners. I'm sure not thanking you for joining us today on the sound because we know Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God. Today's message at the feet of Jesus is an intimate work for his disciples who desire to draw near to him who have discovered in the midst of this topsy-turvy, even chaotic world we live in where we are often pulled in many directions and face situations that can break our hearts and drain our spirits. There is one thing that is needful and one place that is safe at the feet of Jesus and want to get loving God bless you all the mothers and grandmothers godmothers godmothers after when we were younger. Amen mentors in the ways of the Lord. That's what God told the women to do you older women. I don't mean you're all just older that you are to exhort and encourage the young ones and this morning my message is Mother's Day message per se.

However, it is a message that really appeals to women still it still guy friendly. Okay so the word of God is parallel so everything we read in his word is for all of us and I was going through my Mother's Day file.

The Lord brought me back to this message. It's been a long time since I preached it and I felt that that's what he wanted me to bring for this for this morning.

And if you have your Bibles turn with me in Luke the 10th chapter and were going to read about two women who were sisters and you know I'm sure you've heard of them. Mary and Martha.

They were the sisters of Lazarus and they lived in Bethany, which was very close to Jerusalem. It would be like that you worked in Baltimore city but you lived in Glen Bernie and so you would go back and forth that's kinda how it was Jesus went to Jerusalem to preach every day in the temple, but in the evenings.

He would go and often to their home in Bethany and stay there with his disciples. Amen. So were reading in Luke the 10th chapter and verse 38 now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village and that is Bethany, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet, and heard his words. I want to direct your attention to the fact that the writer is saying that one sister was named Martha and the other sister was called Mary. Now it's very possible that there is no tension between named and call. In fact, they were used interchangeably, but we have to consider the fact that this particular gospel is written by Luke.

Luke was a Gentile. He was a physician and he was helpful in the Greek language that means we should pay attention to his wording and he said that one was named Martha and the other was called Mary he may have been trying to draw our attention to something because you know Luke is the one that of all the four Gospels.

He certain things.

The other three did not write about the emotions that a person was feeling.

For instance, when he talked about Mary being visited by Gabriel, and end after having the baby and all he talked about her emotional state. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart when we go to Gethsemane and Jesus is in his greatest agony that he ever endured as a human on this planet and we know that he was in great agony. We know all the things that were going on, but only Luke bothers to tell us that being in such an event is sweat came as drops of blood falling to the ground because that was a medical condition. So I'm just pointing these things out to maybe allow us to consider that maybe Luke was telling us something here about Martha being named Martha and Mary being called Mary.

Now let's talk about Martha for a minute, folks.

Martha was the proverbial Martha Stewart of Bethany. Amen. Her house was immaculate.

The laundry was all clean folded up and put away.

Everything was shiny and nice. Her how certain the aroma was coming out of the kitchen of freshly baked bread and wonderful stews. Amen.

She was named Martha and she lived up to her name. Amen. But Mary was so different from her sister. She was quiet. She was pensive. She was reflective and when Jesus came to their house. She wanted to be at Jesus feet.

That's where Mary wanted to be is at the feet of Jesus. Amen. Do not assume that that means that she was lazy.

Let's see what is being told here, she suspended her natural activities.

When Jesus came to their house. Amen. She was called Mary, let me tell you that Mary is the Greek form of her name but she was Jewish, as were Jesus and all the other people that we read about in the New Testament and the Hebrew form for Mary is Marianne. Remember Moses sister her name was Marion. That's really what this Mary's name was. That's really the name of the mother of Jesus, Mary and all the other Mary's Mary Madeley. They were all really Marion, if you bought yourself a Jewish New Testament. They do exist. If you buy a Jewish New Testament. They changed all the names to the Hebrew and you will find that you will not see Mary in there you'll see Marion and so her name was really Marion.

So let's go back to the Hebrew root. Where did the work or the name Mariam come from it comes from the word Mara NARA Mara and the word Mara means better the first time we are introduced in this word is in the book of Exodus, the children of Israel had just come out of Egypt and they had traveled for three days and they had not found water so you can imagine being in the Sinai desert for three days with no water there very thirsty and on the day they came up to a stream and they got all excited. I'm sure you begin the filter back through all that huge number of people in 2 million. We all can agree to millions. Some say as much as 3 million people there.

There is water.

When the first ones ran down there to get Steve Cole, the Bible says they begin to say it was undrinkable. It was bitter. Amen.

And so I just gotta throw this little aside and they have to they all begin to complain.

This is number one complaint on the road to many more to come. This is the number one is that most likely will have a legitimate right to be upset.

They are three days with no water but to seek God does everything for a purpose. Nothing is accidental or coincidentally God's word. He said Moses get a tree and dip it in the water and when he did, the waters were made sweet doubt that happened. God was setting a prototype because one day Jesus was going to hang on the tree and all bitterness that you brought the world out of Egypt all bitterness in the junk in the bad stuff that happened to you when you are in the world.

When you have the cross when you come the tree. He's going to turn the bitterness in the suite and the Bible says that the waters were made sweet and they were able to drink them so that where the word Mariam comes from. So the name Mariam i.e. Mary Means Better Hold Your Pl. in Luke is working read again there but if you want to you can follow me real quickly go to the book of Ruth. It's a little book. It's only four chapters. It's only four pages but it's sandwiched in between judges and first Samuel, if you find first Samuel, then you want any make a left turn. If you find judges make a right turn and there's the book of Ruth.

I only want to read a couple scriptures, but I want to show you about this name Mariam and the word Mara meaning better now. Naomi and her husband with their two sons had left where their hometown in Israel of Bethlehem and Bethlehem in Hebrew means house of bread. Bait means house and left him means bread they left the house the bread because the fat minute come to Israel. That's where they went. They went to my mill lab was under recursive bites were under a curse because when Israel came out of Egypt they wouldn't help him they would let him pass through the land and guided Kirsten in a Christian go to the land of cursing and expect to be the last. Amen. So they went there and guess what happened within 10 years. Her husband died and her two sons died. She had two daughters in law, you all know about them. Ruth and Orpha. Hence, the book of Ruth and Naomi says I'm going back home to my people, and of course I'm not teaching on roof so we won't go into all of the elaborate on the details. One daughter-in-law said I'm staying, and Ruth went with her now traveling back to Bethlehem and they finally get there.

That's what were going to take up the story in chapter 1 verse 19 so they too went until they came to Bethlehem and it came to pass that when they were come to Bethlehem that all the city was moved about them and they said is this Naomi and she said under them, call me, not Naomi, call me Mara, for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the Lord has brought me home again empty. Why then call you Naomi me tell you what Naomi means. It means pleasant.

Will call you me pleasant see and the Lord hath testified against me and the Almighty has afflicted me so this is what happened because they had going where they shouldn't going and they had gotten out from under the blessings of God. We see people do it all the time we see people begging for whatever reason they get down they get discouraged they get carnal, someone hurts their feelings. I have a bad taste in their mouth because something went wrong in church. Someone get them wrong.

Maybe a preacher offended, then maybe the preacher ran away with the secretary. Whatever the reason, it happens folks happens. They said that's it.

I'm leaving I'm leaving I'm not I'm not going to church anymore and they go out into the world and they think that once everything is going to be wonderful.

Amen.

And you know if things come to us in different ways.

You may be prospered financially. Everything be fine financially but you may not have that inward joy and peace and satisfaction. Amen. And so she came back and she was and hadn't seen her for 10 years now I understand what 10 years can do to your face when you're in your Middle Ages.

Believe me, you don't think so if you're 50 look at your picture when you were 40. Amen. 10 years can do the stuff your face but I think it was because they didn't recognize her. There was something about her. There was something about her demeanor that was something about her countenance.

She was Naomi. It was pleasant and happy and joyful but she says to me that name Naomi, call me Mara. I am bitter on back but I'm broken on the childless widow I've lost it all.

Now were not teaching on this story, so I won't tell you anymore, but just let me say this. Folks, it has a good outcome. It turns out really good. You can read that later on your own.

But let's go back to Luke.

I wanted you to see how that Luke could be referencing something like this one sister was named Martha, but the sister was called Mariam was called. Her amen. So maybe that was not the name that she was born with no like my dad, brother Harding, his name is Robert if you would going to Walmart and you think about 25 guys up.

I turned around, but not one of them would be my father.

He doesn't answer to Robert, he would have no idea you meant him. But if you set PCK diving. The only one who would turn around he wasn't hurt but he's been called to Georgia, but since he was a little boy he's been called in the story behind that it was suddenly and there was a cartoon now called Peck's bad boy and that's what he predates Dennis the Menace. My dad predates Dennis the Menace.

Otherwise he might be called Dennis, but because cartoon for that story was about Peck's bad boy and he was such a bad boy that they called impact and it's not and everybody called impact Amy today.

My mom calls impact on their personal friends: pack my cousins all call him uncle Peck.

Amen.

So he was named Robert but he was called packed and is it possible that Mary here was named something else, but she was called Mary because something in her life had taken her joy.

Something had broken or something to her bitter amen and that is why possibly that every time that Jesus came to their house. She suspended all activity to sit at the Jesus because there was something in his words, that could heal a broken heart. Amen. Because I may tell you something people are desperate people when a person is broken and wounded. They are desperate, and if they had. Note the wonderful blessing to know the Lord. They know they can go for healing. They know they can run. That's why you have. I'm saying, loved ones, husband, wife, children, whatever and whoever they may be, and you see that something comes in their life to wound them to break them to to cause him to be bitter if they know how to call on Jesus. They are so much more blessed than the sinner out there who doesn't know and you need to just keep praying and sometimes you cannot deliver them out of their situation because God is using it to bring them to himself. So Mary was drawn to Jesus, Mary, Mary is mentioned three times in the Bible and all three times. Guess where she is she sitting at the feet of Jesus. Now let's read the next two verses here in Luke verse 40 but Martha was cumbered about much serving, and she came to him and said, Lord, thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone. Her therefore that she help me. Total mixed-media uncomfortable. I can't see Satan, but how many know we've all done it. Put your hands on your spiritual hips and their men. We've all been there and done that. Amen.

And some that my sister is let here all alone to serve alone. Her therefore that she help me and Jesus answered and said under her, Martha, Martha, everybody stay together on 323 thou art careful and troubled about many things but one thing is needful and Mary have chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. You seem, Martha complained that she was doing all the serving and she wanted Jesus to make Mary get up from his feet and come in that kitchen and helper. No notice.

Martha didn't want to trade places with Mary.

It's not never get a chance to sit at your feet and hear your words.

I think it's only fair. We take turns to switch places. She wanted Mary to come and help her this work in the Greek word says help her is only found one other place in the whole New Testament and that's in Romans 826 don't turn there.

I'll tell you what it says it's the Scripture we all know, and the spirit gets dealt help with our infirmities, our weaknesses, so we know what to pray for as we ought, but he makes intercession for the saints with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Real long Greek word, I'm not even going to try to say it, it's made up of three different words but basically means that, somebody can help them and that's what the holy does for us when we are weak and sometimes we don't even know how to put the word what to say to the Lord.

But the Holy Spirit comes alongside us. Amen. He doesn't do not and we have no idea what were saying, but when were done. It feels so good it's medicine for the soul. It heals our spirits. Amen. And so when she when she said come alongside me. She wanted to start next to her. She wanted her to share the burden of the cooking and the preparation. But Jesus said the dawdling on the name is significant, the doubling of the name could mean frustration as your mom ever looked at you and said your name twice. Amen.

Has your husband or wife ever looked at you and said your name twice. Don't raise your hand. I will pick a name. And I hope nobody hears named I'll pick the name that my mother said what I was a little girl the first time I heard this name, I fell out laughing and embarrassed my mother so much and for the kids. Mother's name was Sylvester still stir even thing without laughing when someone doubles your name there either very frustrated to me or they're trying to gently scold you there trying to scold you, but in a gentle way. But either way you want to look at it. They're trying to get your attention in unit they say Sharon Sharon amen so that's what Jesus did.

He said Martha Martha, and he goes on to tell her he told her that three things he said your careful and you are troubled, and we already read that she was cumbered. Remember, we read that in verse 47. Martha had three things going on.

She was cumbered she was careful she was troubled so the word cumbered means. I know I like to think the way we would save in cumbered how many recognize it now in cumbered you know that collecting input about their waste cummerbund. So what is the word mean it means to distract someone to surround it with distractions and individual way to occupy them with carers.

We heard that in verse 40 now Jesus out of his own mouth that your careful and your trouble and work.

Careful means to be anxious to have anxiety, you know, I never heard of such a thing. When I was growing up, but now you hear all the time people having anxiety attacks and panic attacks that there was no such thing that I know of growing up, but now it's very common amen anxiety attacks and the taxes that you are anxious you are so distracted that she would get herself and that way she would get what she would be at her sister because she wanted her sister to be in there helping her and not Mary. She sitting there relaxed and quiet and happy and content. While Martha is about to pull out her hair. He said your trouble. The word in Greek is turbo lead so and we get the word turbine to make turbid that means to be an disorder to be jumbled together and it especially speaks of the mind for the mind to be disordered for the mind to be jumbled together literally refers to turbid waters referred to. If you would stir the water up and all the mod in the sediment on the bottom would begin to come up and mix with the waters and what happens they become muddy and murky and the condition of the mind of the state of mind and that's what Jesus said about Martha. He said you were distracted and you are in disorder. Now to me tell you it sounds like an oxymoron can be the proverbial Martha Stewart of Bethany with the house. When Maxine towels in the bathroom and matching slaves in the bedroom and shy and that is in the proper silverware in a perfectly and yet had disorder in her mind. Amen. But that's what Jesus said. He said Martha you are out of order. That's what he said your out of order because she put more emphasis on the natural then the spiritual. She was so distracted and here's the thing. Distractions need to distortions because when you get distracted, you get a little bit and a little bit in that you don't get the whole picture on this.

Your you get the whole picture on that you know how it is.

Maybe you you're listening to something on the radio you're watching something important going on television. Maybe it's a documentary or news report and you really want to hear the details your interest and your but somebody walks in the room and starts talking to you you really want to say shut up I'm listening to this I'll talk to you in a minute but you think if you do that you probably have an argument on your hands so you try to report… You at least have an idea what they're saying.

And when they still say so you think we should do that in your life, what we were saying we should do one part again, so you only got a little bit of this and now you got the news report all messed up and you'll go tell somebody start a big rumor. That's not even true but you are just so you distort messages. Amen distorted messages and the problem with distortions left unchecked, they can turn into false perceptions. Amen. And you know how somebody has a perception of something that would sponsor its realtor that and if it's real.

They will have whatever the consequences are because that's the way they see it and that's the way they think it and then proceed accordingly. Amen. Jesus, he was holding her, but he was doing it in a gentle and Kind Way, Martha, Martha, maybe you don't get it. You don't understand that you want your sister is setting here in the way she but she has chosen the good part.

I believe that for Mary this was absolutely essential for the healing of her mind and soul. Amen. It was similarly essential that she spend this time with Jesus and Mary and Martha did not understand it. Amen. Now it's the same way with you and I we have got to make choices like Mary make a choice what we want to do.

Amen we are so bombarded with so many distractions.

I mean you have to be bound by alcohol or drawings. You don't have to be caught up in some kind of perversion like pornography. I mean little. Yes, they are huge distractions. Amen. Doesn't mean that that's your problem, but maybe you just tend more to the carnal things you are more likely Martha, you are more clean the pleasures of the flesh, then you are at sitting at Jesus feet and being served. The treasures of the spirit and so he said no Martha I'm not going to tell Mary to come in here and help you. She understands that one thing is needful and she's chosen that one good thing and it's not going to be taken away from her and you had to choose, and I have to choose and we can choose the good things that will feed our spirits build up our inner man given us joy and happiness and help civil actions and goals. Or we can choose the frustration and the utter futility of trying to appease and satisfy your flesh, because that is one possibility. The flesh is never satisfied, never the more that you cater to its desires and wins the more it demands your flesh is bossy. It's bossy and it's domineering and when you think will. I'll just do this now. Then the next thing you'll be doing that. Amen. That's how it works. Amen. But he said no.

Mary thinks it's more important I Martha know Bethany like you bake bread you are the best but Mary would rather sit and get fresh manna from heaven. Amen. Because she knows that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

And once you have tasted heavenly Matt not you are smiled and tasted good.

Amen. And you know you cannot shame people you cannot scold people you cannot write people into becoming more spiritual to get him to come to church to get him to pay their ties to get him to join the choir to get him to go on the street meetings do participate in things you can't berate them to do that you do inspire them to do that. Amen. You bake them some. If you spiritual beings state that he will want to go get some a backslidden nature and condition of Israel and you know that his wife was a prostitute and you know that she backslidden went back out there on the street and you know what God said. The parallel speaking about don't know but he's also speaking about Israel. He said I know what I'll do the Lord and into the wilderness, I will. The Lord them into the wilderness and when in the wilderness. I'm going to take the Bible until they strike. That's not what he said. He said when I get around the wilderness. I'm going to speak kindly to her.

I'm going to speak gently to her face that look what you did. You went back to the pigsty you will backslidden heifer you know she knew that she did need nobody to tell her that he said I'm going to tell her I missed you I been waiting for you. I've been waiting for you to come back to me. And when you come back to me. I'm going to restore to you the years of the canker worm and restore to you the years of them, will, and the cat a pillow which are on the I'm going to restore to you. Amen. I trust you are encouraged by our message at the feet of Jesus. You may be familiar with the story of Mary and Martha the sisters of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead.

You may remember, Martha was the proverbial Martha Stewart of Bethany, who love to cook and host dinners for Jesus and his disciples, but when her sister Mary chose to sit at Jesus feet and hear his words. Martha wanted him to rebuke her and tell her to help her in the kitchen. Martha didn't want to trade places with Mary. She didn't ask to have a turn at Jesus feet. Of course, Jesus replied you were anxious and distracted by many things but one thing is needful. One thing is important and paramount. And Mary has chosen that one thing, and I will not take it away from her. Every time Mary is mentioned in the Scripture. She is sitting at Jesus feet. It was her choice to sit and be served by her Lord and he said, she has chosen the best part.

It is our choice to we can choose the good part and feed our spirits or we can choose the frustration and futility of trying to please our fleshly desires. There's an unusual twist to Mary story. Why did Luke say that Martha was named but Mary was called to find out by ordering at his feet on CD for love gift of $10 or more for the radio ministry request SK 123 SEK 123 mail to sound the faith PO Box 1744, Baltimore, MD 21203 or go online to sound the faith.or an order on MP3 as well like to order by mail center minimum love gift of $10 to PO Box 1744, Baltimore, MD 21203 and request SK 123 till next time.

This shower not singing Marinette