“The One Thing - Redux”
Luke 10:38-42
July 22, 2007
(Video clip from Smoke)
A number of years back Suzanne and I watched a movie called
“Smoke.” It was a story of a friendship between a cigar store owner,
Harvey Keitel, and one of his customers, William Hurt. One of the unique
things that Keitel did was take a photo. Every day, at exactly the same
time, in exactly the same spot just out side his store, looking out over the
exact same intersection.
In one scene, Hurt is at Keitel’s home, it is just after they have shared a
meal and Keitel brings out photo album after photo album of the pictures
he has taken. Hurt leafs through the pages, slowly at first, then, turning
them faster and faster exclaiming that they are all the same.
Keitel suggests that he is looking at them to fast. “Slow down, my friend,
slow down, each one is different, each one is unique. You have to look
intentionally to really see them.”
And as Hurt slows down to look at each snapshot he begins to see the
uniqueness in each picture. Each with different weather, different
people, different cars, different colors… a different feel to each picture. It
was a transforming moment in Hurt’s life. Where before he was a
focused, fast-paced, self-centered and hurting business person, he
began to slow down and experience life through a new lens.
What if we were to slow down, intentionally, to look and listen for God’s
presence in the everyday? Would we be surprised?
What if we were to put aside, at least for a moment, some of those
preparations that are so distracting - the worry about our job, wondering
if there will ever be enough to pay the bills, how we think others think of
us, or, even if the house is clean enough?
What if we were to slow down, intentionally, to look and listen for God’s
presence in the everyday? Would we discover uniqueness in the
snapshots of life that seem on the surface to blend into monotonous
routines?
The story of Martha and Mary is a story of uniqueness. Oh, I know that
many interpretations would pit sister against sister, type A against type
B, worker against dreamer. It’s easy to do given our own reactions when
we encounter someone who is our opposite. It’s easy to simply say that
Jesus felt Martha was in the wrong and Mary’s lifestyle was a bit
superior. It’s easy to read that Jesus was judging Martha. And many
would interpret the story in that negative way. I just don’t think that’s the
message Jesus intended for us to get out of this particular encounter.
Where the hang-up occurs is that phrase: “Mary has chosen what is
better.” Different translations use different phrases. The New
International Version reads: “Mary has chosen what is better.” The King
James reads: “Mary hath chosen that good part” The Amplified Bible
reads: “the good portion.” Whichever phrase is used, because of our
understanding of the words, we lock on to the idea that Mary is better
than Martha.
Interesting isn’t it, that when we encounter certain words or actions, we
assume they describe the person. Mary must be good because she
chose what is good. Carrying that out in our linear way of thinking, we
then assume Martha must be bad, because she didn’t choose the good.
We’ve placed Mary and Martha in boxes, because of a word, and then
find ourselves identifying with either the good or the bad sister. Once the
boxes have been constructed it becomes hard to move forward. Then,
once we’ve boxed the sisters in, we tend to hurry past the encounter with
Jesus and stop listening for God’s affirmation of both persons. As we
rush past the verse, the uniqueness of this snapshot of life is obscured.
So take some time with me this morning to look at this montage of two
sisters and their encounter with Jesus. Perhaps, if we intentionally listen
for what God wants us to hear, we can discover a uniqueness that will
transform our relationship with God and with others.
One way to look more closely at this picture we find in the Bible is to do
a word study. Focus in on a single word or phrase and in that exploration
to go back if possible and discover some of the nuances of the original
language. If we were to go back to the original Greek, in which the New
Testament was written, we would discover that there is perhaps a
different way to hear what Jesus was trying to say. Now my Greek is a
little rusty - in fact, it’s nonexistent. So, I rely on reference books.
According to Strongs Greek Concordance, the word that we read as
“good” or “better” could really mean “beneficial.”
We might then read the passage as: “Mary has chosen what is
beneficial, and it will not be taken away from her.” or “Mary has chosen
what benefits her and it will not be taken away from her. Choosing what
benefits yourself or another person implies... at least for me... a desire to
grow or change.
Mary chose to change the way her life was going. Jesus was not going
to block her growth and he didn’t want Martha to block that growth either.
Mary is being lifted up, not as a comparison between good and bad, but
as a model for hope. A model for hope…
There are actions that can benefit us when we are caught up in the
worries of existence. In fact, Jesus is saying that only one action is
needed and that Mary has discovered the one thing that is needed.
If you were here last week you heard me speak of Jesus’ response to
the lawyer who wanted to know the one thing needed for life. Jesus told
him: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind,” and, “Love your
neighbor as yourself.” This family album is a continuation of that that
teaching about the one thing.
Again, a word study is in order. This time the question to be asked is
“Where does it say in the Bible that the “one thing” is? I can cheat a little
when I do a word search because I have a computer program. So... I
entered the phrase “one thing,” hit the enter button, and found that it
appears 17 times in the NIV Bible. But in only one case, besides the
story of Mary and Martha, does it refer to one thing that a person needs
for a full life. In Psalms 27:4 the author writes: “One thing I ask of the
Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in
his temple.” The one thing needed, the only thing needed, in order to find
a sense of peace, is to be a part of God’s presence. To dwell with... to
live with God daily.
The last piece of the puzzle that I needed, in order to clarify the reason
that this snapshot was included in God’s album, relates to the phrase
“worried and upset.” Does anyone remember what Jesus said about
worry?
If not, you might look at Matthew 6:25 34 “Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more
important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or
reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can
add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field
grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all
his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes
the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into
the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not
worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What
shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I think that what Jesus is suggesting to Martha, is not that she is a bad
person or that she is in the wrong. I think that Jesus is saying: “In the
midst of our concern to have order in our lives… in the preparation for
not only the special moments, but also the preparation for common
time… we can lose sight of what makes life worth living. The only thing
which truly benefits us is to feel God’s presence and when we feel God’s
presence we can truly let go of the worries that haunt us.”
Place your self in the picture. Slow down, intentionally listen, and in that
listening discover the uniqueness of your relationship with God and the
peace that can come with that discovery. AMEN
Luke 10:38-42
July 22, 2007
(Video clip from Smoke)
A number of years back Suzanne and I watched a movie called
“Smoke.” It was a story of a friendship between a cigar store owner,
Harvey Keitel, and one of his customers, William Hurt. One of the unique
things that Keitel did was take a photo. Every day, at exactly the same
time, in exactly the same spot just out side his store, looking out over the
exact same intersection.
In one scene, Hurt is at Keitel’s home, it is just after they have shared a
meal and Keitel brings out photo album after photo album of the pictures
he has taken. Hurt leafs through the pages, slowly at first, then, turning
them faster and faster exclaiming that they are all the same.
Keitel suggests that he is looking at them to fast. “Slow down, my friend,
slow down, each one is different, each one is unique. You have to look
intentionally to really see them.”
And as Hurt slows down to look at each snapshot he begins to see the
uniqueness in each picture. Each with different weather, different
people, different cars, different colors… a different feel to each picture. It
was a transforming moment in Hurt’s life. Where before he was a
focused, fast-paced, self-centered and hurting business person, he
began to slow down and experience life through a new lens.
What if we were to slow down, intentionally, to look and listen for God’s
presence in the everyday? Would we be surprised?
What if we were to put aside, at least for a moment, some of those
preparations that are so distracting - the worry about our job, wondering
if there will ever be enough to pay the bills, how we think others think of
us, or, even if the house is clean enough?
What if we were to slow down, intentionally, to look and listen for God’s
presence in the everyday? Would we discover uniqueness in the
snapshots of life that seem on the surface to blend into monotonous
routines?
The story of Martha and Mary is a story of uniqueness. Oh, I know that
many interpretations would pit sister against sister, type A against type
B, worker against dreamer. It’s easy to do given our own reactions when
we encounter someone who is our opposite. It’s easy to simply say that
Jesus felt Martha was in the wrong and Mary’s lifestyle was a bit
superior. It’s easy to read that Jesus was judging Martha. And many
would interpret the story in that negative way. I just don’t think that’s the
message Jesus intended for us to get out of this particular encounter.
Where the hang-up occurs is that phrase: “Mary has chosen what is
better.” Different translations use different phrases. The New
International Version reads: “Mary has chosen what is better.” The King
James reads: “Mary hath chosen that good part” The Amplified Bible
reads: “the good portion.” Whichever phrase is used, because of our
understanding of the words, we lock on to the idea that Mary is better
than Martha.
Interesting isn’t it, that when we encounter certain words or actions, we
assume they describe the person. Mary must be good because she
chose what is good. Carrying that out in our linear way of thinking, we
then assume Martha must be bad, because she didn’t choose the good.
We’ve placed Mary and Martha in boxes, because of a word, and then
find ourselves identifying with either the good or the bad sister. Once the
boxes have been constructed it becomes hard to move forward. Then,
once we’ve boxed the sisters in, we tend to hurry past the encounter with
Jesus and stop listening for God’s affirmation of both persons. As we
rush past the verse, the uniqueness of this snapshot of life is obscured.
So take some time with me this morning to look at this montage of two
sisters and their encounter with Jesus. Perhaps, if we intentionally listen
for what God wants us to hear, we can discover a uniqueness that will
transform our relationship with God and with others.
One way to look more closely at this picture we find in the Bible is to do
a word study. Focus in on a single word or phrase and in that exploration
to go back if possible and discover some of the nuances of the original
language. If we were to go back to the original Greek, in which the New
Testament was written, we would discover that there is perhaps a
different way to hear what Jesus was trying to say. Now my Greek is a
little rusty - in fact, it’s nonexistent. So, I rely on reference books.
According to Strongs Greek Concordance, the word that we read as
“good” or “better” could really mean “beneficial.”
We might then read the passage as: “Mary has chosen what is
beneficial, and it will not be taken away from her.” or “Mary has chosen
what benefits her and it will not be taken away from her. Choosing what
benefits yourself or another person implies... at least for me... a desire to
grow or change.
Mary chose to change the way her life was going. Jesus was not going
to block her growth and he didn’t want Martha to block that growth either.
Mary is being lifted up, not as a comparison between good and bad, but
as a model for hope. A model for hope…
There are actions that can benefit us when we are caught up in the
worries of existence. In fact, Jesus is saying that only one action is
needed and that Mary has discovered the one thing that is needed.
If you were here last week you heard me speak of Jesus’ response to
the lawyer who wanted to know the one thing needed for life. Jesus told
him: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your strength and with all your mind,” and, “Love your
neighbor as yourself.” This family album is a continuation of that that
teaching about the one thing.
Again, a word study is in order. This time the question to be asked is
“Where does it say in the Bible that the “one thing” is? I can cheat a little
when I do a word search because I have a computer program. So... I
entered the phrase “one thing,” hit the enter button, and found that it
appears 17 times in the NIV Bible. But in only one case, besides the
story of Mary and Martha, does it refer to one thing that a person needs
for a full life. In Psalms 27:4 the author writes: “One thing I ask of the
Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the
days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in
his temple.” The one thing needed, the only thing needed, in order to find
a sense of peace, is to be a part of God’s presence. To dwell with... to
live with God daily.
The last piece of the puzzle that I needed, in order to clarify the reason
that this snapshot was included in God’s album, relates to the phrase
“worried and upset.” Does anyone remember what Jesus said about
worry?
If not, you might look at Matthew 6:25 34 “Therefore I tell you, do not
worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what
you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more
important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or
reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can
add a single hour to his life?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field
grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all
his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes
the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into
the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not
worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What
shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your
heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom
and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about
itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
I think that what Jesus is suggesting to Martha, is not that she is a bad
person or that she is in the wrong. I think that Jesus is saying: “In the
midst of our concern to have order in our lives… in the preparation for
not only the special moments, but also the preparation for common
time… we can lose sight of what makes life worth living. The only thing
which truly benefits us is to feel God’s presence and when we feel God’s
presence we can truly let go of the worries that haunt us.”
Place your self in the picture. Slow down, intentionally listen, and in that
listening discover the uniqueness of your relationship with God and the
peace that can come with that discovery. AMEN
| The One Thing - Redux |
DeWitt United Methodist Church
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