Sermon: Pentecost 6, Luke 10:38-42

July 20, 2025 
Faith-La Fe Lutheran Church
Pastor Jonathan Linman

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things….” Jesus could be addressing any one of us. So, I invite you to name out loud your own name – “you are worried and distracted by many things.” 

Truly, we live in day and age of worry and distraction. I’m sure this has been true for all of human history, but it seems particularly true and acute today. 

We are worried about deportations. We are distracted by the chaos happening every day in Washington, DC. We are worried about our finances, again, because of all the chaos and uncertainty. We are distracted by all the messages and videos and memes and pings on our mobile devices. And on and on goes the list of our worries and distractions.

Of course, these worries and distractions weigh heavily on us and diminish our enjoyment of life. Isn’t that true?

What’s worse is that some of the most powerful people in the country want to keep us worried and distracted. They curate our worry and distraction. And they do this so that they can divide and conquer us to gain more power and wealth for themselves.

All of this brings us to today’s gospel story about Martha and Mary. It was Martha who was worried and distracted by her many tasks. Notice that the problem in the story is not the work that Martha was doing, but the worry and distraction in response to the work. 

How do we go about the business of our lives without so much worry and distraction? What’s the solution? Jesus, of course, gives the answer. After acknowledging Martha’s worry and distraction, Jesus says to her: “but few things are needed – indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 19:42)

What is the better part that will not be taken from Mary? The better part that Mary chose is Jesus himself, and sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to what he was saying.

And what do you think that Jesus was saying to Mary? Surely, he was proclaiming the good news of God’s kingdom coming near to Mary and to humanity in himself. 

Surely Jesus was saying to Mary things like what we heard in today’s second reading from Colossians: “Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation, for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created…. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together…. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.” (cf. Colossians 1:15-20) 

What words of grace and wonder, mercy and love that serve as healing balm for our worried hearts and distracted minds! Jesus Christ offers us in himself the fullness of God. Jesus Christ holds all things together. Jesus Christ reconciles us to God and to each other. Jesus Christ brings peace through his death and resurrection. 

That’s the better part, indeed, the best part that Mary chose. Jesus Christ is the only thing needed when it’s all said and done. And Jesus Christ will not be taken from Mary. And Jesus Christ will not be taken from us. “For nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (cf. Romans 8).

So, given that Jesus isn’t present in the same manner that he was present to Mary, what are the ways in which we sit at Jesus’ feet today, listening to what he says to us so that our worries and distractions can be diminished, if not taken away all together? 

Friends in Christ, we are in fact sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to his words right here, right now in this place, just as we do Sunday after Sunday. I say this kind of thing every time I preach, because it keeps being true and bears repeating. Jesus Christ continues to speak his reconciling word of peace to us through the words of scripture. 

Jesus Christ continues to speak his word in the sacrament of the altar when he gives us the gift of himself – “this is my body, given for you; this is my blood shed for you and for all people for the forgiveness of sin.” Jesus speaks this word to us even today.

In our table fellowship with Christ, we receive great blessings from God, just as Abraham and Sarah received God’s blessing when they offered hospitality to the three men in today’s story from Genesis who for Christians represent the Holy Trinity.  For Abraham and Sarah, God’s blessing was the promise that Sarah in her old age would give birth to a son. For us, the blessing is the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and his presence which helps to protect us from the evils of our age. 

When we get up from this table of grace, having sat at Jesus’ feet like Mary, we may well find our faith has been renewed. We may discover that we’re less worried. We may find that we are more focused on Christ and less distracted by the ways of the world.

Sitting at Jesus’ feet in our Sunday worship, and in our devotions at home, and whenever we pray to the Lord, all things begin to hold together in Christ and everything else in our lives tends to fall into place. 

With Christ in our hearts and minds and on our lips, with Christ giving us his peace, through the holy word and the holy sacraments, we can go back out into the world with greater courage to be Good Samaritan’s to those in need, especially the most vulnerable who cry out for our protection and advocacy. In short, we, like Martha, can do the work that God has entrusted to us with less worry and distraction. 

And what is that work? It’s the great commandment: to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and our neighbors as ourselves. 

So, let’s continue to sit at Jesus’ feet here in this place and feel our worries and distractions melt away because Christ is right here, right now. And Christ will go with us back into the troubles of our lives in this crazy time in our nation and world. 

Friends in Christ, I invite you again to say your name out loud one more time, listening for Jesus’ personal word of grace – “you may be worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing.” Christ Jesus is that one thing, and Christ Jesus will not be taken away from you. 

Thanks be to God. Amen.