It is the familiar story of Jesus visiting at the house of Martha and her sister Mary.  While Jesus is teaching, Mary sits at his feet and listens as her sister, Martha, is busy serving.  Martha is bothered by her sister’s actions and tells Jesus to correct Mary.  Instead, Martha receives gentle correction and Mary receives praise.

I used to give up on this short story so quickly.  I never quite understood why Martha was corrected for serving.  When I read these few verses today one word caught my attention, and God used it to bring me some clarity on what he told Martha that day.

Verse 40 says, “But Martha was distracted with much serving.”  Martha is serving Jesus and people, but her service was distracting her from the most important thing, listening to Jesus’ teaching.

Martha appeals to Jesus for her sister’s help, but instead receives a gentle rebuke.  “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

I can imagine Jesus speaking softly to Martha and lovingly correcting her thinking.  Like a father to a daughter Jesus disciplines Martha in order to produce the “peaceful fruit of righteousness” in her life.

As I read this I wonder how often I let service distract me from “the good portion, which will not be taken away.”  And when I am distracted, can I hear the voice of Jesus saying, “Anna, Anna, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary”?  And when Jesus corrects or disciplines me do I understand it as love?  Do you?

“For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”  Heb. 12:6

O Come, O Come Emmanuel paints a good picture of Israel longing for a promised Redeemer.  Each verse speaks of God’s people needing a savior:

“ransom captive Israel”
“free thine own from Satan’s tyranny”
“from depths of hell thy people save”

And in between each verse the chorus exclaims with hope the promise of God to send that savior:

“Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.”

Israel longed for a savior and God promised one.  In Isaiah 7, God tells the king of Judah “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”  Immanuel means God is with us.  God’s promised savior was to be with his people.

In Matthew and Luke we can read about the birth of that promised savior, of Immanuel, God with us.

The verses of this song remind me of my need and longing for a savior.  I’m reminded of my need to be ransomed from the captivity of sin and to be saved from the depths of hell.  Then the chorus comes, and I can celebrate knowing that Jesus did come and he has saved me.  And on December 25 I can celebrate the birth of Jesus, the promised savior.  And I can celebrate the faithfulness of God, who promised a savior and fulfilled that promise in Jesus.

Pay attention to the lyrics of the Christmas songs you hear this season and you will hear of the great love God has for you.

Here are the lyrics:

It’s the greatest story ever told.
A God pursues foes whose hearts turned cold.
The greatest story ever told.
Restoring all that the enemy stole.
The greatest story ever told.
The glory of Christ is the goal, behold.
The greatest story ever told.
It’s the greatest.

Alright check it: let’s go back in time, brethren. Divine lessons always keep your mind guessing. The glory of the Triune God is what I’m stressing. The origin of humankind was fine. Blessings were plenteous. God is amazingly generous. Crazy benefits in a state of innocence. God told the man what he could taste was limited. Not long after came our nemesis in Genesis. He scammed well, man fell, damned to hell. The whole human race—he represented it. Fooled by the serpent, man through his work, woman through birth—even the earth ruled by the curses. But instead of a wake immediately. God said her Seed would be the One to crush the head of the snake. Yo, wait what is this? Whoa, a gracious gift! In Jehovah’s faithfulness He clothed their nakedness. This was so they would know their Savior’s kiss and bliss. But first, many growing pains exist suffering in the worst form, ugly deeds. Eve’s firstborn seed made his brother bleed. Indeed things got progressively worse. Every section of the earth is been affected by the curse. And though God’s judgments against sin were gory, praise the Lord! It’s not the end of the story.

Next scene: man’s sin was extreme. God gets steamed, man gets creamed. The Lord is so Holy that He drowned them in the water. Fire in the valley of slaughter – Sodom and Gomorrah. But at the same time, He’s so gracious and patient that from one man He created a whole nation. Eventually enslaved by the mentally depraved, they cried out to the only One with the strength that He could save. He brought them out with signs and wonders – satisfied their hunger. Then He appeared on Mount Sinai in thunder. Where He laid down the law for God-ruled government. Commonly referred to as the Mosaic covenant. Sin was imputed. So for man to know he’s unrighteous, God instituted animal sacrifices. This was to show our constant need for atonement. And when it came to sin, the Lord would never condone it. And when His people disobeyed and went astray, He raised up prophets and kings to lead them in the way. But they would get foul with their idolatry—wet and wild prophecy—send them into exile. To take their punishment like a grown man. Then with His own hand He placed them back in their homeland. And while in their forefather’s land they dwelt, they awaited the arrival of Emmanuel.

After 400 silent years filled with sighs and tears. In Bethlehem the Messiah appears. God in the flesh—Second Person of the Trinity. At thirty begins His earthly ministry. Baffling cats with accurate, exact facts and back-to-back miraculous acts. A stumbling block to the self righteous. But the humbled—His flock, said “There’s no one else like this.” He came from heaven to awake the numb. Demonstrated His power over nature, son. A foretaste of the Kingdom and the age to come. But the reason He came was to pay the sum for the depths of our wickedness, our wretched sinfulness. Bless His magnificence! He is perfect and innocent. Yet He was wrecked and His death. He predicted it. Next He was stretched, paid a debt that was infinite. He said that He finished it. Resurrected so the elect would be the recipients of its benefits. Through faith and penitence we get to be intimate. His grace is heaven sent, it never diminishes. Now the Holy Spirit indwelling is the evidence for heaven’s future residents who truly represent Jesus, the Author, Producer, Director, and Star of a story that will never, ever end!

(I saw this on JT’s blog, and just had to post it here.)

The Gospel Infuses Daily Activities with Meaning

October 28, 2009  |  By: Matt Perman  |  Category: Commentary

Mark Driscoll has a great word in his book The Radical Reformission: Reaching Out Without Selling Out :

Every day, people eat, sleep, work, play, love, and hate, but they do not know why. Not knowing where they come from or to whom they are going, they lack the ability to make their lives meaningful. 

Consequently, our culture is filled with “successful” people who are mired in anxiety and confusion because they do not know the point of all their toil. But the gospel reveals Jesus as Lord over all of life, who infuses even mundane tasks such as dishwashing with meaning as acts of worship.

This also makes me think of Stephen Curtis Chapman’s song “A Moment Made for Worshiping.” When you first hear the title of that song, you think he’s talking about a mountain top experience or miracle moment where everything is going so right that you can’t help but worship.

But instead, the first line of the song is: 6:30 Monday morning. 

In other words, the ordinary moments of the everyday are the moments made for worshiping. Everything we do can and should be done as an act of worship. This infuses even the most mundane activities with meaning. 

And, ironically, it rescues the more amazing moments from futility as well, for it turns out that even those moments derive their meaning not from themselves, but from God.

“So then, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

This is a true case of Theology being made accessible by technology.  Download this very user-friendly and spiritually helpful tool for free today!

Struggling with this too,

Pastor-Elder JasonM.

There is, of course, hundreds of more reasons why to trust the Bible, but those will have to wait for future posts.

We are continuing on in our understanding of the sovereign grace of God in the lives of His people.

Come join us in our deepening understanding and love of our Savior and King at 9:15am every Sunday morning downstairs.