Broken with Many Cares
On August 6, 1965 the English rock band released their new album Help. By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars and had achieved unprecedented levels of critical and commercial success. The album would be nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammys and is said to have marked the start of mainstream artistic recognition. And the lead song on the album, “Help!,” still resonates with many today. You may know the lyrics:
(Help!) I need somebody
(Help!) Not just anybody
(Help!) You know I need someone
(Help!)
When I was younger, so much younger than today
I never needed anybody's help in any way
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured
(And now I find) Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors
Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?
A Rolling Stone writer described this song as Lennon’s first crack into the shell he’d built to protect himself, finally letting his emotions out regarding his fears of their quick fame. “Help!” was said to mark an important milestone in Lennon’s writing style. It expressed the burden of success, the many worries that pressed down upon him, and the cry for help in dealing with it all.
We are in a series called Broken and Healed. We are looking at people who were a mess and found healing in Jesus. Do you ever feel anxious and worried about all that is going on and feel like you need some help? If so, you are not alone. Things to do, expenses mounting, unstable social issues, limitations, all create this anxiety.
In 2024, 43% of adults say they feel more anxious than they did the previous year, up from 37% in 2023 and 32% in 2022. Adults are particularly anxious about current events (70%) — especially the economy (77%), the 2024 U.S. election (73%), and gun violence (69%).
There are a lot of stats that show anxiety is on the rise. I don’t think you need me to read you stats. I assume you know people struggle with anxiety. People are stressed with responsibilities, have few relationships to lean on, social media that shows everyone else’s life being great. It also reveals what everyone thinks about on every topic–and, man, that creates stress. I got along better with people when they didn’t plaster their every thought and pet peeve on a public message board. There is also the pressure of things we need to do and many things come to us in the information age where people are calling us to do things that we have no responsibility to change. All these many things pressing down, weighing on us, keeping us up, tightening our chest, overwhelming us. How do we find help??
In today’s passage we meet a lady who needed some help. And came to Jesus for help. And he opened the doors for her, or perhaps opened her eyes.
Jesus shows we overcome our anxiety over our many worries by focusing on the thing, the one thing, that is most important, him.
The Many Troubling Things
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. (verse 39)
Now before we criticize her, I’ve got to say Martha is a great woman. Don't let her shortcomings hide that. We will talk more about her virtues in a bit. You have to see that she opened her home to Jesus, and more than likely that included all his disciples. Just opened her doors to a nomadic college class. That takes faith.
A generous gesture, but you also see that as she did that, she became distracted by many things.
But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me." (verse 40)
Martha is distracted. I don’t know if you can relate. As you sit here listening to me today, this very moment, others people and causes are competing to draw you in. You might be receiving dings, alerts, notifications, and the ever present pull to get the latest update on whatever it is you choose to follow.
The most interesting man in the world is in her house teaching, and she can't pay attention. Too much other stuff going on. Details are getting over looked. People not doing their job. Shows the fickleness of the human heart, that even with the Lord right in front of her she cannot concentrate. Our hearts attract things to worry about like a magnet attracts metal.
And it is interesting that there is a sibling rivalry here. Martha the older sister always and the one who is always responsible, and then there is her fun loving younger sister hanging out with Jesus and not doing any work.
And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. (verses 39 & 40)
Mary is at the feet of Jesus, learning. This is used of how disciples learned from their teachers. Paul learned at the feet of Gamaliel. So in a time when women were not schooled, Jesus is teaching them. Mary is listening; Martha is fretting.
Let’s talk about Martha’s distraction
Distracted with good things.
She has care about helping Jesus. Wants it to be a good time, wants to bless others.
Diakonew–distracted with much serving. I have all this to do for the Lord! Deacons. Serving. We are called to serve. Christians are commended for serving. I want Jesus to know how much I love him. She is going after a good thing, but lesser things are interfering.
**But the blessing becomes a burden.**
When we have missed things.
Oftentimes it becomes a burden because we are trying to do things that only God can do. We have a perfect plan and don’t know how to deal with it when it doesn’t go as we foresaw. Anxiety quickly leads to burnout. Even on good things.
Distracted--From the Greek words περί (peri, meaning "around") and σπάω (spaō, meaning "to draw" or "to pull"). It is as though you are encircled and everything is pulling you away. Good word for distraction.
Turned aside and led astray. Conveys the idea of being diverted from a proper focus or path. Her many practical needs are taking away from her spiritual attentiveness.
She was preoccupied with the details of hospitality rather than focusing on the presence and teachings of Jesus. She wanted to hear Jesus herself, but she was pulled away by duty.
Jesus says she is anxious and troubled.
Jesus knew this. It seems everyone probably knew this.
But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things. (verse 41)
Merimnaw–care for, be anxious about, meditate upon. She can't sit when all these things need to get done. She can't stop thinking about all the things. It’s always all the things. What you pay attention to is where you are going.
Thorubew–make a noise, uproar or disturbance, esp. of crowds, assemblies, troubled and also has the sense of audible aggravation. She is not hiding it. She is like a teen being told to unload the dishwasher, like a man being told to pick up his shoes from the living room floor.
Smacking lips, banging those plates on the table, frustration when the disciples ask for food. Her joy is gone. Serving Jesus is no longer a joy but a burden too heavy for her to carry. Why is it so heavy? Because she is trying to carry things she was not meant to carry.
Victim mentality
- Lord, do you care that she has left me all alone? No one cares for me.
- Lord, do you not see this great injustice that is happening right now???
- Lord, make her carry all these burdens that I have.
Anxiety leads to resentment. She resents her sister. Resents her because she doesn’t feel the weight of responsibility that Martha does.
What help does Jesus give? Interestingly, Jesus corrects her and doesn’t coddle her fears. He doesn’t pamper her. Oftentimes in our anxiety we want to be pampered. Jesus gently points her to truth.
**Her anxiety is a result of her disobedience.**
Your ability to rest and refresh is directly connected to your ability to trust God with lesser things that you don't get done.
She is giving a great reception to a prophet, with the fixings and formalities, but the greatest honor to give a prophet is to heed his words. She gives the lesser and neglects the greater. At this moment Jesus would have preferred her company over her service.
As we gather this morning, are you focused on sitting at the feet of Jesus, or are you thinking about other things–what you will do later, what someone needs now, an email that needs to be written, perhaps how the music sounded, was the transition at the right time, did I say the right thing, maybe I should have read that commentary, did we use the…?
There are so many things that will pull and push us until we are reduced to nothing. Get devoured one bite at a time. Many people are breaking down, burnout, depression, indifference and apathy.
The One Necessary Thing
Priorities in life. You will never get done all that you want. You will never be able to perfectly procure the world to your liking. But you will get a few things done, and if you get the most important things done, most often all the other/lesser things fall into place.
Jesus tells Martha that one thing is necessary. Only one thing she has to do. And Martha allowed all the other things to keep her from that one thing.
If life is too complicated then simplify. What is the one thing most important? Get that right. Have it in your life!
But the Lord answered her, "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." (verses 41 & 42)
I don’t think Martha didn’t understand this. I think she lost sight of it in the moment. She is thinking of the many things. Jesus says to focus on the one thing. Focus on the good portion.
What is the good portion? If you struggle with anxiety, here is your medicine. Here is a hammer to chip away at that strong hold.
The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance. (Psalm 16:5–6)
Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (Psalm 73:25–26)
Those are some strong boasts. Sometimes we need those strong boasts to overcome fears. Proclaim those truths. Preach to yourself.
The most important thing we have is what we have with the Lord. He promises us an inheritance. We have a relationship with him that cannot be taken away. We have a possession beyond what this world offers to us.
The solution to a mind running wild is a heart at rest.
When you are anxious and worried it is typically about things that you will lose. If dinner is not good, people will not esteem me. If they do not enjoy their time, I will never be invited to any of their houses. My friends will abandon me. It’s never the things themselves. It’s not the preparations that cause anxiety, it is what they lead to.
Only in the Lord do we have something that is promised and guaranteed and not dependent on our work. We have an inheritance with him. It is him.
Only a few things I really need to do. Only a few things my kids really need. They can go to counseling for everything else. :-) That’s a joke, kind of. Your kids will feel the limitations you have. It's OK. Those are going to be opportunities for them to trust Jesus, just as you are trusting Jesus with your limitations.
“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. (Matt. 6:24)
Can’t have many masters. Only one. Distraction and anxiety is often because we have idols in our hearts that we want to serve and we are not able to please them all. What is the one thing you are worshiping?
If you want to overcome anxiety, it is done by focusing on the Lord. It is the discipleship he offers. The renewing of your mind. The recognition of him and his power that is at work in your life. People will at times ask me to share verses on anxiety, and I can do that, Scripture gives a diagnosis and encouragement that every other religion and philosophy pale in comparison. But you can’t divorce the biblical solution from the person and work of Jesus.
The only way you can rest is when you know everything is going to end well. The only way you can know this is through the gospel. Jesus loved us, died for us, and offers us salvation from all the problems in the world. But we have to choose to separate ourselves from the rat race of the world and come and learn at his feet.
**Finding this requires resting from the things of the world.**
You have to say no to those and yes to Jesus.
Daily rest.
Jesus himself habitually woke in the morning and went to solitary places to pray. He communed with his Father. You need the same. Put your phone down. Hold off on work for just a bit. Get rid of silly distractions like television, and entertainment. Normal ways that he seeks to speak to us.
Weekly rest.
Jesus also made a habit of going to church/synagogue. 4th commandment–honor the sabbath. Make the day holy. Devoted to God.
Sundays.
Creating and protecting the priority of our lives. There is an order to the world. I have a decision to make and a position to stand on. I am building my life on something bigger than me and the others I see. I am more significant than what I am able to accomplish. I am entrusting all of this to my Lord and Savior
**If you go to Jesus with burdens and in need of help, would he say you are focused on the one thing or the many things?**
It doesn’t mean you don’t at times take on great things,but it does mean your allegiance to Jesus tempers the pull of the world. It cuts some of those ties. First things first. That is what is most important. Best thing I can give my kids is a trust in Jesus that gives peace and rest. Parents who are outraged, have anxious kids. I’ve been around you for 10 seconds and I am getting nervous.
Cost of resting in Jesus. You have to make a decision. Before you can be passive you have to be active, active in saying no to things. People pleasers get destroyed. You have to have your feet on firm ground. Stand with conviction. It doesn’t mean you will never be anxious. But it does mean you are serving the Lord and looking to learn from him.
Many people today point to the need to replenish. Even secular people talk about resting and finding a way to fill their minds with positive thoughts. Secular society criticizes everything about the christian faith and then they realize they need the things Christianity mentions and they don’t know how to put it back together. It has all made me more confident in what Scripture teaches. I'll stick to this and I'd love to tell you more about it. We need rest and the most important rest revolves around our devotion to the creator and redeemer of the world. You will never find rest without a Savior.
The world tells you the key to anxiety and stress is a list of things to do. Christianity says it's about a relationship with God. Orienting yourself around him.
Healed by Jesus's Help
Healing. This passage also points to how uptight, type A, detail oriented, goal driven people can find healing. The pressures that make your chest tight, keep you up at night, make you think you just don’t have time for God, church, or other people can all be overcome. Martha changed. She didn’t stay in that place.
Martha would get it. In the book of John she sees Jesus, and she gives one of the most thoughtful, theologically accurate, and powerful confessions of who Jesus is.
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” (John 11:21-27)
Help has come. It doesn't mean quit all your duties and sit in your chair with your Bible all day long. But it does mean you need to recognize the times to silence the worries and listen to the voice of Jesus.
Someone has come to offer you help. He’s not just anybody. He is one who knows
Discussion Questions
- In what ways is Martha troubled? What is Jesus’s response to her?
- What does Mary do in the passage? What portion is she focused on?
- Do you feel anxious or rested in life? How does that connect with your pursuit of discipleship from Jesus?
