Sermon for July 20, 2025 (Luke 10:38-42) by Rev. David Domanski
Jesus arrives at Bethany. He is there as Divine Visitor. He is there so that the Word of God would have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people. He is at the home of Martha to build up the muscle and brawn of faith already gifted to Martha and Mary. To these two sisters, Jesus delivers Holy Hospitality.
However, on this day, only Mary receives the strengthening that is given. She sits. She listens. She wants instruction. She is like those commended by St. Peter: “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation” (1 Pet 2:2). Sister Martha is occupied with her serving. Her fretting. Her fussing. Her doing. She is like the one of which Jesus warns, “Do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” (Mt 6:25).
Martha and Martha are known from three places in Scriptures. We know them from this text where Martha worries about serving, and Mary is commended for sitting at Jesus’ feet. We also know them from John 11 when they meet Jesus on the Bethany road, wondering why He didn’t arrive sooner to prevent the death of their brother, Lazarus. In that episode, Jesus preaches to Martha the hope of the Gospel, to which Martha makes confession of the resurrection of her dead brother because Jesus is the Christ (Jn 11:24, 27). And the last time we hear about Mary and Martha in the Bible, it’s just six days before Jesus’ crucifixion, when Martha serves a Sabbath meal to Jesus in her home (Jn 12:2) and Mary anoints His feet with expensive oil.
But in today’s account, one may wonder, “What exactly was the wisdom Mary was hearing and receiving from the words of Jesus?” Was He telling her about His death? Perhaps. About His resurrection? Perhaps. St. Augustine also speculated about Mary’s intent listening to Jesus:
What was Mary enjoying while she was listening? What was she eating? What was she drinking? Do you know? Let’s ask the Lord, who keeps such a splendid table for his own people, let’s ask him. “Blessed,” he says, “are those who are hungry and thirst for justice, because they shall be satisfied.” It was from this wellspring, from this storehouse of justice, that Mary, seated at the Lord’s feet, was in her hunger receiving crumbs. I will venture to say that she was eating the One she was listening to. He was being eaten, because He was the Bread. “I” he said, “am the bread who came down from heaven.” (Arthur A. Just Jr., ed., New Testament III: Luke, Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2003], 182)
But whatever Mary heard and ate, it was the one necessary thing, the one necessary food. It was Jesus revealing the riches of the glory of the mystery of God. Such a mystery, men of long ago waited to hear, but didn’t hear. Such a mystery, men of long ago waited to see, but didn’t see. At that moment, in the house of Martha, sat the knowledge, wisdom, and mystery of God in the flesh, the God who would take away the curse of the Law by His death. All the ordinances of the Law that we fought against—the “do thises” and the “don’t do thats”—Jesus took them to the cross, nailing them there. This was how God handled our sin. Jesus’ blood bought our forgiveness.
And for three days after the cross, Jerusalem was in a tizzy.
Some Jews were relieved. Jesus was crucified. He was out of the way. Arch Enemy Number One had been eliminated.
Other Jews were nervous. He said He would rise again. Would some of His followers steal his body?
Some Jews were sad. Jesus was dead. He was gone. He was to have been the one to defeat the Romans, to lead Israel to glory and to exhibit to the world a real king. Now what?
And then the third day arrived. The outcome of the cross was no longer in doubt. Christ brought the justification of our sin by His resurrection. Mankind is vindicated. Sin has been atoned for and the debt of humanity for trespasses has been paid. The devil is crushed, and we are reconciled to the Father. The greater Jonah has been spit out from the heart of the earth, and the greater Isaac laughs at Satan because even death could not hold Him.
The Good News that we need to hear as sinners and saints is this: Jesus crucified and resurrected. This is the one thing necessary that always needs to be preached, because in our state of being both sinful and saintly, our attention can be so easily diverted away from Jesus. Perhaps our attention is on our work instead of faithfully relying on Jesus. Maybe, like Martha, we’re wondering, “Do I have enough food?” “Do I have the right wine for the occasion?” “Are the napkins folded correctly?”
Perhaps our attention is on another person. A sister. A father. A mother. A son. Jesus cuts through our selfish preoccupations of human ambition, glory, and pride when He tells us, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28).
Our Savior, the Divine Visitor, interferes with your thoughts of sinful preoccupation today and serves you by delivering the one thing needed to keep you in Christ’s life and salvation. He has given you the desire to be in His house and the faith to seek His face. You hear His Word because Jesus has given you faith that hungers for glad tidings. You taste Him in the Sacrament because He has given you faith to eat and drink often at His holy table. This is what happens in worship—God serves man. The Lord speaks His Word of life and blessing, and we listen. The Lord gives, we receive, and receiving Him, we are fed.
And even though we no longer have the blessed opportunity that Mary and Martha enjoyed as they were paid a visit by Christ, the ultimate Divine Visitor, we sinners and saints continue to experience Jesus’ presence and saving work among us through the faithful proclamation of the Good News by ministers and lay-people alike.
Following Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to His Father’s right hand, the book of Acts records occasion after occasion when Philip, Paul, Peter, Barnabas and others repeated the model that Jesus and Mary demonstrate for us today—the model of teacher and hearer. And in this model though which the Good News of Jesus is transmitted, the subject matter is always Christ crucified for the forgiveness of sins. Again and again, we hear about God’s love for the world in the Man Jesus Christ. God acting to save and forgive, and the human race receiving the gift of Jesus. Faith comes by hearing this Good News, and in our hearing this life-giving Word of our Savior, our sins are forgiven and our faith is given strength.
Mary was strengthened by His Word too. God’s Word is a holy hospitality to us. We sit. We listen. And we do well to pray, “Lord, let Your Word not be bound but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people.” Amen.