Sermon and Worship Resources

Luke 10:38-42 · At the Home of Martha and Mary

38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Pay Attention!

Luke 10:38-42

Sermon
by Robert C. Cochran

Many people are troubled by today’s gospel. Good Christian folk are disturbed that hard-working Martha got criticized for trying to serve Jesus and wanting Mary to do her fair share. What a blow this passage is to the “Protestant” work ethic! Those who favor gender-specific roles for men and women are disturbed because the one who didn’t seem to know that her place was in the kitchen was commended while the “good housewife” was condemned. Oddly enough, some feminists are also disturbed: Martha seemed to be rebuked for her sharp tongue while Mary was praised for kneeling down at a man’s feet and keeping her mouth shut.

If you find yourself disturbed by this story, then you’re not alone. In fact, generally, if you’re not disturbed by Jesus’ actions and parables, you’re not paying attention. Jesus wanted to get people to look at life differently, and the only way to get people out of their old ways of thinking and begin viewing life from the perspective of the kingdom was to shock them.

Martha was a good and faithful servant. When Jesus stopped in during his journeys, she knew what he needed: he needed to be cleaned up from the dusty road, and he needed to be fed. He also needed a clean place to rest. So like the good Samaritan in last week’s gospel, Martha set to work to care for the person in need.

But this week’s story isn’t about showing love horizontally by caring for one’s neighbor. This time, we’re to be told how to express love vertically (between us and God). We show our love for God in the way Mary did: by kneeling at the feet of our Lord and listening.

Let’s think for a moment about the first readers of this story. The writer of Luke lived after the first generation of Christians had died. His audience had never met Jesus. They grew up hearing the stories of people who claimed to have heard him speak, or at least of people who knew people who had heard him. Can you imagine how jealous they were, how much they would have given to have actually seen him and listened to him? We’d love to sit down with Jesus, too; we have a lot of questions we’d like to ask. Can you imagine how jealous we would be of someone who had actually met him?

I met Lefty Gomez once. He pitched for the New York Yankees baseball team from 1930 to 1943 and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972. Babe Ruth was still on the Yankees team in 1930. It was so strange to be able to talk to someone who actually knew Babe Ruth!

Do you know what I asked him? I asked him why, on every level of baseball, the first baseman is thrown a ball by one of the coaches just before he enters the dugout! The obvious answer is that the first baseman uses this ball to warm up the other infielders between innings, after his team finishes batting. But why can’t he just grab a ball for himself, or why doesn’t a batboy hand him one in the dugout?

I figured that if Lefty Gomez had been associated with baseball since the time of Babe Ruth, he must have known where this odd custom came from. He thought a minute, and then said, “I don’t know. I never thought about it. We have always done it, though.”

Fortunately, there was also a veteran Toledo sportscaster there, who said, “That’s a great question. The best guess is that it started back in the days when infielders left their gloves on edge of the outfield grass behind their positions and a coach would throw a baseball out to the first baseman when the inning was over. He would put it in his mitt and keep it there so he had a ball to use to warm up the other infielders when he returned. The practice stuck, and people were too superstitious to stop doing it.”

So the ball is always thrown out before the first baseman reaches the dugout because that’s the way it was always done. Obviously, the church isn’t the only place where people lose track of why they do the things they do but continue doing them anyway!

Of all the things I could have asked Lefty Gomez, this was a pretty silly question. What I would have really liked to know is what sort of a person Babe Ruth really was. Did the man match his legend or were his exploits on and off the field just creative public relations? I would guess that the second generation Christians had pretty much the same questions about Jesus. Was he really all they said he was? If they could have just sat down with him for a few minutes....

Imagine their response when they were told by the writer of Luke about Martha and Mary. Jesus did visit them. And what did Martha do? She ran around like a madwoman: cleaning the house, cooking, screaming at Mary to get to work, ordering Jesus to tell Mary to help. Martha was undoubtedly a very funny character to second-century Christians. The Lord came calling, and all she could think to do was clean and cook.

Mary’s response was the reasonable one. She wanted to hear all Jesus had to tell her. What Jesus was saying to Martha was, “Sit down, Martha. Listen to what I have to say. Don’t yell at your sister for wanting to hear me. After all, I’ve come a long way.”

The story of Mary and Martha, then, is funny in some ways. But it is also deadly serious. In Luke (21:34) Jesus warned that we have to be on guard that the worries of this life don’t weigh down our hearts because, in this condition, the final day can come and catch us like a trap. Martha was definitely weighed down by the troubles of this life and, often, so are we.

Martha would say that a visitor needs to be fed; we would say that bills need to be paid. Jesus would say that the urgency lies with the coming kingdom not with bellies and wallets. A stomach doesn’t stay satisfied very long anyway, and all that we buy with our money will pass away. We have need of only one thing: Jesus, who said, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). Mary understood this better than Martha did. What Martha lacked was a singleness of vision. Jesus told her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things.”

How about us? Do we keep our focus on the kingdom during the week or are we occasionally distracted by worldly matters? How about on Sundays? Do we give even one day solely over to God and spiritual matters? Or do we have other things planned today?

We don’t fight over nonreligious matters getting ready for church; do we? Surely, we’ve never argued on the way to church! Okay, how about one hour? Do we keep the distractions at bay for even one hour so that we can put our full attention into worshiping God? Surely we don’t worry about the heat, the uncomfortable seating, what other people are doing, whether there are mistakes in the bulletin, whether we know or like the hymns, or whether the pastor went too fast, too slow, or just too long with the sermon?

I’ll tell you what I think about: I want to do a good job on Sunday morning. I want to deliver a good sermon and keep the mistakes during the service to a minimum because, after all, this is my job. And sometimes, with all this attention on doing well, I forget to worship with you. Even pastors struggle to give one hour to God free from the distractions of worldly things.

Let’s make this very clear: the distraction is not the mistake the pastor makes, or the baby’s cry, or the discomfort. The distraction is our reaction to these. We let the mistake cloud our minds, the baby’s crying stir our emotions, the straight-backed pew move our thoughts from God to our bodies. Rather than looking at these through the eyes of the kingdom, we view these happenings as the world views them. To the world, a mistake is worthy of censure, a child should be seen and not heard, and physical discomfort is simply unacceptable. In kingdom thinking, mistakes reveal our common humanity, children must be heard because none of us shall see the kingdom unless we become as children, and physical discomfort is a small price to pay for spiritual fulfillment.

Those who live in the kingdom now have a single-mindedness about life. Jesus Christ is the center of their life, and all of their actions revolve around this center point. Getting back to Martha: what she didn’t know, and what we forget, is that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Jesus came to serve by teaching and by dying for sins. In her frantic attempts to do good work, Martha was missing out on what Jesus had to tell her.

Sometimes even the good work of the church can be distracting if it interferes with one’s listening to the word. There’s always so much for us to do here. But we come to church so that the word of God can happen to us here: one word from Jesus can change us forever. This is a time when we should stop the mad dash and take time to listen.

Of course, if good deeds don’t follow the time we spend here, then we have not heard. But those who attempt to do right and be “good people” without going to church or centering their lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ are like beautiful ships without rudders, moving ahead but going nowhere. “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

CSS Publishing Co., Inc., Spirit works: Cycle C sermons for Pentecost Sunday through proper 12, by Robert C. Cochran

Overview and Insights · Relating to People, to Jesus, and to the Father (10:25–11:13)

This section focuses on relationships. A lawyer tests Jesus with a question about how to gain eternal life. Jesus draws out the proper answer: love God and love people (Lev. 19:18; Deut. 6:5). Wanting to “justify himself,” the lawyer asks Jesus to define “neighbor” (10:29). In response, Jesus gives the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which we see the principle that love for another perso…

The Baker Bible Handbook by , Baker Publishing Group, 2016

Luke 10:38-42 · At the Home of Martha and Mary

41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Commentary · At the Home of Martha and Mary

The next story (10:38–42) may have occurred at some other time, and Luke may have inserted it here for topical reasons. Luke probably omits the name of the village (Bethany; John 11:1, 18; 12:1) because it was near Jerusalem, and Jesus does not arrive in Jerusalem for some time. Martha complains to Jesus about Mary’s failure to help with the meal preparations. In fact, Martha seems to be blaming Jesus (“Lord, don’t you care,” 10:40) since Mary is not helping because she is listening to Jesus teach. The point of the story is not that a life of contemplation is better than a life of service. Rather, Jesus gently chides Martha because her preparations are too elaborate; she is distracted “by all the preparations” (10:40; literally “much service”), and she is “worried and upset about many things” (10:41). Jesus says that “few things are needed—or indeed only one,” and this stands for the better part that Mary has chosen, namely listening to the word of God. The implication is that Martha, if she would keep the preparations simple, could also listen to Jesus. The story is significant because Jesus, in contrast to most Jewish teachers of the day, encourages learning among women. Sitting at a teacher’s feet (10:39) is the usual posture of a student, indicating that Mary is one of his pupils.

The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary by Gary M. Burge, Baker Publishing Group, 2016

Big Idea: It is our personal relationship with God that should take priority in our lives; those who know God as Father can pray to him with full confidence.

Understanding the Text

Prayer, and especially Jesus’s practice of prayer, is a prominent theme for Luke. He has portrayed Jesus at prayer already in 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:18, 28–29, indicating that this was an important part of his way of life. Those passages record the fact of Jesus’s frequent prayer rather than its content. But in 10:21–22 we have heard Jesus in prayer to his Father, and we have been told of the intimate relationship shared by the Father and the Son. The disciples have become aware of this special relationship expressed in Jesus’s prayers, and they want to share it. Remarkably, without compromising the uniqueness of that relationship, Jesus now encourages them also to address God as Father and to draw on that relationship in what they pray for.

The story of Martha and Mary takes up the theme of the women who followed and provided for Jesus (8:1–3). While it does not refer to prayer to God, Mary’s personal devotion to Jesus perhaps foreshadows what later becomes a central element in Christian prayer and devotion.

Historical and Cultural Background

Set forms of prayer were familiar among Jews at the time of Jesus, both in the synagogue service and in the recitation of the Shema (see on 10:27). An Aramaic synagogue prayer or doxology known as the Qaddish begins with the clause “Exalted and hallowed be his great name” and continues “May he let his kingdom rule . . . speedily and soon.” The prayer that Jesus here teaches his disciples (a longer version of which appears in Matt. 6:9–13) would thus have had a familiar ring, though the Qaddish had no parallel to the petitionary second half of the prayer. There are, however, further parallels between the Lord’s Prayer and the Eighteen Benedictions of the synagogue liturgy.1

Jewish thought had adopted from the Old Testament the idea that God is the Father of his people, but to approach him in prayer simply as “Father” (Aramaic “Abba,” a familiar but respectful form of address) is less clearly evidenced in surviving Jewish records and apparently is a distinctive innovation by Jesus that became a treasured spiritual privilege among the early Christians (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6).

Interpretive Insights

10:38 a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. According to John 11:1, the village was Bethany, just outside Jerusalem, and Jesus was already a friend of the family, known to them as “the Teacher” (John 11:28). Jesus and his disciples regularly depended on the hospitality of friends and well-wishers as they traveled (see Luke 8:1–3). Luke does not name the village. If he knows it was Bethany (near the end point of the journey that began in 9:51 and ends in chap. 19), he has placed this incident here, out of chronological order, for its contribution to the overall portrayal of discipleship.

10:39 Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet, listening. The Twelve were males, but here is a woman who fully fits the pattern of a disciple. Jewish society would not expect a woman to be so privileged, and neither did Martha!

10:40 Lord, don’t you care? This displays the natural frustration of a busy woman who sees her sister “shirking,” and she blames Jesus for encouraging her. Presumably, she has no objection to listening to “the Teacher” in itself; it is a matter of priorities.

10:42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Most English versions (including the earlier NIV) follow those manuscripts that read simply “but only one thing is needed,” a more direct contrast with the “many things” (many chores or many items for the meal?) that Martha was busy with. On the latest NIV reading,[2] however, Jesus apparently asks for a simpler meal (“few things”) rather than the more elaborate hospitality that Martha feels obliged to offer, and then he changes the subject by focusing on the “one thing” (listening to the word of God) that Mary has chosen. On either reading there is a deliberate word play on what is “needed” for the meal and what is spiritually most necessary.

Mary has chosen what is better. Spiritual food takes priority over physical food. Martha’s desire to provide the best hospitality was not wrong in itself, but she had her priorities wrong.

11:1 teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples. Here is one of several incidental indications of a continuing group of followers of John the Baptist, seen as an uneasy parallel to the Jesus movement (cf. 5:33; 7:18–23). John had taught his disciples to fast and pray often (5:33), but we are not told what form those prayers took. Note that the prayer that Jesus teaches is for disciples to use corporately (“Give us . . . forgive us . . . lead us . . .”) rather than in individual devotion.

11:2 When you pray, say. This suggests a set form of words, but Matthew’s equivalent introduction, “This is how you should pray,” may indicate more a pattern of prayer than a set formula. The fact that the wording of the two versions differs indicates that the formulation was not rigid. In practice, Christian devotion has always found a place both for the verbatim repetition of the Lord’s Prayer (in whichever version) and for its use as a template for more extended prayer.

Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. On “Father,” see “Historical and Cultural Background” above. This first part of the prayer (which closely resembles the Qaddish [see above]) focuses on God, before 11:3–4 addresses our needs. The additional third clause in the Matthean version (“Your will be done” [Matt. 6:10]) does not differ significantly from the coming of God’s kingship—that is, his effective rule over human society. This whole first section is, quite simply, a prayer that God be God, and that he be seen and honored as such on earth.

11:3 Give us each day our daily bread. “Daily” represents a Greek word, epiousios (a term apparently coined by the Gospel writers to translate Jesus’s Aramaic), that probably derives from a phrase meaning “for the coming day.” On that basis some have argued that this is a prayer not for everyday sustenance, but for provision for the future (eschatological) “day of the Lord.” But Luke’s very precise phrase “each day” and the tense of the verb, which implies “keep on giving,” make that view unlikely. The believer here recognizes that daily survival depends on God’s gracious provision. We live, under his care, one day at a time (cf. the provision of manna in Exod. 16:4).

11:4 Forgive us . . . for we also forgive. Physical need is balanced by spiritual need, and we are as dependent on our Father for the one as for the other. The parallel between God’s forgiving and ours may suggest that our forgiveness is “earned” by forgiving others, but the rest of Luke’s Gospel (notably in the parable of the lost son [15:11–32]) emphasizes that forgiveness is by grace, not by merit. The point is rather that there is a fundamental insincerity in asking for forgiveness if we refuse also to forgive; the Father’s grace should be mirrored, however inadequately, by his children.

everyone who sins against us. This is literally “everyone indebted to us,” but the use of this metaphor in the second clause can hardly indicate a different sort of “forgiveness” (the verb is the same), since in the Matthean version the debt metaphor is used in both clauses.

lead us not into temptation. “Temptation” and “testing” represent the same word in Greek (see on 4:2), and the latter is perhaps the primary sense here, since God does not tempt anyone (see James 1:13–14). A weaker sense of “lead us not” is possible: “do not let us be tempted” (cf. 22:40, 46), envisaging an experience that, like that of Jesus, is both (negative) temptation and (positive) testing. Disciples, aware of their human weakness, naturally pray to be spared such an ordeal if possible. Luke’s version of the prayer omits the balancing “worst-case scenario,” appealing for rescue when things do get the better of us (cf. Matt. 6:13b).

11:5–8 Suppose you have a friend. This homely parable teaches that it is not a waste of time to ask God for what you need. If even a reluctant neighbor can be prevailed upon to help, how much more so we can count on help from God, who both knows and wants what is best for his people. Compare the similar parable of the persistent widow (18:1–8).

11:9–10 Ask . . . seek . . . knock. This explains the point of the parable. The present imperatives probably indicate repeated asking, seeking, and knocking. We should keep on praying with confidence that God will respond. This is the practical reality of our experience of petitionary prayer; the philosophical puzzle of why we need to ask at all if God already knows and cares is simply not raised.

11:11–13 you fathers . . . know how to give good gifts to your children. Jesus now draws on the opening word of the prayer, “Father,” to encourage our confidence in prayer. Even human fathers, who are, by comparison, “evil,” do good not harm to their children. The snake and scorpion, which might be superficially mistaken for a fish and an egg (the scorpion can roll itself into a protective ball), are symbols of evil (10:19).

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him. Whereas Luke speaks of the Father giving the “Holy Spirit,” Matthew’s version uses the more obvious term “good gifts” (Matt. 7:11). Luke perhaps thinks of the Holy Spirit as the source of all that is good rather than envisaging a specific petition to be “given” the Holy Spirit (an idea that has no parallel in Luke’s Gospel before 24:49, though it might anticipate what he will record in, e.g., Acts 1:4; 2:1–4).

Theological Insights

The story of Martha and Mary is one of the most prominent examples of Luke’s concern to emphasize the role of women among Jesus’s disciples. If 8:1–3 might have suggested that their sole function is to look after the material needs of Jesus and the disciples, Mary represents a less mundane calling; she is a disciple in the fullest sense, and she is a model for men as well as women.

In 11:1–13 the twin themes of prayer and of the fatherhood of God are brought together and are shown to be inseparable. Prayer that is merely a religious routine has missed the point. Prayer arises out of and expresses the confidence of those who know God as Father and therefore can rely on his loving care. It is not a “shopping list” of demands that need to be pressed on a reluctant deity. We persist in prayer not because we need to persuade God but in order to foster that relationship of dependent trust.

Teaching the Text

These two passages share the common theme of devotion to God, demonstrated through discipleship (10:38–42) and prayer (11:1–13), and so may be profitably taught together. They are distinct and important enough individually, however, that most will want to teach them independently.

1. Martha and Mary. Many will sympathize with Martha. So encourage listeners to consider or discuss Jesus’s apparently one-sided response. What does it do to our sense of fairness? Why was Mary’s choice “better”? Does this mean that the many Marthas in the church are second-class disciples? Is it relevant to apply this passage to the question of differing vocations? How do we guard against the twin dangers of mere activism versus being so heavenly minded as to be of no earthly use?

Although the importance of discipleship and the priority and privilege of sitting at Jesus’s feet as a learner are the primary points that ought to be developed in a lesson or sermon, Jesus’s countercultural approach to women is also worth discussing. As throughout the Gospel of Luke, Jesus lifts up and treats as equals those who occupy the lower (“outsider”) positions of society (the poor, the sick, lepers, tax-collectors, sinners, prostitutes, Samaritans, women, children, etc.).

2. Prayer. Every clause of the Lord’s Prayer is a potential basis for teaching. The teacher may use it that way, encouraging listeners to consider what aspects of prayer each clause illustrates. But it is important also to see both the balance of the prayer as a whole and the importance of the focus on God as being prior to the focus on our needs. The first two petitions concern God’s glory and kingdom, not our needs. And the whole thing needs to be set within the theme of God as our Father in heaven, which is illustrated especially in 11:9–13.

Another theme that could be considered and discussed is that of persistence in prayer. If God already knows and cares, what would be lost if we did not go on asking, seeking, and knocking?

Illustrating the Text

Let Jesus work on your heart before you work your heart out for Jesus.

Personal Testimony: Invite a “Martha” or two to share their testimonies of how their service to the Lord became more than just keeping busy or working hard. Have them tell about how they came to a “Mary moment” in which Jesus transformed their heart and freed them from keeping score, comparing to others, and feeling used when serving in church. The key here is to find a volunteer or staff member who is known for excellence and a great attitude. You want a testimony that shows how love absorbed while sitting at Jesus’s feet frees them to scrub dishes joyfully and willingly. The illustration is to show that Mary and Martha need not represent irreconcilable tribes—they can be united within the same heart, as long as the Mary moments come first.

Prayer is not merely about airing a shopping list of needs and desires; it is an expression of childlike trust and gratitude.

Theological Reference: One sixteenth-century confession of the Protestant Reformation (the Heidelberg Catechism, question 116) declares that prayer is actually “the chief part of the gratitude which God requires of us.” What this statement means is that in God’s eyes, prayer is not really a matter of his creatures’ narcissistic begging for selfish desires. The mere act of asking God for anything expresses faith and gratitude that pleases him in and of itself. When we pray, we are acting on a faith that declares that (1) God exists and is listening, (2) he is good, and (3) he can be trusted to answer generously and wisely now as he has in the past. Praying is thanking, then, regardless of the petitions being expressed.

The Lord’s Prayer is not just a rote prayer—it is a template and teaching resource that can expand our heart’s vocabulary and experience of conversation with God.

Theological Resources: Throughout the history of the church, the Lord’s Prayer has been used as a model for praying and a pattern for teaching important aspects of prayer. Make use of it and teach your people to pray the pattern Jesus taught his disciples, not just a rote repetition of the Our Father. This could be in the form of a message series, Sunday school class, or handout. If your theological tradition has a teaching tool to help you flesh out the truth contained in the Lord’s prayer, such as a catechism or classic teaching, this would be a key opportunity to draw on such a resource. One possibility would be to explore this truth using the Heidelberg Catechism’s teachings on the Lord’s Prayer (questions 116–129). If you are not familiar with its breakdown and explanation of the petitions in the Lord’s Prayer, it may be worth your time to check it out.

Teaching the Text by R.T. France, Baker Publishing Group, 2016

Dictionary

Direct Matches

Martha

The sister of Mary and Lazarus, who lived in Bethany (John 11:1 2). In Luke 10:38–42 and John 12:1–8, Martha is depicted as interested only in preparing and serving food to her houseguest, Jesus. As such, she is contrasted with Mary, who spends her time with Jesus. In Luke 10 Martha even enlists Jesus’ help in requesting that Mary join her in completing the necessary work. Jesus, however, declares that Martha is “worried and upset about many things” (v. 41) and Mary’s actions are more desirable. In a separate account (John 11:1–44), Mary and Martha send word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, is sick. Jesus delays the journey to Bethany in order to demonstrate the glory of God, which results in his raising Lazarus from the dead. Upon hearing of Jesus’ eventual arrival, Martha goes out to meet him and questions the timing of his journey. In their dialogue, Jesus confirms Martha’s faith in him (John 11:27), but before Jesus performs the miracle, she experiences doubt.

Mary

(1) The most important Mary of the NT is the mother of Jesus, who becomes pregnant through the Holy Spirit while still a virgin. In contrast with Matthew’s birth narrative, where the emphasis falls on Joseph, Luke’s focuses on Mary. Luke’s Gospel introduces Mary as the one to whom God sends the angel Gabriel (1:26 27). Gabriel announces that Mary will be the mother of the Messiah from David’s line, who will reign over the house of Jacob and have a unique father-son relationship with God. Mary responds in humble obedience as “the Lord’s servant” (1:29–38). When she visits her relative Elizabeth, Mary breaks forth in the Magnificat, a song praising God for caring for the humble, humbling the mighty, and remembering his covenant with Abraham (1:46–55).

After the birth of Jesus and the visit from the shepherds, Mary “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (2:19). An old man, Simeon, announces that although Jesus will be a light of revelation for the Gentiles and Israel’s glory, Mary will be deeply grieved, and her soul will be pierced by a sword (2:35). This is the first hint in Luke’s Gospel that Mary’s child, the Messiah, will suffer. In the only episode from Jesus’ childhood in the Gospel, Mary scolds her son for remaining in the temple while his family traveled back to Galilee (2:48). In Luke’s Gospel, Mary is a humble and obedient woman who reflects deeply about her experiences surrounding the birth of Jesus and cares greatly for him as well. Beyond the birth narratives, Mary does not figure as a prominent character in the Gospels. In John’s Gospel, Jesus speaks sternly to his mother when she wants him to perform a miracle before his “hour has . . . come” (2:4); however, at the crucifixion, Mary is present, and Jesus places her into the care of the Beloved Disciple (19:25–27). Later traditions about Mary’s immaculate conception, perpetual virginity, sinlessness, and roles as co-mediator of salvation and answerer of prayer are not taught in the Bible.

(2) Another Mary mentioned in the Gospels is the sister of Martha, who is praised by Jesus for not busying herself with domestic duties as Martha does, but rather sits at the feet of Jesus, “listening to what he said” (Luke 10:39–40). This same Mary is mentioned on another occasion as the one “who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 11:1–2; cf. 12:1–8). The Synoptic Gospels record a similar event in which a woman, left unnamed, anoints either the feet of Jesus (Luke 7:36–50) or his head (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9). With the exception of Luke, it seems as though John, Matthew, and Mark are recording the same event. In each of these three, Jesus associates the anointing with the preparation of his body for burial.

(3) Mary Magdalene makes a brief appearance during the ministry of Jesus, and Luke describes her as one who had been cured of seven demons (Luke 8:2). It is quite unlikely that she is the “sinful” woman of the preceding narrative (7:37–50), an association that has given rise to the erroneous belief that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. She is the first to witness the empty tomb (John 20:1). Likewise, she is the first to see the resurrected Lord and is commanded to go and tell the disciples about his resurrection (John 20:11–18; cf. Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1–6; Luke 24:1–10). She is even present for the crucifixion (Matt. 27:56) and the burial of Jesus’ body (Matt. 27:61).

(4) Mary the mother of James and Joses (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40) is one of two other Marys who, like Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus, appear at the crucifixion. She may be the same person as #5.

(5) Mary the wife of Clopas (John 19:25) is the second of the two other Marys who, like Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus, appear at the crucifixion. She may be the same person as #4.

Woman

In the Bible, woman is first encountered along with man in Gen. 1:26 28. God created “man” in the plural, male and female, and commanded them to reproduce and to fill the earth and subdue it. Being created male and female is set in parallel to being created in the image of God. In the ancient Near East, perhaps the king would be thought of as the image of God. But in Genesis, not only is the first man the image of God, but the first woman participates in the image as well. This is all but unthinkable in the ancient world, and it suggests an unparalleled dignity and worth in womankind.

Genesis records that the human race fell through the instrumentality of a man, a woman, and the serpent. The serpent approached the woman, not the man. The woman was convinced by the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit. She gave some to her husband, who also ate it without saying a word. Thus, the woman can be blamed in part for the fall of the race. Adam was condemned because he “listened to [his] wife” (Gen. 3:17). Her judgment, for heeding the serpent, was pain in childbirth and a desire for her husband, who would rule over her (Gen. 3:16). The exact parameters of this judgment are unclear, but it appears that her desire will be for his position of leadership and will be perpetually frustrated.

Often in the Bible, women are motivated by their desire to have children. Rachel demanded of Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!” (Gen. 30:1). She saw herself in competition with her sister, Leah, in this respect (30:8). The “fruit of the womb” is a reward, and like arrows, the blessed man’s quiver is full of them (Ps. 127:1–5). Note also the beatitude of Ps. 128:3: “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.”

In Genesis, the reproductive capability of slave girls is at the disposal of their owners. Thus, Rachel and Leah’s maidservants became surrogate mothers for a number of their sons (Gen. 30:3–10). Sarah also became frustrated at her inability to conceive, so she gave Hagar to Abraham. The result was great familial turmoil, finally resulting in the banishment of both Hagar and Ishmael, whom she bore to Abraham.

In the beginning, God joined one man and one woman together as husband and wife. But soon this idea was corrupted, and Lamech, a man from Cain’s lineage, is credited with the first polygamous marriage (Gen. 4:19). Although the patriarchs (such as Jacob) did have more than one wife, the household discontent and strife are what is highlighted in those stories, such as with Hagar. In the NT, an elder is to be, literally, a “one-woman man” (1 Tim. 3:2; ESV, KJV: “the husband of one wife”), meaning monogamous.

The Torah contains significant legislation regarding women. The daughters of Zelophehad argued that their father died without sons, so in Canaan they were disinherited. God agreed and decreed that in Israel daughters would inherit land in the absence of sons. Only if there were no children at all would the land pass to other kin (Num. 27:1–11).

When a man made a vow, he must fulfill it, but a young woman’s vow was subject to her father. If he remained silent, the vow stood, but if he expressed disapproval, then she was freed from it. If she was married, her husband governed her vows, but if she was divorced, then there was no responsible male over her, and her vow was treated as a man’s (Num. 30:1–16).

Sexual intercourse was also regulated in the law of Moses, insofar as the act rendered both parties ritually impure (Lev. 15:18). Both must bathe and were unclean until evening. A woman’s menstrual discharge also made her unclean for a week. Everything she sat or lay upon was unclean, as was anyone who touched these things. She must wash and offer sacrifice to become clean again (15:18–31).

If a man discovered on his wedding night that his bride was not a virgin, he could accuse her publicly. If her parents provided evidence that she had in fact been a virgin, then the man was severely punished for lying and not allowed to divorce her (otherwise, it was simply a matter of writing a letter to divorce her [Deut. 24:1]). If her virginity could not be proved, she was to be put to death by stoning (Deut. 22:13–21).

In the case of a rape of a betrothed virgin, if it occurred in the city, both the rapist and the victim were stoned, since apparently she had failed to cry out for help and thus, the law assumed, consented to sexual intercourse. If she was raped in the countryside, only the man was killed. But if he raped a woman who was not spoken for, his punishment was that he must marry her without possibility of divorce (Deut. 22:23–29).

Numbers 5:11–31 treats cases where a husband was suspicious that his wife had been unfaithful—that is, a matter of covenantal jealousy. The unprovable was left to God to punish.

In the Bible, women sometimes are afforded dignity beyond what is expected in an ancient Near Eastern provenance. Hagar is the only woman in all ancient Near Eastern literature who gave a name to a deity (Gen. 16:13). In Judg. 4:4, Deborah “judged” Israel (despite the NIV’s “leading,” the underlying Hebrew verb indicates “judging,” as in the NRSV). Even as judge, however, she did not lead the army against the enemy general Sisera; Barak did so. But Barak was unwilling to undertake this mission unless Deborah went with him (4:8). Thus, God ensured that the prestige of killing Sisera went to a woman, Jael (4:9, 21). Another prominent woman was Huldah, to whom the priests turned for guidance when the law was rediscovered (2 Kings 22:14).

Many biblical stories feature heroines. Mighty Pharaoh was undermined by two midwives in his attempt to destroy Israel (Exod. 1:15–21). Ruth the Moabite woman gave her name to the book that recounts her trek from Moab to Israel, including her famous oath of loyalty (Ruth 1:16–17). Esther too was a courageous woman whose book bears her name. Heroines are especially prominent in the Gospels, and the women there have the distinction of being the first to witness the risen Lord. Luke’s birth narrative is largely organized around Mary. Priscilla (with her husband) taught and helped to shape the early church (Acts 18:26). Paul lists many women in Rom. 16, calling them “deaconess,” “fellow worker,” and possibly even “apostle.”

Scripture also at times portrays various women as being temptations to men. Eve handed the fruit to Adam (Gen. 3:6). In the wilderness Israel worshiped Moabite gods in conjunction with sexual activity (Num. 25:1–9). Later, Israelites intermarried with Canaanite women, directly leading to worship of their idols (Judg. 3:6). Bathsheba was a temptation to David, and this began a series of events that marred his career as a man after God’s own heart. Solomon loved many foreign women, who turned him to worship their gods. After the exile, the Israelites were admonished by Nehemiah to put away their foreign wives lest history repeat itself (Neh. 13:26).

Women and marriage are used in the Bible as images for spiritual things. Paul writes that marital love mirrors the church’s relationship with Christ (Eph. 5:32–33). A man should love his wife as Christ loved the church. Revelation portrays the climax to human history in the figure of two women: the bride of Christ, adorned with righteous deeds for her husband (19:7–8), and the whore Babylon, drunk on the blood of the saints (17:5–6). The consummation of the age is when one is judged and the other enters her eternal marital bliss.

The book of Proverbs also separates humankind into two groups, symbolized by two women. Along the path of life, the youth hears the voices of Woman Folly (9:13–18) and of Woman Wisdom (1:20–33) calling out to him. Folly is incarnated in the flesh-and-blood temptation of the immoral woman (7:6–27), whereas Woman Wisdom has her counterpart at the end of the book in the detailed description of the woman of virtue (31:10–31). There, the woman who fears God is set as a prize far above earthly wealth—the highest blessing of the wise.

Paul uses two women from sacred history to help explain his gospel of law versus grace. Hagar the slave woman represents the Mosaic covenant given at Sinai, and the earthly Jerusalem—that is, a mind-set of slavery that futilely attempts to earn God’s favor by works of the law. Sarah was the free woman, and her son was the promised son, who represents the heavenly Jerusalem, the new covenant, and freedom from the requirements of the law (Gal. 4:21–31). Again, two women symbolize two paths and two peoples—one being slaves, the other being God’s free people.

Word

“Word” is used in the Bible to refer to the speech of God in oral, written, or incarnate form. In each of these uses, God desires to make himself known to his people. The communication of God is always personal and relational, whether he speaks to call things into existence (Gen. 1) or to address an individual directly (Gen. 2:16 17; Exod. 3:14). The prophets and the apostles received the word of God (Deut. 18:14–22; John 16:13), some of which was proclaimed but not recorded. The greatest revelation in this regard is the person of Jesus Christ, who is called the “Word” of God (John 1:1, 14).

The psalmist declared God’s word to be an eternal object of hope and trust that gives light and direction (Ps. 119), and Jesus declared the word to be truth (John 17:17). The word is particularized and intimately connected with God himself by means of the key phrases “your word,” “the word of God,” “the word of the Lord,” “word about Christ,” and “the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17; Col. 3:16). Our understanding of the word is informed by a variety of terms and contexts in the canon of Scripture, a collection of which is found in Ps. 119.

The theme of the word in Ps. 119 is continued and clarified in the NT, accentuating the intimate connection between the word of God and God himself. The “Word” of God is the eternal Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1; 1 John 1:1–4), who took on flesh and blood so that we might see the glory of the eternal God. The sovereign glory of Christ as the Word of God is depicted in the vision of John in Rev. 19:13. As the Word of God, Jesus Christ ultimately gives us our lives (John 1:4; 6:33; 10:10), sustains our lives (John 5:24; 6:51, 54; 8:51), and ultimately renders a just judgment regarding our lives (John 5:30; 8:16, 26; 9:39; cf. Matt. 25:31–33; Heb. 4:12).

Direct Matches

Martha

The sister of Mary and Lazarus, who lived in Bethany (John 11:1–2). In Luke 10:38–42 and John 12:1–8, Martha is depicted as interested only in preparing and serving food to her houseguest, Jesus. As such, she is contrasted with Mary, who spends her time with Jesus. In Luke 10 Martha even enlists Jesus’ help in requesting that Mary join her in completing the necessary work. Jesus, however, declares that Martha is “worried and upset about many things” (v. 41) and Mary’s actions are more desirable. In a separate account (John 11:1–44), Mary and Martha send word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, is sick. Jesus delays the journey to Bethany in order to demonstrate the glory of God, which results in his raising Lazarus from the dead. Upon hearing of Jesus’ eventual arrival, Martha goes out to meet him and questions the timing of his journey. In their dialogue, Jesus confirms Martha’s faith in him (John 11:27), but before Jesus performs the miracle, she experiences doubt.

Mary

(1) The most important Mary of the NT is the mother of Jesus, who becomes pregnant through the Holy Spirit while still a virgin. In contrast with Matthew’s birth narrative, where the emphasis falls on Joseph, Luke’s focuses on Mary. Luke’s Gospel introduces Mary as the one to whom God sends the angel Gabriel (1:26–27). Gabriel announces that Mary will be the mother of the Messiah from David’s line, who will reign over the house of Jacob and have a unique father-son relationship with God. Mary responds in humble obedience as “the Lord’s servant” (1:29–38). When she visits her relative Elizabeth, Mary breaks forth in the Magnificat, a song praising God for caring for the humble, humbling the mighty, and remembering his covenant with Abraham (1:46–55).

(2) Another Mary mentioned in the Gospels is the sister of Martha, who is praised by Jesus for not busying herself with domestic duties as Martha does, but rather sits at the feet of Jesus, “listening to what he said” (Luke 10:39–40). This same Mary is mentioned on another occasion as the one “who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair” (John 11:1–2; cf. 12:1–8). The Synoptic Gospels record a similar event in which a woman, left unnamed, anoints either the feet of Jesus (Luke 7:36–50) or his head (Matt. 26:6–13; Mark 14:3–9). With the exception of Luke, it seems as though John, Matthew, and Mark are recording the same event. In each of these three, Jesus associates the anointing with the preparation of his body for burial.

(3) Mary Magdalene makes a brief appearance during the ministry of Jesus, and Luke describes her as one who had been cured of seven demons (Luke 8:2). It is quite unlikely that she is the “sinful” woman of the preceding narrative (7:37–50), an association that has given rise to the erroneous belief that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. She is the first to witness the empty tomb (John 20:1). Likewise, she is the first to see the resurrected Lord and is commanded to go and tell the disciples about his resurrection (John 20:11–18; cf. Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:1–6; Luke 24:1–10). She is even present for the crucifixion (Matt. 27:56) and the burial of Jesus’ body (Matt. 27:61).

(4) Mary the mother of James and Joses (Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40) is one of two other Marys who, like Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus, appear at the crucifixion. She may be the same person as #5.

(5) Mary the wife of Clopas (John 19:25) is the second of the two other Marys who, like Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus, appear at the crucifixion. She may be the same person as #4.

(6) Another Mary is the mother of John Mark, to whose house Peter comes after he escapes from prison (Acts 12:12).

(7) In Rom. 16:6, Paul sends greetings to Mary, who “worked very hard” for the church in Rome.

Sister

Sisters play a major role in many OT narratives. Sarah was Abraham’s half sister (Gen. 20:12; marriage or intercourse with one’s half sister was later prohibited [Lev. 18:11; 20:17]). More than once he sought to protect himself in a cowardly way by presenting her as his sister, not mentioning that she was also his wife (Gen. 12:10–12; 20). Isaac repeated the sin of his father (Gen. 26). Jacob loved Rachel but was deceived by her father Laban into marrying her older sister Leah, initiating one of the most vicious sibling rivalries in the Bible. Miriam, the sister of Moses, was a prophet and an important leader in her own right (Exod. 15:20; but see Num. 12:1, when she challenged Moses’ authority). Amnon began a bitter feud with his half brother Absalom when Amnon raped Absalom’s sister Tamar (2 Sam. 13). Jeremiah and Ezekiel both depict the northern and southern kingdoms as unfaithful sisters (Jer. 3:6–10; Ezek. 23; cf. Ezek. 16).

Certain biblical stories indicate that sisters were protected by brothers rather than fathers. It is Laban who negotiates the terms of his sister Rebekah’s marriage to Isaac (Gen. 24). Dinah is avenged and defended by her brothers; Jacob does nothing (Gen. 34). Tamar comes under Absalom’s protection, not David’s (2 Sam. 13). In Song of Songs, it is the brothers, not the parents, who supervise the girl (1:6) and who discuss her protection until she comes of age (8:8–9), though she declares she is able to take care of herself (8:10).

In the NT, the most famous sisters are Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42), who mourn the death of their beloved brother, Lazarus (John 11). Throughout the NT, the members of the church are often referred to as “brothers and sisters” (e.g., Matt. 18:15; Acts 6:3; 1 Cor. 12:1; Phil. 4:8; James 1:2; 1 John 3:13; many modern Bible versions [such as GW, NIV, NLT, NRSV] translate the Greek term adelphoi as including both men and women), carrying on Jesus’ redefinition of the family: “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matt. 12:50). See also Brotherly Love; Brothers and Sisters, Jesus’.

Secondary Matches

The following suggestions occured because Luke 10:38-42 is mentioned in the definition.

Adummim

, Pass of A place name that occurs twice with respect to defining the border between Judah and Benjamin (Josh. 15:7; 18:17). It derives from the Hebrew word for either “ground” (“earth”) or “red.” Located on the leeward side of the Judean hills, the Pass of Adummim was part of the road from Jerusalem to Jericho that connected the hill country and Transjordan through the Jordan Valley. Its underlying bedrock is cenomanian limestone, whose exfoliation and disintegration yields the red soil (terra rosa), from which the slope probably derives its name. Several important biblical events occurred on this route, including the return of Michal to David (2 Sam. 3:14–16) and David’s flight from Absalom (2 Sam. 15–16). On his trips through Jericho to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled this route as well. The ruggedness of this route informs the parable of the good Samaritan, which Jesus told on his final trip along this route to Jerusalem (Luke 10:25–42).

Barnabas

A name given by the apostles to Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, missionary companion of Paul, and cousin of John Mark (Acts 4:36). Luke interprets the name “Barnabas” to mean (in Aramaic) “son of encouragement,” although this etymology is debated. Barnabas was known in the early church for his generosity and reconciling spirit.

Barnabas first appears in the book of Acts as a model of generosity for the Jerusalem church when he sells a piece of property to support the poor in the church (4:36–37). His example contrasts sharply with Ananias and Sapphira, who are judged by God for lying to the Holy Spirit concerning their own gift to the church. Barnabas next appears as the member of the Jerusalem church courageous enough to bring Saul, the former persecutor, to the leaders of the Jerusalem church (9:26–27). Later, when reports of Gentile conversions in Antioch were received in Jerusalem, Barnabas was sent to Antioch to supervise the work there. Barnabas went to Tarsus and brought Saul with him to Antioch (11:22–26). There they ministered together, at one point delivering famine relief to Jerusalem (11:30).

The church in Antioch received a revelation from the Holy Spirit to send Barnabas and Saul on the first missionary outreach (Acts 13:2). Accompanied by Barnabas’s cousin John Mark, they traveled to Barnabas’s home island of Cyprus and then to the Roman province of Galatia. Mark deserted the group in Perga and returned to Jerusalem, but Paul and Barnabas established churches in Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe (Acts 13–14). After returning to Antioch, Barnabas accompanied Paul to the Jerusalem council to settle the Judaizing controversy concerning whether Gentiles must keep the law and be circumcised to be saved (Acts 15).

Upon returning to Antioch, Paul suggested a return to the churches in Galatia. Barnabas proposed taking John Mark, but Paul refused, and the ensuing conflict resulted in Paul’s departure to Galatia with Silas, with Barnabas taking John Mark to Cyprus (Acts 15:36–41). This is the last we hear of Barnabas in Acts.

Paul mentions Barnabas five times in his letters (1 Cor. 9:6; Gal. 2:1, 9, 13; Col. 4:10). He refers to Mark as Barnabas’s cousin (Col. 4:10), speaks of their Jerusalem famine visit (Gal. 2:1, 9), and relates an episode of apparent hypocrisy when Barnabas withdrew from Gentile table fellowship under pressure from Jewish Christians (Gal. 2:13).

Later church writings attributed additional traditions to Barnabas. Clement of Alexandria claimed that Barnabas was one of the seventy sent out by Jesus in Luke 10 and also identified him as the author of the Epistle of Barnabas. Tertullian said that Barnabas wrote Hebrews, and the fifth or sixth century Acts of Barnabas describes his later ministry and martyrdom in Cyprus. None of these later traditions have sufficient evidence to confirm their historicity.

Foot

The human foot is referred to in the Bible both literally (e.g., Exod. 21:24; Lev. 14:14; Luke 8:29) and figuratively (e.g., Prov. 4:27; Matt. 18:8; 1 Cor. 12:15), and the word “foot” is also used to represent the base of a mountain or a hill (e.g., Exod. 19:12; Josh. 18:16).

The common footwear was the sandal, which covered only the soles. Because roads were generally very dusty and dirty, feet needed to be washed frequently. Figuratively, a conquering king placed his foot on the neck of the conquered leader, symbolizing dominance (Josh. 10:24). Thus, placing someone under one’s foot represented total dominance (Ps. 110:1; 1 Cor. 15:25). To “sit at the feet” of a person indicated a willingness to learn from or serve a master (Luke 10:39; James 2:3). To “fall at the feet” showed a posture of humility (1 Sam. 25:24). The washing of feet was an act of hospitality (Luke 7:44) and a show of humility (John 13:4–15) demonstrated to an honored guest. To set foot in a place sometimes suggested that the person or people would take possession of it (Deut. 1:36; 11:24). The “feet of God” represent the salvation of God’s people (Zech. 14:4).

Gender Equality

Although the Bible is dominated by a patriarchal perspective, as one would expect from the ancient Near East, there is also a valuing of women that comes to the surface. Although this falls short of what we would call “gender equality” today, the Bible does make overtures in that direction. Already in the Genesis creation story, men and women are described as the two halves of humanity, who together participate in the mandate to fill and subdue the earth (Gen. 1:26–28). Eve is created from the side of Adam, indicating equality in their very beings (2:21–23).

In his own ministry, Jesus includes women in ways that were unusual for his context. In first-century Palestine, learning from spiritual teachers was a privilege reserved exclusively for men. However, in the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38–42), Jesus commends Mary for breaking her expected role as a woman in order to follow him and learn at his feet. Martha, however, receives a sharp rebuke for allowing domestic duties to hinder her discipleship. Jesus’ first resurrection appearance is to women in all of the Gospels, even though the testimony of a woman was generally not considered valid in legal matters in first-century Palestine (although rabbinic literature suggests it was considered valid testimony for a woman to confirm a man’s death). Jesus takes particular efforts to elevate the position of women, despite a possible tarnishing of his public image.

The concern for greater gender equality extends into the rest of the NT. Paul says that in Christ all are one regardless of ethnicity, status, or gender (Gal. 3:28). Paul also refers to women as coworkers in the gospel (Rom. 16:3) and as deacons (16:1). Although frequently cited in order to support a hierarchal family structure, the household codes (Eph. 5:21–6:9; Col. 3:18–4:1; Titus 2:1–10; 1 Pet. 2:18–3:7) are a step toward gender equality in the Greco-Roman culture, since secular household codes usually placed responsibilities on wives, not husbands. That Paul gives responsibilities to husbands is a significant shift toward a mutuality of devotion and obligation.

Gestures

In the Bible, gestures are made with either parts of the body or items, such as clothing and rings, directly connected to the body. For this reason, it makes sense to classify biblical gestures in relation to the different body parts that are identified with the gestures. It is, however, challenging to know where to draw a line on classifying a gesture. For example, a devious person is described in Prov. 6:13 as one “who winks maliciously with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers.” It is unclear whether this is a single gesture or multiple ones, and whether all signify different things or the same thing.

Head

Gestures that relate to the head range from simple head motions to semiviolent acts such as hair pulling. Simple head motions include lifting of one’s head in honor (Gen. 40:13), bowing one’s head in mourning (Ps. 35:14), tossing one’s head in mockery and derision (2 Kings 19:21), and shaking one’s head as insult (Ps. 22:7; Mark 15:29).

A common action is the shaving of the head, which can be for purification (Lev. 14:8–9; Num. 6:9; 8:7 [includes all body hair]), mourning (Deut. 21:11–13; Job 1:20; Isa. 15:2; Jer. 16:6; 47:5; 48:37; Ezek. 27:31; Amos 8:10; Mic. 1:16), remorse (Jer. 41:5), or shaming (Jer. 2:16). However, priests are forbidden from shaving their heads even in mourning (Lev. 21:5; Ezek. 44:20), while the high priest is to wear a turban on his head during sacrificial duties (Exod. 29:6).

Anointing of the head is done when a priest or king is installed (Exod. 29:7; Ps. 23:5) or simply as a sign of God’s goodness and blessing on a person (Eccles. 9:8). Blessing may also involve placing a hand on the head of the person being blessed (Gen. 48:14–18; Exod. 29:19), while the same gesture on the head of sacrificial animals is a symbolic means of transferring sin (Lev. 3:2, 8, 13; 4:4, 15, 24, 29, 33; 8:18, 22).

In the OT, a woman’s head can be shaved in mourning (Deut. 21:12–13; cf. Jer. 47:5), but in the NT, a shaved head can be a cause for disgrace (1 Cor. 11:5–6).

Face. Facial gestures range from expressions to actions such as touching or covering the face. A face can be downcast in anger (Gen. 4:5–6) or bowed to the ground in honor (Gen. 48:12), in dejection (Josh. 7:6), in humility (Ruth 2:10), in worship (2 Chron. 20:18; Ps. 138:2), in subjection, supplication, reverence (1 Sam. 20:41; 25:41; 28:14; 2 Sam. 14:4, 22; 18:28; 24:20; 1 Kings 1:23; 1 Chron. 21:20), or in dread (e.g., Moses before Yahweh [Exod. 3:6]).

The face can be covered or veiled as an indication of uncleanness (Lev. 13:45), in grief/mourning (2 Sam. 19:4; Ezek. 24:17), in resignation (1 Kings 19:13), with intent to deceive in adultery (Job 24:15), or in horror of judgment (Esther 7:8; Ezek. 12:6, 12). It can also be buried in the dust in remorse (Lam. 3:29).

God can be described as hiding or turning away his face against wickedness and evil (Deut. 31:18; 32:20; Ps. 34:16; Isa. 8:17; Jer. 33:5; Ezek. 7:22; 15:7; 20:46; 21:2) or in an act of withholding blessings (Job 13:15; Pss. 10:1; 13:1; 27:9; 30:7; 34:16; Isa. 54:8; 59:2; 64:7). God can also turn his face toward a place in judgment (Ezek. 4:3, 7; 6:2). In 1 Sam. 5:3–4 the idol of the Philistine god Dagon falls facedown before the ark of the covenant, apparently overpowered by Yahweh.

Acts of humiliation or dishonor can involve spitting in the face (Num. 12:14; Deut. 25:9; Job 17:6; 30:10; Isa. 50:6), slapping the face (1 Kings 22:24; 2 Chron. 18:23; Job 16:10; Lam. 3:30; Mic. 5:1), pulling a skirt up over someone’s face in shaming judgment (Jer. 13:26; Nah. 3:5), and hooking and dragging someone by the nose (2 Kings 19:28). Although being struck on the cheek is humiliating, Jesus instructs his disciples to “turn the other cheek” as a sign of resistance to violence (Matt. 5:39; Luke 6:29).

One can lift one’s face in worship (2 Kings 20:2; Job 22:26; Isa. 38:2) or in confidence (Job 11:15) and can fail to lift it in shame and disgrace (Ezra 9:6). Although the shaving of beards in mourning is common practice (Ezra 9:3; Isa. 15:2; Jer. 41:5; 48:37), the forced shaving of beards is an act of shaming and insulting (2 Sam. 10:4; 1 Chron. 19:4–5; Isa. 7:20; 50:6).

Eyes. Winking the eye is perceived as an evil, deceptive, or malicious act (Ps. 35:19; Prov. 6:13; 16:30). Eyes can be lifted up in worship and expectation (Pss. 121:1; 123:1).

Mouth. Pursed lips can characterize an evil person (Prov. 16:30), while a hand can be clapped over the mouth in awe and submission (Job 21:5; 40:4). Psalm 72:9 looks to the righteous king before whom the desert tribes will bow and whose “enemies lick the dust” in defeat.

Ears. An Israelite slave for life is to have a hole punched through his or her earlobe, held against a doorpost, with an awl (Exod. 21:6; Deut. 15:17). Blood is sprinkled on the lobe of the right ear for purification (Exod. 29:20; Lev. 8:23–24; 14:17), while supplication can be described as asking for the turning of an ear (2 Kings 19:16; Ps. 31:2). Turning one’s ear signifies paying attention or taking something to heart (Ps. 49:4; Prov. 4:20; 5:13).

Neck. The neck can be adorned (Song 1:10) as a sign of pride and honor (Gen. 41:42; Judg. 5:30; Prov. 1:9; Ezek. 16:11) or outstretched in arrogance (Ps. 75:5 TNIV: “Do not lift your horns against heaven; do not speak with outstretched neck”). Jeremiah put a yoke on his neck as a prophetic sign of the approaching Babylonian conquest (Jer. 27–28). While putting someone’s neck in a yoke is an act of triumphal conquest (Ps. 105:18), stepping on the neck of a subdued enemy is an act of subjugation and humiliation (Josh. 10:24).

Body

Nakedness in public is considered shameful (Gen. 9:22–23; Nah. 3:5; Rev. 3:18), so that it is sometimes pictured as part of divine judgment (Deut. 28:48; Isa. 47:2–3; Lam. 1:8; Mic. 1:11) or as a sign of promiscuity (Isa. 57:8; Ezek. 16:36). An unkempt body can be a sign of mourning, as it is for Mephibosheth (2 Sam. 19:24). A certain kind of body covering is a sign of marriage proposal or protection (Ezek. 16:8; 23:18; Hos. 2:9). Body dismembering, even in war, is an act of humiliation (2 Sam. 4:12).

Chest. In self-mortification, one can pound one’s chest in mourning (Ezek. 21:12) or in remorse (Jer. 31:19; Luke 18:13). The breasts of sacrificial animals are waved before God as a “wave offering” before being eaten (Exod. 29:26; Lev. 7:30; Num. 6:20).

Hand, arm. Hand gestures include motions such as lifting hands in worship, clapping hands in joy, and clapping a hand over one’s mouth in awe. The expression “outstretched arm” (Exod. 6:6; Deut. 4:34; 5:15; 7:19; 9:29; 11:2; 26:8; 1 Kings 8:42; 2 Kings 17:36; 2 Chron. 6:32; Ps. 136:12; Jer. 21:5; 27:5; 32:17, 21; Ezek. 20:33–34) indicates power, might, strength. It is often used of God to indicate his ability to defeat powerful armies and enemies. God is implored by the psalmist to lift his hand and act for the sake of the righteous (Ps. 10:12).

Since the right hand is the hand of power, the act of sitting at the right hand indicates being favored (1 Kings 2:19; Ps. 110:1; Matt. 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35; Heb. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2; 1 Pet. 3:22). When taking an oath, one places a hand under the thigh/crotch (Gen. 24:2; 47:29), most likely the right hand (see Gen. 48:14, 17–18; Lev. 8:23; 14:14).

Clapping the hands can be a sign of awe (Ezek. 6:11), malice, or remorse (25:6), while a bared arm can be a sign of judgment (4:7). Job claps his hand over his mouth in awe of God and in submission and repentance (Job 40:4–5).

Hands can be lifted in worship (1 Kings 8:22; 1 Tim. 2:8), to beseech (Ps. 28:2), to protect and bless (Ps. 10:12), in an oath (Deut. 32:40), or to harm (Exod. 24:11; 1 Sam. 24:6, 10; 2 Sam.1:14; 18:12).

Pilate washes his hands to proclaim his innocence over the death of Jesus (Matt. 27:24), while 1 Pet. 5:6 urges believers to humble themselves “under God’s mighty hand,” so that in due time they will be lifted up.

Buttocks. Exposure of the buttocks can serve as a humiliating insult and provocation, as happens to David’s men (2 Sam. 10:4; 1 Chron. 19:4) and Egyptian and Cushite captives (Isa. 20:4).

Leg. The leg or thigh is often a euphemism for the male reproductive organs, so that putting one’s hand under a thigh in oath (Gen. 24:2; 47:29) may involve actually grabbing the genitalia. Animal thighs are waved to God in offering before being consumed (Lev. 9:21; 10:14; Num. 6:20), while oaths administered to uncover adultery cause a guilty woman’s thighs to waste (Num. 5:2–27).

The most common gesture involving the knee is bowing, in worship or reverence (Deut. 33:3; Isa. 45:23; Rom. 11:4; 14:11; Phil. 2:10), in defeat (2 Sam. 22:40; Ps. 18:38; Isa. 60:14), in distress (Ps. 57:6), or in respect (1 Kings 1:31). In what seems to be a somewhat awkward position, Elijah puts his face between his knees in prayer (1 Kings 18:42).

Feet. Gestures involving the feet are probably the most common gestures in the Bible. Feet can be washed in hospitality (Gen. 18:4; 19:2; 24:32; 43:24; 1 Sam. 25:41), in ablution (Exod. 30:19, 21; 40:31), or in supplication (1 Sam. 25:41). Feet can be bathed in oil as a blessing (Deut. 33:24), uncovered in marriage proposals (Ezek. 16:8; cf. Ruth 3:4, 7), and stamped in remorse (Ezek. 25:6), and sandals can be removed from them in honor (Exod. 3:1–10) or disgrace (Deut. 25:9). The heavenly seraphs cover their feet in supplication before the throne of God (Isa. 6:2), while the feet of humans can signal deception (Prov. 6:13).

Enemies can be placed under one’s feet in subjugation (1 Kings 5:3; Pss. 8:6; 18:39; 45:5; 47:3; 110:1; Mal. 4:3; Rom. 16:20), have their feet shackled or ensnared (Job 13:27; 33:11; Pss. 25:15; 105:18), and be forced to lick the feet of victors in humiliation and defeat (Isa. 49:23). The righteous will bathe their feet in the blood of their enemies in revenge (Pss. 58:10; 68:23).

Those overwhelmed can grovel at the feet of the powerful (2 Kings 4:27, 37; Esther 8:3; Matt. 28:9; Mark 5:33; 7:25; Acts 10:25), while those emboldened can rise to their feet in confidence (Ezek. 2:1–2; 3:24; Dan. 8:18).

In the NT, dust can be shaken off one’s feet as an indication of divine judgment (Matt. 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5), even as lying at a person’s feet is a recognition of authority/submission (Matt. 15:30; Mark 5:33; Luke 8:28, 35, 41, 47; 10:39; 17:16; Acts 4:37; 5:2). A woman publicly washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, and kisses and perfumes them in what seems an act of love and repentance; but Jesus indicates that she has prepared his body for burial (Luke 7:38–46; John 11:2; 12:3). Jesus washes his disciples’ feet as instruction on servanthood and discipleship (John 13:5–14).

Fingers, Toes. Different fingers seem to have different roles assigned them. A finger sprinkles blood in cleansing (Lev. 4:6, 17, 25, 30, 34; 8:15; 9:9; 14:16; 16:14, 19; Num. 19:4), while blood on the tip of the right thumb and on the right big toe is for cleansing (Exod. 29:20; Lev. 8:23–24; 14:17, 25, 28).

One wears a signet ring as a sign of power (Esther 3:10) or a gesture of restoration and forgiveness (Luke 15:22). But fingers can also motion in deception (Prov. 6:13) or point in blame (Isa. 58:9). Jesus writes with his finger on the ground, apparently as a gesture of indifference to those pointing accusing fingers (John 8:6).

Clothes and Shoes

Garments. Garments attain significance as they are related to specific emotions. Wearing sackcloth and ashes in mourning is common (Gen. 37:34; Ezek. 7:18; 2 Sam. 3:31), while ripping garments in mourning is also frequently attested (Gen. 37:34; 44:13; Lev. 10:6; 21:10; Josh. 7:6; 2 Sam. 1:11; 3:31; 13:31; 1 Kings 21:27; 2 Kings 2:12; 19:1; Esther 4:1; Isa. 32:11; 37:1; Jer. 41:5).

Ripping someone’s clothing to expose nakedness (Ezek. 16:39; 2 Sam. 10:4) or pulling a person’s skirts up over the face (Jer. 13:26) is an act of shaming or insulting. But tearing one’s clothes off can be a sign of fury (Matt. 26:65). Persons with defiling diseases are expected to warn off others by wearing torn clothes and shouting, “Unclean! Unclean!” (Lev. 13:45).

By laying their clothes at Saul’s feet, the crowd may be acknowledging his authority in the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7:58).

Sandals. A woman can remove a man’s sandal in contempt (Deut. 25:5–10), while a sandal can be removed by a kinsman-redeemer to indicate giving up a right or as a transfer of property (Ruth 4:7–8). A sandal can also be removed in mourning (Ezek. 24:17) or be cast over a piece of land to claim ownership (Pss. 60:8; 108:9).

Prophetic Gestures

Prophetic gestures in the OT are mostly concerned with the call to repentance and approaching judgments upon failure to heed the warning. Jeremiah puts a yoke on his neck (Jer. 27–28; cf. Deut. 28:48), Ezekiel cooks with dung (Ezek. 4:12) and sleeps on his left side for 390 days and then on his right side for 40 days (4:5–6), Isaiah strips off his clothing (Isa. 20:2–3; 32:11), and Hosea marries an unfaithful wife (Hos. 1:1–3).

In the NT, Jesus cleanses the temple as an act of symbolic judgment (Matt. 21:12; Mark 11:15; John 2:15). He also breaks bread and drinks wine (Matt. 26:26; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; 24:30, 35; Acts 2:46; 20:11; 27:35; 1 Cor. 11:24–25) and washes his disciples’ feet (John 13:1–13), thereby establishing symbolic Christian practices.

Offices in the New Testament

These church offices are God-given positions of leadership within the early church designed to give it structure and direction. Some of these positions have ongoing application for today; others are important primarily for understanding the historical development of the church.

A definite structure for church leadership is God’s idea. Even though the equality of all believers is a biblical principle (the priesthood of all believers in 1 Pet. 2:5, 9), God has also chosen to give certain spiritual gifts of leadership (Rom. 12:8) or administration (1 Cor. 12:28) to a limited number within the church, not universally to everyone. Paul asks a series of rhetorical questions in 1 Cor. 12:29, “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?” where the expected answer in each case clearly is “No, not everyone has every gift.” Believers are also specifically instructed to “obey your leaders and submit to them” (Heb. 13:17 ESV, NRSV, NASB) and to respect those “who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you” (1 Thess. 5:12). God’s plan is clearly that there be specific leaders. At the same time, the NT does not always answer all our questions or spell out every detail in this area of church leadership. The more significant offices in the NT church include the following:

Apostle. Apostles formed the earliest and most important leadership structure. Jesus, early in his ministry, “called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles” (Luke 6:13). The word “disciple” (mathētēs) means “student” or “learner” and indicates the role of these original twelve during Jesus’ earthly ministry. Following Jesus’ death and resurrection, these same individuals (now minus Judas Iscariot) were typically called “apostles” (apostolos [lit., “sent-out one”), who were then entrusted with Christ’s power and authority as his official representatives. Paul describes the foundational role of this office in Eph. 2:20. Their power and authority were without parallel in the historical development of the church. Some other observations round out our understanding of this office. First, there are occasional (but limited) references to broader circles of apostles in the sense of other people being “sent out” by God for specific ministry. Thus, Barnabas is apparently described as an apostle alongside Paul (Acts 14:14), and James the brother of Jesus is described as an apostle (Gal. 1:19). However, Acts 1:21–22 spells out the usual qualifications for an apostle: “men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us.” Thus, the apostleship, especially understood in the strict sense, is limited to original eyewitnesses from among the first generation of believers, and this office has not continued.

Prophet. The office of prophet (prophētēs) is another foundational one at the time of the establishment of the church (Eph. 2:20). Agabus is described as a prophet (Acts 21:10), and Paul assumes that there were prophets in the church in Corinth (1 Cor. 12:29). Although this is a controversial topic, many believe that this office no longer continues today.

Elder/presbyter. The office of elder or presbyter (presbyteros) is one of the most common in the church. This office is based on the model of elders in the Jewish synagogue. Paul and Bar-na-bas appointed elders in every church as early as their first missionary journey (Acts 14:23). James instructs the sick to call on the elders of the church to pray over them (James 5:14). The best job description for elders is 1 Tim. 5:17, where there are two major emphases: first, directing the affairs of the church, and second, preaching and teaching. Elders apparently always functioned in a plurality in Scripture, never as solo leaders.

Overseer/bishop. The office of overseer or bishop (episkopos) is mentioned in Phil. 1:1 as well as in 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:7 in the lists of qualifications. Although by the second or third century the office of overseer/bishop had evolved into a singular office of one overseer presiding over a number of elders, this was not true in the NT, where these two titles apparently were different names for the same office. Several passages indicate this relationship. In Acts 20:17 Paul calls specifically for the “elders” of the church, yet in Acts 20:28 he refers to them as “overseers.” In similar fashion, in Titus 1:5–9 Paul tells Titus to “appoint elders in every town” but then apparently goes on to speak of them as “overseers.” Peter does the same thing in 1 Pet. 5:1–2, where he describes them first as “elders” and then as “overseers.” The key to understanding this relationship is to see that the term “elder” comes from their Jewish heritage and reflects the qualifications for this office (someone who is older and more mature), whereas the term “overseer” comes from a Greek background and refers more to their job description (they are to oversee and take responsibility for leadership).

Deacon. Deacons provide practical, hands-on ministry in the local church. Interestingly, the classic passage on this office, Acts 6:1–6, never uses the actual noun “deacon” (diakonos). Instead, other forms of this word are used: “to wait on tables” (diakoneō [v. 2]) and “the ministry [lit., ‘service’] of the word” (diakonia [v. 4]). This word group is used frequently to refer to nonreligious service, such as Martha’s meal preparation (Luke 10:40) or in reference to a servant or attendant in one of Jesus’ parables (e.g., Matt. 22:13). Originally, the term “deacon” simply meant “servant.” In the development of the NT church, it gradually became a technical term used to refer to a specific office, such as in Paul’s greeting in Phil. 1:1 and in the list of qualifications in 1 Tim. 3:8–13. The standard understanding of the deacons in the NT church structure is that they assisted the elders/overseers in practical ways (probably on the model of the seven men in Acts 6).

Pastor. Pastors, surprisingly, show up only a single time in most English translations, in Eph. 4:11, where Paul describes how Christ “gave . . . pastors and teachers.” “Pastor” (poimēn) means “shepherd,” and although the noun appears in this sense of a church leader only here, the verb “to shepherd” (poimainō) occurs also in Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2. This shepherding role is associated with the elders/overseers. We see this in Paul’s address to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, where he calls them “elders” (v. 17) and “overseers” (v. 28) and tells them how they are to “be shepherds of the church of God” (v. 28). Peter does the same thing in 1 Pet. 5:1–2, where he calls them “elders” (v. 1) and then calls them “overseers” and tells them to “be shepherds of God’s flock” (v. 2).

Teacher. Teachers are mentioned among those with various spiritual gifts in 1 Cor. 12:28–29 and are connected with pastors in Eph. 4:11, apparently as a single combined office.

Evangelist. Evangelists are mentioned in the list of specially gifted individuals in Eph. 4:11, in relationship to Philip the evangelist in Acts 21:8, and as part of the job description for Timothy in 2 Tim. 4:5 (“do the work of an evangelist”).

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1. Choices

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

She was elected to high office some time ago. Let's call her Beverly Washington. She was the first woman Lieutenant Governor ever elected in her state. Such a first brought much deserved media attention. There were many demands for photo opportunities and interviews. Beverly Washington had never experienced the limelight quite like this before.

One of the interviews with Lt. Governor Washington was conducted by a much younger woman who was obviously taken with the Lt. Governor's success. "I see you have a degree in law from Harvard," the interviewer began. "You must have had a family which really supported your dreams for higher education. Not many women were encouraged to go to college and law school in the 20s and 30s. You seem to be the exception to the rule."

"I'm no exception at all," Beverly Washington replied. "My father's attitude was that boys should go on to school and girls should get married and raise a family. I was lucky that he let me finish high school. After high school I simply determined to go to college. There would be no financial help. There would be no moral or family support. But I decided. I thought it was unfair to hold women back the way my father wanted to hold my sisters and me back. So I decided, packed my bags, and left for college."

"Very good," said the impressed interviewer, "I guess you were blazing trails for women a long time ago. How then did you get started in politics? Not many women ran for public office in the days you first ran."

"That's true," Lt. Governor Washington responded. "It certainly wasn't easy. It wasn't easy finding a job as a lawyer either. There weren't many women lawyers in those days and no one would hire me. I took all kinds of odd jobs to support myself and our family in those early years. That's when I decided that there was something wrong with a system that could discriminate against women in such a way. So I began to wonder how I might change the system. I concluded that the best way to change the system was to get into elective politics. I would become part of the system! Then I could change it. But, of course, that was more easily said than done. It was hard, for example, just trying to get enough signatures on my petition to run for office. The office was county auditor. It took me six months to get the necessary signatures. But I did it. I got beat in the election, of course. Bad! I lost my first three tries but I finally did get elected county treasurer. I knew I was bucking the system. I knew I was blazing a new trail for women. But I had decided in the face of much opposition that this is what I had to do. I decided and I stuck with my decision."

"And here you are the newly-elected Lt. Governor," the interviewer interjected. "It must be a wonderful feeling. You continue to prove the critics wrong. Do you have any advice for women who might be inspired by your example to run for public office?"

"Go for it," Ms. Washington shot back. "You've got to decide for yourself. All the old rules may be lined up against you. Even friends and family may not always support you. So, you've got to want it very badly and be willing to pay the price. The most important thing is that you must decide for yourself. Then stick with your decision. Choose your path and don't look back.""

2. Coffee Room

Illustration

John R. Steward

When Charles Dickens was a little boy he was unhappy and neglected, for he was working in a factory. During his dinner break he would walk the streets of London looking at everything.

Sometimes he would go to the coffee house on St. Martin's Lane. Years later he would tell how on one occasion he was sitting in this coffee house and looked up to see two words written on the glass door. These words created a great fear and panic within him. They were the words "Moor Eeffoc." He did not understand what they could mean. With his imagination he speculated that they might have something to do with the Moors. He knew what a Moor was. Could it be that something cruel and dangerous was behind those doors? Could it be some evil person who wanted to kill him? He simply sat there with his food growing cold wondering what it all meant.

Then it was time to leave. He knew that he would have to go through those ominous doors. With all of his courage he went through those potentially evil doors and when he looked back he discovered that the words on the door now read, "Coffee Room."

Apparently he had been reading the words backward on a glass door. Perhaps Martha had it backward, too.

Adapted by Stuart Robertson, Balanced Burdens (London: Hodder and Stoughton, Limited), p. 20.

3. The Dangerous Attitude of Narrowness

Illustration

James W. Moore

Some years ago in another church a party was given to recognize a married couple for their outstanding work in the church’s youth program. Let me tell you about this couple. I will call them Betty and Bill. They had very different personalities.

Betty was vivacious, out-going, gregarious, affectionate... a hugger. If you gave her a “bow ribbon,” she would jump up and down and squeal with delight and then run around and hug and kiss everybody in the room.

Bill, on the other hand, was the opposite. He was quiet, reserved, shy, stable, balanced. If you gave him a Mercedes and a trip to Hawaii, all he could do is say a quiet and sincere “Thank you.”

Now, on this particular night Betty and Bill were given a surprise party. The young people jumped out from their hiding places, shouted “Surprise!” and then gave Betty and Bill a present. It was a beautiful plaque.

Do you know what Betty did? She read the plaque out loud. She squealed with delight. She cried. She jumped up and down and then ran around the room hugging and kissing everybody in sight. Meanwhile, Bill waited… and when she was through he said quietly: “I want to thank you also!”

But that is not the end of the story. Betty turned on Bill. She got mad at him… and she made a scene:

“Look at you Bill. You don’t appreciate anything. If you did, you would act like it. You would do like I do!”

But, you see Bill can’t act that way. He just isn’t made that way. He is not wired up like Betty is. He can’t act like her, can’t respond that way. If he did, it would be fake, artificial, embarrassing.

You want to say: “Betty, Betty, leave him alone. Don’t force your way on him. Let him do it his way. Let him be Bill!” Now, I have to tell you hugs and kisses are great, but I also know that Bill’s quiet “thank you” is just as real, just as genuine, just as valid.

In this episode with Mary and Martha, Jesus is saying, beware of the dangerous attitude of narrowness. It can devastate your soul.

4. Tell Me About the Spitfires!

Illustration

John G. Lynch

During World War II the Royal Air Force flew Danny's favorite plane of all time: the Spitfire. Watching those things fly all over the RKO newsreels the young boy came to believe they were dauntless. If a pilot flew a Spitfire, Danny thought, he would always hit his target, and he would always return home.

One day the British Consul from Minneapolis came to Danny's town to visit. Danny's dad was chairman of the County War Bond drive so that gave him the honor of entertaining the British Consul in his home. His mother, Suzanne, went crazy with preparations. She brought in all her friends; she hired a German woman to clean the house; she went downtown to buy a new dress.

The day the Consul arrived 40 people crammed into three rooms to welcome this man. Each one of those people couldn't wait to tell this tall, thin diplomat from England about the town, about how patriotic it was, about how he or she had a great-aunt in London, about how well the war was going. They all had plenty to say.

Suzanne was running around fractiously trying to serve everybody and greet everybody, and make sure everybody had a place to sit, and did they want more of this -- in general, were they having a good time.

Finally the British Consul sat down. For a split second he was actually by himself. The hostess had left to get him a drink; all the other guests momentarily turned away. Danny saw his chance. He ran to him. Even though the Consul was sitting, the boy still had to stand to whisper into his ear: "Tell me about Spitfires!"

The tall man looked at the eight-year-old. He smiled, he relaxed, and he said, "Spitfires? I'll tell you a story about Spitfires. I flew one early in the war. It was splendid. I shot down a Messerschmidt and I came home alive. The next time I wasn't so lucky. That's why I'm not flying anymore. What is your name? I'll send you some pictures of Spitfires."

About a month later a letter came from Minneapolis. Inside was a folder about Spitfires and a note from the Consul: "Dear Danny. I enjoyed talking with you. Good luck." He signed his name.

Danny was the only person who didn't barrage the Consul's ears with information about the town and American patriotism. This small boy was the only one who said, "Tell me about Spitfires." He was the only one who actually listened to him -- even if it was just for a few minutes!

In today's gospel lesson Jesus needs somebody to listen. He has just begun his journey to Jerusalem where he knows he will travel the bitter road of the cross and he will experience the loneliness of being denied, abandoned, and betrayed by his disciples. Martha may think her tasks have a high level of importance and at another time she would be right but not now. Now, it is time to sit and listen.

5. Investing Our Time

Illustration

Barbara Bush

As important as your obligation as a doctor, a lawyer or a business leader may be, your human connections with your spouse, your children and your friends are the most important investment you will ever make. At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, not winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal, but you will regret time not spent with your spouse, your children or your friends.

6. We Need Martha and Mary

Illustration

Max Lucado

Max Lucado is right on target when he writes: "Every church needs a Martha. Change that. Every church needs a hundred Marthas. Sleeves rolled up and ready, they keep the pace for the church. Because of Marthas the church budgets get balanced church buildings get repaired and cleaned babies get bounced on loving knees in the nursery. You don't appreciate Marthas until a Martha is missing and all the Marys of the church start scrambling to find the keys to lock doors, turn off the lights and turn off the fans. Yes, the Marthas are the Energizer Bunnies of the church. They keep going and going and going."

Martha was a live wire to be sure. However, even live wires need a time out for recharging. Work without worship will soon burn you out. Even in church we can lose our sense of perspective.

7. Responding with Humor

Illustration

Richard Patt

By the way, don't you think Luke also included this incident in his gospel account because he found it irresistible, or perhaps more accurately, because he found a touch of humor in it? There is humor here, isn't there? We smile at the story because we see ourselves in it, or we detect someone we know who is similar to Martha. Sometimes our priorities, or frustrations, are so far off the beam that they are laughable. And along with this was Martha's own lack of humor, which might have finally saved her. "The Lord's coming to my house? You mean he did accept my reckless invitation?" Martha might have asked. "Well, then, he's going to have to settle for potluck!" Such an attitude could have made Martha a relaxed, delightful hostess.

A friend of mine likes to tell stories about how his teenage children would call him at home on the telephone on Friday nights after the high school basketball games. It was usually about 10 o'clock and they wanted to know whether they could bring a few friends over for a little get together. When the parents asked how many friends were coming, they were usually told, "Oh, about seventeen." Instead of slamming down the phone, the guy said he always smiled at his wife, and the two of them hightailed it over to the supermarket to get enough supplies to feed and water down the two dozen teenagers who showed up. The slight ridiculousness of the situation and the parents' humorous response to it preserved a loving relationship between them and their children.

8. Encapsulated and Unavailable

Illustration

Richard Patt

We live in an age when just about all human contact has to be scheduled. Why? Because more and more we force ourselves into situations where we are encapsuled and, therefore, unavailable. Our homes are electronically gated. In apartments and condominiums our entrances are unapproachable. Our air-controlled cars mean windows up; even our telephones are equipped with screening that implies, "You may call me if you want, but I'll have to get back to you." There are few front porches left. We allow limited access into most parts of our lives. Is it allowable to pop in on anyone any more? Hurray for Martha! She was accessible; she thereby provided for the Lord's human need.

9. Ain't No Sense Worrying

Illustration

Mickey Rivers

Mickey Rivers, a one time outfielder for the Texas Rangers, explained his philosophy of life: Ain't no sense worrying about things you got control over, because if you got control over them, ain't no sense worrying. And their ain't no sense worrying about things you got NO control over either, because if you got no control over them, ain't no sense worrying.

10. Will the Grass Ever Come Back?

Illustration

Richard J. Fairchild

Erma Bombeck, the author who wrote "If Life Is A Bowl Of Cherries, What Am I Doing Here In The Pits", tells of two moments in her husband's life:

There was a time when the children were growing up that her husband used to go and look at the back yard. Surveying the muddy patches where the lawn should be, he would wonder Will the grass ever come back?

And then there was the time when the children were grown and gone that her husband went and looked over the beautiful green lawn, immaculate from lack of use and wondered Will the children ever come back?

Some parts of life are temporary - some are eternal. Wisdom knows the difference. This is the fundamental issue at stake in the story of Mary and Martha.

11. Being Present

Illustration

How many of us have been to a party where our host or hosts are so busy with all of the little details that the guests leave the party thinking, "That was a lovely party, but I wish I had more time to speak with our host!" I imagine this Martha from over 2,000 years ago to have something in common with a certain ‘Martha' from our present. Fussing over the perfect table setting, the most delicious and perhaps elaborate meal, adjusting every little detail until it is just so…and only when everything is perfectly in place, turning to the guests to enjoy their company. There is a lot of joy to be taken in being a host and doing something gracious your guests, but it should never compromise the time we have to really enjoy our contact with them, especially when it starts to feel like ‘work' as Martha clearly expresses.

I think that one of the things Jesus is praising in Mary's behavior in this text is her careful listening and just being present with her guest and her God. Jesus is telling us that there is great wisdom in letting the dishes soak in the sink so we can listen to and relax with others in fellowship.

12. The Highest Priority

Illustration

Arthur E. Dean Windhorn

Have you ever been in a hurry and buttoned up a long overcoat with lots of buttons and when you were done, found out that the coat was uneven? What went wrong? I'll tell you what went wrong. When you don't get the first button in the right hole, all the rest are out of sequence too, right?! That's a parable about life. Jesus said it this way in the Sermon on the Mount: "Seek first God's kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well." (Matthew 6:33) If the Lord is not the high priority in your life, then, like the overcoat, so many other things in life will be out of whack as well.

13. "A" Priorities

Illustration

David E. Leininger

A time management guru, a professor in the business school at Harvard, speaks about A, B, and C priorities, and then he notes that too many people spend too much of their time on the C priorities! And then he asks, "Why do you think that is?" The answer is that the C priorities are, first, much easier to accomplish, and, second, give you the impression that you are actually getting something done. In other words you can keep busy with the C priorities all day and never get to the more important things. The lesson from Mary and Martha is "Don't let the good (the C priorities) get in the way of the best (the A priorities). Sound like anyone you know?

14. There Is Always a Load Limit

Illustration

Arthur E. Dean Windhorn

Dr. John Anderson tells about a cartoon that appeared in the NEW YORKER magazine. Approaching a small bridge plainly marked, "Load Limit " 8 tons" was a truck, also marked on its side, "8 tons." When the 8 ton truck was about in the middle of the bridge with the 8 ton limit, a bluebird lighted on the top girder. At that point the bridge gave way and crashed with the truck into the river below, to the obvious surprise of the bluebird.

The bridge was built as indicated for 8 tons; the truck weighed exactly that. The bridge could hold up under its load limit, but not under 8 tons and one bluebird.

Of course, this story is wonderfully ridiculous. Most bridges could stand up under their load limit and several thousand bluebirds extra. But, to be sure, all bridges have a breaking point somewhere "that point at which the bluebird would be just much too much. But, friends, it really isn't the bluebird that breaks it down. It is the fact that 8 tons are already present.

We all have bluebird troubles, don't we? We are all burdened by the facts of our lives which load us to the point of "load limit." We let little things get the best of us, little bluebirds of nothingness, tiny bluebirds of no importance, but just the thing to bring us down. Every person has a limit and we would do well to watch for the warning signs of one bluebird too many. There is always a load limit.

15. When Anxieties Finally Come True

Illustration

William Marshall

For several years a woman had been having trouble getting to sleep at night because she feared burglars. One night her husband heard a noise in the house, so he went downstairs to investigate. When he got there, he did find a burglar. "Good evening," said the man of the house. "I am pleased to see you. Come upstairs and meet my wife. She has been waiting 10 years to meet you."

16. Leave the Trouble in God's Hands

Illustration

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George Muller Massena, one of Napoleon's generals, suddenly appeared with 18,000 soldiers before an Austrian town which had no means of defending itself. The town council met, certain that capitulation was the only answer. The old dean of the church reminded the council that it was Easter, and begged them to hold services as usual and to leave the trouble in God's hands. They followed his advice. The dean went to the church and rang the bells to announce the service. The French soldiers heard the church bells ring and concluded that the Austrian army had come to rescue the town. They broke camp, and before the bells had ceased ringing, vanished.

17. When to Worry

Illustration

I'm your pastor and I am going to give you permission to worry. But, you can only worry if one of these 7 things happens to you:

Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.

You turn on the news and they're showing emergency routes out of the city.

Your twin sister forgot your birthday.

Your car horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell's Angels on the freeway.

The bird singing outside your window is a buzzard.

Your income tax check bounces.

Your wife says, "Good morning, Bill", and your name is George.

Other than that you don't have anything to worry about.

18. Investing Your Time

Illustration

Eric Ritz

If you greet each new day as a treasure house to be invested wisely, the journey from Sunday to Saturday turns into an exciting and exhilarating experience. By the same token, if you do not use time, it will end up using you. No matter who you are, where you live or what you do, life is impacted most drastically by what you do with time and what it does with you. Will Rogers was once asked: "If you had only 48 hours to live, how would you spend them?" The Oklahoma cowboy philosopher replied: "One at a time." Such is the reality of time. Every day gives us 86,400 seconds and we must use every one of them as they come, for they will never be seen again.

But ironically, there is another side to this crucial issue for each of us. There is an altogether different dimension of time which only people of faith can ever know. There is a time which no wrist watch can measure, but which itself measures how much abundance people find in life. Beyond the world's time there is God's time. The basic issue is in learning how to tell one kind of time from the other. We must know when to wait and we must know when to move. Only when we are connected to God can we know the difference.

19. The Sons of Martha

Illustration

Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling felt that preachers were very hard on Martha, so he wrote a poem in defense of this poor woman. Here is part of the poem entitled The Sons of Martha:

The sons of Mary seldom bother
for they have inherited that good part;
But the sons of Martha favor their mother
of the careful soul and the troubled heart.

And because she lost her temper once,
and because she was rude to the Lord her Guest,
Her sons must wait upon Mary's sons
world without end, reprieve, or rest.

And the sons of Mary smile and are blessed -
they know the angels are on their side.
They know in them is the grace confessed
and for them are the mercies multiplied.

They sit at the Feet-they hear the Word -
they see how truly the promise runs
They have cast their burden upon the Lord,
and-the Lord, he lays it on Martha's sons.

20. A Normal Part of Life?

Illustration

W. Robert McClelland

Some time ago a friend of mine came to me with the exciting news that he had just received a job promotion. He said it would mean professional advancement and a sizable increase in salary. Unfortunately, it meant leaving the community. "My family doesn't want to leave," he lamented. "We simply hate to leave our friends here, and the church which has meant so much to us. The whole thing is tearing the children apart."

As his pastor, I found myself reassuring him by saying "The kids will get over that. Children adjust very well. After all, that's a normal part of life."

Later, when I had a chance to reflect on our conversation, I wondered why we both had assumed that a promotion should be accepted when it is offered, even though it means tearing up spiritual and social roots? Is such dislocation to be expected, and accepted, as a normal part of life? It is precisely that assumption which is called in question by Jesus' reply to Martha.

21. The Virtuous Castle of Work

Illustration

W. Robert McClelland

Brazilian theologian, Rubem Alves, suggests that we imagine ourselves locked in a room with no windows or doors. No matter how nice the room is furnished we will very quickly become bored and suffer claustrophobia. Inevitably we will begin to probe the walls and floor, looking for a way of escape. Then, Alves suggests, that we imagine ourselves in a castle with a thousand and one luxurious rooms, filled with surprises and pleasures. As we tire of one room we can move to the next, and the next, indefinitely exploring the castle. So absorbed are we in our search that we never notice that the castle, like the other room, has neither windows nor doors. We are equally a prisoner but it never occurs to us to escape.

Enslavement is the issue. And Martha was trapped in her virtuous castle of work fixing dinner for Jesus. Yet, it is Jesus who says the idle Mary has chosen the better part.

22. Don’t Forget the Best

Illustration

Adrian Dieleman

There is an ancient Scottish legend that tells the story of a shepherd boy tending a few straggling sheep on the side of a mountain. One day as he cared for his sheep he saw at his feet a beautiful flower. One that was more beautiful than any he had ever seen in his life. He knelt down upon his knees and scooped the flower in his hands and held it close to his eyes, drinking in its beauty. As he held the flower close, suddenly he heard a noise and looked up. Before him was a great stone mountain opening up right before his eyes. And as the sun began to shine on the inside of the mountain, he saw the sprinkling of the beautiful gems and precious metals that it contained.

With the flower in his hands, he walked inside. Laying the flower down, he began to gather all the gold and silver and precious gems in his arms. Finally with all that his arms could carry, he turned and began to walk out of that great cavern, and suddenly a voice said to him, "Don't forget the best."

Thinking that perhaps he had overlooked some choice piece of treasure, he went back and picked up additional priceless treasures. Now with his arms literally overflowing with wealth, he turned to walk back out of the great mountainous vault. Again the voice said, "Don't forget the best."

But by this time his arms were filled and he walked out. Suddenly, the precious metals and stones turned to dust, and he looked around just in time to see the great stone mountain closing its doors. Just then the voice spoke one last time, "You forgot the best. For the beautiful flower is the key to the vault of the mountain."

In our Scripture passage we have someone who also forgot the best. Her name was Martha.

23. Living Against Reality

Illustration

E. Stanley Jones

"I am inwardly fashioned for faith, not for fear. Fear is not my native land; faith is. I am so mad that worry and anxiety are sand in the machinery of life; faith is the oil. I live better by faith and confidence than by fear, doubt and anxiety. In anxiety and worry, my being is gasping for breath these are not my native air. But in faith and confidence, I breathe freely these are my native air. A John Hopkins University doctor says, "We do not know why it is that worriers die sooner than the non-worriers, but that is a fact." But I, who am simple of mind, think I know; We are inwardly constructed in nerve and tissue, brain cell and soul, for faith and not for fear. God made us that way. To live by worry is to live against reality."

24. Coronary and Ulcer Club

Illustration

Staff

The Coronary and Ulcer Club lists the following rules for members:

Your job comes first. Forget everything else.
Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are fine times to be working at the office. There will be nobody else there to bother you.
Always have your briefcase with you when not at your desk. This provides an opportunity to review completely all the troubles and worries of the day.
Never say "no" to a request. Always say "yes."
Accept all invitations to meetings, banquets, committees, etc.
All forms of recreation are a waste of time.
Never delegate responsibility to others; carry the entire load yourself.
If your work calls for traveling, work all day and travel at night to keep that appointment you made for eight the next morning.
No matter how many jobs you already are doing, remember you always can take on more.

25. Workaholism

Illustration

Michael Parker

In the familiar story of Mary and Martha, I think that most of us relate to the hard working Martha. In an article I read this week in the paper, it was reported that Americans work more hours per year than any other major industrial nation. The Germans work an annual average of 1,421 hours per year, the French 1,564, the Japanese 1,784, and Americans 1,804. All of these nations have cut their annual hours by 16 to 20 percent over the last 40 years. The exception is the United States, which has remained more or less static.

This is not a recent phenomenon. As long ago as 1840, Alexis de Tocqueville wrote of the "feverish ardor" with which "Americans pursue their own welfare," and "this strange unrest of so many happy men, restless in the midst of abundance" (Bk 2, chp. 13). A recent academic paper from professors from the University of Texas and the University of Michigan argues that working long hours for many may be "an addiction, akin to alcoholism and smoking." The paper is titled "The Economics of Workaholism." The guilty subtitle is "We should not Have Worked on this Paper."

26. Undivided Attention

Illustration

David R. Cartwright

Pastor David Cartwright tells this story about his daughter and homework. He says, back when our daughter, Megan, was in high school, she was trying to write a paper for her English class. She was experiencing what is known as "writer's block." I watched her pace up and down the family room, working herself up into quite a frenzy. Finally, she came over to me and said, "Dad, I just can't think of anything to write. How do you do it week after week?" I looked at her and said, "Well, first of all, I've found that it's helpful to sit down in front of the typewriter." She replied, "Oh, Daddy, that's no help!" I said, "You asked me for my advice, and I gave you the best I had." Not too much time went by before I saw her sitting down at the typewriter working away on what turned out to be a prize-winning essay. It worked.

The only way Mary could learn what Jesus had to say was to sit down and give him her undivided attention.

27. Conversation of The Hear

Illustration

Carveth Mitchell

A mother, listening to the bedtime prayers of her small daughter, heard the listing of requests for blessings that children often offer - Mommy and Daddy and Grandma and Grandpa and on and on. She was surprised, however, to hear the child conclude her prayer with these words: "Now, Jesus, what would you like for me to do for you?"

The little girl had grasped the relationships of the Christian life: conversation of the heart (worship) with Jesus issues in the desire to do something for Jesus.

One listener of a morning radio program wrote the following verse:

Dear God,
Each day,
When I come to pray
I ask so much of Thee.
In supplication
I bow
But seldom stay to see
What you might ask of me.
Today

Dear God,
When I come to pray
Beseeching Thy love and care,
While I'm there
Give me courage
To stay and see
What you might ask of me!

To be doers of the Word and witnesses to the Word is not only the fulfillment of our faith, but the mandate of the Master. Our Lord needs his Marys and his Marthas too.

28. Lord of All Pots and Pans

Illustration

Carveth Mitchell

I have only the initials (M.K.H., quoted in the Salvation Army magazine) of the person who wrote this verse, but I suspect that a lot of other initials could be added to it in spirit:

Lord of all pots and pans, since I've no time to be
A saint by doing lovely things, or watching late with Thee
Or dreaming in dawnlight, or storming heaven's gates
Make me a saint by getting meals and washing up the plates.

29. A Worry Table

Illustration

Thomas Kepler

A Worry Table: Some of us would do well to emulate the woman who realized that her fears were ruining her life, so she made for herself a "worry table." On tabulating her worries she discovered that 40 percent will never happen; 30 percent were all about decisions that cannot be altered; 12 percent were about others' criticism, most untrue; 10 percent were about my health, which gets worse as I worry; 8 percent were legitimate since life has some real problems to meet.

30. My Back Yard

Illustration

Arthur E. Dean Windhorn

True happiness is not achieved it is received as in the case of two brothers Rich and Mike, who are complete opposites. Mike is a successful businessman. Rich, on the other hand, takes seasonal jobs at dude ranches, parks and resorts. Mike is always concerned for Rich's welfare and tries to entice him with the "good life." He sends Rich photos labeled with messages like "My new sound system" or "My new car." But one day the campaign ended when Mike received a poster from his brother showing a breathtaking view of Wyoming's Grand TetonNational Park. On the back was a message from Rich: "My back yard."

31. Looking For Your Ice-cream Cone?

Illustration

Brett Blair

Urban legend has it [no this is not a true story but it is a good one] that in 1990 a woman entered a Haagen-Dazs in the Kansas City Plaza for an ice-cream cone. While she was ordering another customer entered the store. She placed her order, turned and found herself staring face to face with Paul Newman. He was in town filming Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. His blue eyes made her knees buckle. She finished paying and quickly walked out of the store with her heart still pounding. Gaining her composure she suddenly realized she didn't have her cone; she turned to go back in. At the door she met Paul Newman who was coming out. He said to her, "Are you looking for your ice-cream cone?" Unable to utter a word she nodded yes. "You put it in your purse with your change."

When was the last time the presence of God made you forget what was going on around you? Made you forget the dishes? Made you forget the ball game? Made you forget the bank account? Made you forget where...you put your ice cream cone?

32. Number One on the List

Illustration

Brett Blair

Ivy Lee (1877–1934) was an American publicity expert and worked as a consultant for a number of businesses. One of those was for Charles Schwab, who was then president of Bethlehem Steel. Schwab was obsessed with efficiency and wanted Bethlehem Steel to become more productive. Ivy Lee was brought in.

Schwab asked: “Show me a way to get more things done.”

Lee: “Give me 15 minutes with each of your executives”

Schwab: “How much will it cost me?”

Lee: “Nothing. Unless it works. After three months, you can send me a check for whatever you feel it’s worth to you.”

Schwab agreed and during those 15 minutes with each executive, Lee laid out the following five step method:

At the end of each working day, write down the five most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than five tasks.
Prioritize those items in order of their true importance.
When you arrive tomorrow, concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.
Approach the rest of your list in the same way. Don’t worry if you’ve only finished one or two by the end of the day; the others can wait.
Repeat this process every working day.

It’s simple right? Well, Schwab and his team starting using this method. It worked well, very well. After a couple months of outstanding production from his staff Schwab sent a $25,000 check to Lee. Adjusted for inflation that's $400,000 today!

Today this simple approach is called the The Ivy Lee Method. It's a million dollar productivity approach for a lot of companies. If we were to apply the Ivy Lee Method to Christianity what would it look like? I think all of would agree that Love God and Love your neighbor would be #1 on the list. But after that? What would come after that. I think this text is a good candidate for #2: So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' Rather seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

In fact isn't that the Ivy Lee method itself? Let's call it the Jesus Method: Trust in God; pursue what is Good, and don't worry about tomorrow. And today your needs will be met.

33. Freedom from Worry

Illustration

Keith Wagner

Tony Compolo tells a story about a friend of his who had to take a bus trip across central India. He was in an old model bus which was packed with people, packages, furniture and even animals. Sitting across from Tony's friend was a tired man whose neatly wrapped packaged was sitting on the luggage rack over his head. The man kept dozing off and each time he would wake up in a panic fearing that his package had been stolen. This went on for hours. But then eventually he fell asleep. When he awoke his package was gone. Momentarily he panicked as he realized he had been robbed. But, being relieved that the thing that caused him constant worry was now gone, he settled back in his seat, totally relaxed and with a sense of joy he fell into a prolonged, wonderful sleep.

The man was now free of the one thing he was holding on to. I believe that is what Jesus is attempting to illustrate in this story. By letting go of the things that worry us, the things that obsess us, or the things that consume us, we discover we are free.

34. Prescription for Unhappiness

Illustration

Editor James S. Hewett

1. Make little things bother you: don't just let them, make them!

2. Lose your perspective of things, and keep it lost. Don't put first things first.

3. Get yourself a good worry—one about which you cannot do anything but worry.

4. Be a perfectionist: condemn yourself and others for not achieving perfection.

5. Be right, always right, perfectly right all the time. Be the only one who is right and be rigid about your rightness.

6. Don't trust or believe people or accept them at anything but their worst and weakest. Be suspicious. Impute ulterior motives to them.

7. Always compare yourself unfavorably to others, which is the guarantee of instant misery.

8. Take personally, with a chip on your shoulder, everything that happens to you that you don't like.

9. Don't give yourself wholeheartedly or enthusiastically to anyone or to anything.

10. Make happiness the aim of your life instead of bracing for life's barbs through a "bitter with the sweet" philosophy.

Use this prescription regularly for awhile and you will be guaranteed unhappiness.

35. One Generation Away from Extinction

Illustration

Brett Blair

It has been pointed out that the Church is always one generation from extinction. If we don't spread the Gospel, it will be just one generation away from disappearing from the face of the earth. It's a compelling idea, isn't it? It enhances our sense of Christian responsibility. We need to get out there and work for the Gospel or the Church could fade into history.

Perhaps you have heard the old story about Jesus appearing in heaven just after his resurrection. Jesus is giving a progress report on all that has happened while he was on earth. Moses is there and he asks him, "Well Jesus, did you leave things in capable hands?"

Jesus responds, "I did. I have left behind Mary and Martha and Peter and the other disciples.

"Moses said, "What if they fail?"

Jesus said, "Well, I have established the Church and filled it with the Holy Spirit and they will carry on."

And Moses said, "What if they fail?"

Came the reply, "I have no other plan."

There's a great tension there. God is at work here in our church but we've been given the keys of the Kingdom. We have work to do and Christ calls us to it. The prophet Micah put it this way: "do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with thy God."

36. Taking Risks

Illustration

Here are types of risks we take annually and their respective odds. Your Odds are:

one in 12 that you will have an accident
one in 2,900 that you will die in a auto accident
one in 80,000 that you will die from complications in surgery
one in 250,000 that you will die in a plane crash
one in 1,000,000 that you will die in your bath tub

There was also an article in the newspaper, which spoke to the things that people fear, in light of their probability of occurring. According to this article, one of the fears that people had, was dying in a plane crash, and yet statistically, we are more likely to be kicked to death by a horse than to be killed in a plane crash. How many of you have ever been afraid of being kicked to death by a horse?

Another fear people have is that of being murdered by someone they don't know like a drive by shooting. Did you realize that you are 8 times more likely to be killed playing a sport than to be killed by a drive by shooting? And yet how many people worry about dying when they go out to play a sport?

People also worry about surgery and dying while on the operating table, and yet we are more likely to be killed in the car ride to the hospital. When we step out of the car at the hospital door, our chances of dying just decreased from 1 in 2,900 to 1 in 80,000. The point here is that there are risks in everything that we do. That is also truth with the issue of faithfulness to God. However, when we think about the issue of faithfulness to God, one would think that Christians would feel more comfortable taking the kinds of risks that God asks us to take. Yet, how many of us would have been willing to have taken the kind of risks which Mary took when she said yes to becoming the mother of the foretold Messiah? Our text looks at the risks that Mary took.

37. See the Resemblance

Illustration

Larry Powell

In all prrobablity, you know of some young boy who bears such a striking resemblance to his father that a person would know immediately, even in a crowd, that they were father and son. The father can be seen in the son. The Bible tells us that "God was Christ!" In what ways did the Son resemble the Father?

a. In his life. Jesus affirmed and celebrated life. His was not the attitude that this world and all that is in it are despicably evil ... that the object is to totally reject life with an eye always on "glory" ... that beauty in any form must be repressed as a tool of the devil. No, instead, Christ affirmed and celebrated life. Not a recluse, he enjoyed friendships with Lazarus, Mary, Martha, and others. He observed simple domestic gestures and was so impressed by them that he gave them a prominent place in his teachings (a woman sweeping a house, or drawing water at a well, baking bread, old wineskins bursting with new wine, lamps flickering in the night, patches on old garments). He enjoyed and absorbed the movements in nature and referred to them in order to illustrate his message; birds gathering into trees, foxes going into dens, figs withering, storm clouds boiling. Jesus affirmed life in such a positive manner, experiencing and relating to God’s great intention and design for all he had made, that we may understand life is not to be either seized nor rejected, but "lived" in an attitude of "Praise God!" In the harmony of Christ’s life with creation, we see something of God’s great intention and design for each of us.

b. In his ministry. Jesus’ ministry was characterized by the absolute "giving" of himself. He was, as one theologian puts it, "radically obedient" to God. In the same spirit, he was "radically giving" to others, always reaching, touching, healing, praying, searching, loving. The Bell Telephone Company did not originate the concept of "Reach Out and Touch Someone." The concept was in the mind of God before creation and the practice is as old as Eden. It was perfected in Jesus Christ, proclaimed in the New Testament, and is as relevant today as this morning’s newspaper. The ministry of Christ reveals a God who "spends" himself for creation.

c. In his teaching. Jesus was able to recognize and relate to God in the common life through his teachings. His life, ministry, and teachings combined to reveal a God of boundless love, caring, concern, and sensitive compassion. What he taught, he practiced. Even in death he was consistent with the witness of his life. Having spoken of "forgiving one’s enemies" and those who "despitefully use you," he gathered his words into action on Calvary. "Father, forgive them," he prayed. He taught so very much more, all of which was personified in his life. He showed that if the "good teacher" is flawlessly consistent, how much more consistent and loving must be our heavenly Father?

d. In his resurrection. Here, God unmistakably reveals himself. His power is beyond imagination. His promises are made good. His intentions and purposes will not be overthrown. His actual involvement in the world is confirmed. In the resurrected Christ, God is clearly revealed. God was, in all ways, in Christ!

38. Who Jesus Raised to Life

Illustration

Alexander H. Wales

If you ask most Christians who Jesus raised to life, the most common response you would get would be "Lazarus." How could we miss the story of the raising of the brother of Mary and Martha? The three days in the tomb caused the sisters to warn Jesus that Lazarus would "stinketh." What a great word, "stinketh"! It sounds like something you would say about a high school locker room after a big basketball game. The resurrection story found in the chapter 11 of the Gospel of John is THE story that springs to mind when we talk about the incredible power of Jesus even over the minions of death. But here in chapter 7 of Luke, we have another miraculous resurrection of an individual without much fanfare or comment: a miracle that ranks right up there with walking on water and bringing sight to the blind, but which gets less than exciting press coverage. I have a feeling that we tend to leave it alone because we get embarrassed by it.

You see, this is a miracle without much explanation or theological intrigue. It happens so quickly that we read it, swallow hard and move on.

39. The Coming of Christ Was to Simple Folk!

Illustration

James Cox

I have an embarrassing confession to make. I realized only a few days ago what Luke is trying to do in this text. For years I had read it and made the unwarranted assumption that old Simeon was a priest. Anna is described as a prophetess so I assumed Simeon a priest -- good balance and symmetry. But something about the text kept nagging me. And then I realized what it was. Simeon was not a priest at all. He was a simple old man -- a layman -- an ordinary person. And Anna was not an official prophetess. She was merely a devout old woman who came to the temple a lot. Luke was only underlining a point he had begun to make by telling about the shepherds who were called from their fields and flocks to worship Christ: The coming of Christ was to simple folk! Luke, did you notice, doesn't even tell the story of the wise men; that's Matthew. Luke's whole concern, in the stories surrounding the birth of Jesus, is to emphasize one thing: Christianity is based on the faith of simple folk.

Come to think of it, that's what Luke’s whole Gospel is about. It's what the book of Acts is about. Luke wrote the book of Acts. It wasn't the priest and Pharisees who received the Kingdom of God, it was the laypeople, the untutored, the untrained, the unsophisticated. It was simple fishermen like James and John and Peter. It was unimportant public officials like Matthew. It was women like Mary and Martha and Mary Magdalene.

Christianity my friends, has never been a religion of Priest and theologians, minister's and teachers; from the very beginning it has been a religion of devout men and women with no claim whatsoever to professional expertise about their faith. This is important to remember.

God never intended the church to be an organization of ministers. What he did intend it to be is an organization of laypersons, all "righteous and devout" like old Simeon, all devoted to fasting and prayer like old Anna, and all ready, in simple faith, to receive his Kingdom and rejoice in it. Ministers, in Christianity, are expendable; good, simple folk are not!

40. Fear Not

Illustration

William R. Boyer

Our fear is a hump we have to get over, and we have to get over it before we can go very far with Jesus. To help an alcoholic or a drug addict, we must first get him or her off the stuff. That is the first step, the first lesson (if you will): to stop drinking or using. Only then does it make sense to talk about other things. Jesus knew that people, from the day they are born, are slaves to fear, just as much slaves as a drunkard is to his bottle or an addict to his needle. And, until we can stop being afraid, and trust God, nothing else works. We are simply too consumed by fear and worry and anxiety to think about anything else. For that reason Jesus spent a great deal of time telling us not to be afraid telling us directly, and acting out God's grace by feeding people who were hungry and rescuing those in trouble on the sea. God will be there when we need him. Fear not. It the first lesson in the Christian primmer, the one on which all the others build.

41. False Grace

Illustration

Michael P. Green

An elderly woman was standing in the checkout line ready to pay for her merchandise: a quart of milk and a loaf of bread. She opened her purse. No money was there; neither was her checkbook. As she was about to ask the clerk to put her things back, suddenly a gentle voice said, “It looks like that is your lunch.” A gentleman was standing right behind her, smiling. “Don’t worry,” he continued. “Today I want to treat you. Take your things with you.” Then the man paid for her merchandise and his own. A week passed by, and the woman came back to the store. The checker knew about the incident and recognized her. She approached the woman and whispered, “Ma’am, maybe you’d be interested to know. That gentleman’s check—it bounced!”

42. The Mirror of Judas

Illustration

Larry Powell

So much has been written, discussed, and speculated about Judas that we feel we know enough about him already. And really, what more is there to say of him other than he is for all times the supreme symbol of betrayal? Nothing, unless we are willing to admit that there was such about his life which causes us to be introspective about our own.

1. Jesus had confidence in him. To begin with, Jesus observed qualities about Judas which were suitable for discipleship. Had there been no goodness, no promise, no ability, Judas certainly would not have been included among the Twelve. Moreover, he was capable and trustworthy enough to be selected as treasurer for the group. So for whatever reason, future potential or ability already acquired, Jesus had confidence in him.

Has not Christ placed tremendous confidence in us? The care of his church, the propagation of his message, the extension of his ministry, faithfulness to our vows. Shall we too betray his confidence?

2. Judas knew how to be discerning. He was not without practical judgment. The care of the treasury would hardly be entrusted to a reckless, emotion-driven individual. Judas was present in the house of Mary and Martha when Mary anointed the feet of Jesus with an expensive ointment. His protest of the anointing is not without merit, inasmuch as his concern was not for himself, but that the ointment could have been sold and the money given to the poor. From time to time a similar protest is raised today by those who question the wisdom of erecting church facilities costing hundreds of thousands of dollars while so many hungry remain to be fed.

Each of us has been entrusted with the freedom of choice and the ability to discern. Do we betray Christ by our choices?

3. Judas had opportunity. His position among Christ’s chosen naturally enabled him to produce a positive witness. And even near the end, he had the opportunity to abort his scheme, the motive of which is still unclear to us. Jesus announced at the table that the one who would betray him would dip in the same dish as the others. Judas played dumb, but inwardly he knew that Jesus saw through his pretense. Judas had opportunity.

As members of Christ’s family, we have numerous opportunities to make positive witnesses. As a people who have followed our own schemes and well-devised plans, we have the opportunity to repent. Shall we betray Christ by bungling our opportunity?

4. Judas had access to Jesus. The fact that Judas was able to walk up to Christ in the garden and greet him with a kiss, the traditional greeting of a disciple for a teacher, clearly establishes that he had easy access to Jesus.

The Scriptures tell us that Christ serves as our "high priest," interceding on our behalf, having access to God, even as we have access to the Son through prayer. To neglect prayer and the spiritual life is to abuse the access. Shall we betray Christ by abusing our access?

What more is there to say of Judas, unless we are willing to admit that there was such about his life which causes us to be introspective about our own?

43. Seeing Life's Meaning

Illustration

Who of us could ever forget Thorton Wilder's memorable play "Our Town." There is an unforgettable scene in that play which never fails to intrigue me. Emily has died and has been given special permission to come back to earth for just a brief time. She has arrived at the graveyard of Grover's Corner, New Jersey, where the story takes place. She will experience the same thing as before, but this time with the knowledge of her impending death. The day that she chooses to live over is her twelfth birthday.

Her mother is pre-occupied with preparations for the celebration. Her father returns home from work exhausted. Only Emily is aware of the few precious moments now remaining. She pleads: "Momma, just look at me once as though you really saw me." But her mother pays no attention. Emily can only relive the day; she cannot change anything. She goes to her father and tries to talk to him, but he is busy reading the paper and pays no attention. Finally she can stand it no longer and she finally cries out: "I can't go on. It is going too fast. We don't have enough time to look at one another. I didn't realize what was going on. I never noticed it. Oh earth, you are too wonderful for anyone to realize you." And then she turns to the stage manager and says: "Do any human beings ever recognize life while they live it every, every minute?"

Bartimaeus received his sight. How about you?

44. Unconventional Mother’s Day Gifts

Illustration

This Mother's Day take a moment to think of all the mothers in the world who are in need. There are millions of women in the world living on less than a dollar a day. There are women in this country who are wondering how they are going to feed or diaper their children from day to day. There are children who need medical attention that their parents may not be able to afford. Anyone who has ever had to worry about such things can deeply sympathize. For those of us who have escaped such worries, we can only imagine the level of instinctive stress that uncertainty can provoke.

There are many ways to celebrate Mother's Day, but here are a few unconventional suggestions that will prove to your own mother that she did a good job raising you. How about dropping off a box of diapers and/or a case of formula to a local food bank or women's shelter? If you have some baby furniture or clothing that your own children have outgrown, how about donating that stuff to a local charity? Does our local hospital have a fund for children who need care? Are there doctors in our community or city who volunteer in clinics overseas who might need supplies? There are countless ways to help support Moms locally and globally. Let your own Mom know that you were thinking about her and all of the many things she provided for you along the way…and that you did a good deed in honor of her. It will make her proud.

45. Think Twice Tactics

Illustration

Hester Mundis

Things you should never let come out of your mouth without first thinking twice:

It's no trouble at all.
love dogs.
We have plenty of room.
Call me any time.
Is there anything I can do?
My husband is a doctor/lawyer/accountant.
I'll try anything once.
Of course, bring the kids.
Why don't you stay for dinner?
If worst comes to worst, you can use mine.
Don't worry there's more where that came from.
Over my dead body, you will!

46. EVERY DAY AND ITS POSSIBILITIES

Illustration

John H. Krahn

In the "Peanuts" comic strip we find Sally waking up in the morning. She jumps out of bed, walks into Charlie Brown’s room, wakes him up and says, "Duck, big brother! Here comes another day!"

Every one of us has experienced similar feelings at one time or another. If we visualize the new day as something to be ducked, we will not be anxious to get out of bed. On the other hand, if the world and life are seen as a great opportunity, then we cannot wait to get back into it each morning. Although all of us have our ups and downs, it is God’s will for our lives that each dawn brings a new beginning, a new joy, as we are blessed with still another opportunity to sample his magnificent creation.

Yet so many people drag through life missing much of what it has to offer. They come across an opportunity for their lives, and they think of all the reasons why it won’t work. It could work for thousands of other people but not for them. These people are worry creators and optimism deflators.

The Devil has a merry time in Hell rejoicing that these negative, self-distrusting thinkers are literally stewing in their own juices. Satan wants them to forget that God created them in his own image. He wants Jesus’ promise of an abundant, worthwhile life to seem little more than a sanctimonious saying.

But the Bible says, "With God all things are possible." Satan detests that God is suggesting to you that you can become a somebody in a world of too many nobodies, a success in a crowd of failures. He does not want you to live up to your God-given potential; instead he wants you to be down on yourself, to hate to get out of bed in the morning.

Tomorrow morning, when the alarm rings, be the person God says you can be. Proclaim with the psalmist, "This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." Next upon your lips should be the verse, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Then jump out of bed and meet the day head-on, walking with the Lord and finding pleasure, possibility, and fulfillment in each step.

47. Illegal Despair

Illustration

Maxie Dunnam

There ought to be a new law written. It would read something like this: when confronted with anything that is confusing or frightening, it is illegal to give in to despair for at least three months. Of course such a law could not be enforced, but it would remind us of some facts worth remembering.

One, things have a way of changing in time.

Two, things always look different in retrospect.

Three, we seldom see things for what they really are.

And four, most of us worry about projected outcomes that are never realized.

There is an old saying which carries a bundle of truth -- don’t borrow trouble. The law I am proposing would help us there. We have enough actual trouble each day without anticipating what may never happen. When confronted by confusion and fear, wait a while before you give in to despair. Tomorrow the experience will look altogether different.

48. The Lost Is Found

Illustration

Richard A. Jensen

It was the biggest tragedy in Pastor Dave's life. Kathy, his daughter, had always been a problem child. There were medical problems. There were behavioral problems. Life was not easy with this daughter. And then one day -- when she was 23 years old -- Kathy simply disappeared. She was gone and no one could find her.

Weeks went by. Pastor Dave was racked with worry. Months went by. Pastor Dave was sure that she must be dead by now. What chance did she have in the world all alone? She needed her medicine. She needed care. Years went by. Pastor Dave felt like he had been through a wringer. He had prayed more than he had prayed in his whole life. He tried to turn the matter over to God. He tried to have this burden lifted from his shoulders. Nothing worked. Kathy's disappearance left a pit in his stomach and a grief in his heart. It was awful.

And then one day, ten years after Kathy had disappeared, the telephone rang at Pastor Dave's house. It was the State Mental Hospital in another part of the state. "We are making an inquiry here," the voice on the line said rather matter-of-factly. "We have a Jane Doe in our care. We have no idea who she is. She has no idea who she is. But we have her Social Security number and we believe her name is Kathy. She thinks she remembers her parents' names. We've cross-checked the records in our state and you folks seem to fit the information we have. Do you have a missing daughter?"

Pastor Dave was speechless. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ten long years! Could it really be that his daughter, now 33, was still alive? Had God heard their prayers? "Well, yes," he finally answered, "we do have a missing daughter named Kathy." As they spoke further on the phone Pastor Dave was quite sure that it was, indeed, his Kathy who had been found. Arrangements were made for Dave and his wife to come to the hospital as quickly as possible in order to identify Kathy. They made the trip in a state of excited anticipation. And it was true! It really was Kathy. The lost had been found.

Having found his daughter Pastor Dave and his wife could instruct the nurses on her medical history. Kathy seemed to respond quite well. It wasn't long before the hospital was ready to release her. Pastor Dave drove across the state once again for the last time since Kathy was found. He could still hardly believe that after ten lost years he was actually going to pick up his daughter. But it was true. Pastor Dave arrived at Kathy's room and helped her pack her few things. He carried them out to the car. After signing the proper release papers Pastor Dave and Kathy were free to go. They got in the car for what was to be a joyous ride home.

As the car pulled out of the hospital grounds no words were exchanged between father and daughter. The only sound was the sound of sniffles as tears flowed down both faces. Finally, a couple of miles down the road, Kathy spoke. "It's kind of like the prodigal son isn't it, Dad? Except that I'm a girl."

"That's exactly what it's like," said Pastor Dave choking back his tears. "And you remember the joy with which the father welcomed his son home? Well that's just how I feel today. Welcome home, Kathy."

49. The Political Controversies of Jesus - Sermon Starter

Illustration

Brett Blair

Someone has figured that if we put all of the materials in the Gospels that tell us about the life of Jesus together that it would equal about 80 pages. Yet, most of that would represent duplication, for we know that some of the Gospel writers copied from others. If, therefore you eliminate the duplication, you would have only 20 pages that tell us about Jesus life and teachings. Of those 20 pages, 13 of them deal specifically with the last week of his life. And if you separate it still further, you will discover that one-third of those 13 pages took place on Tuesday of Holy Week. Thus, in terms of sheer volume, we know far more on this day in his life than any other day. The events of that day represent a significant percentage of what we know about the man Jesus.

We know that Jesus spent Monday evening in Bethany, probably in the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, since that is where he spent Sunday evening. He arose early on Tuesday morning and he and his disciples returned to Jerusalem. If you will then let your mind drift back through the pages of history, let us assume for a moment that you are living in First Century Palestine. It is the Season of the Passover and you and your family are among the thousands of religious pilgrims who have migrated to the ancient walled city of Jerusalem to participate in the religious celebration. You were there on Monday when Jesus took whip in hand and radically ran the moneychangers from the temple. It had been an eventful day.

But now it is Monday and it has come time to retire with your family. As you walk down the Villa de la Rosa you pass by the palace of the high priest, the residence of Caiaphas. You notice that a light is burning in the upper floor of this exquisite mansion. You comment to your family that Caiaphas must be working long hours to see that all of the religious festivities go on as scheduled. Yet, if you only knew what was really going on in that palace that evening. If you only knew what was taking place in that smoke filled room.

Gathered around the table that evening in the palace was one of the strangest combinations of political and religious factions that anyone could possibly imagine. Yet, politics makes strange bedfellows. It is interesting to me to see how fundamentalist Protestant denominations find a partner in the Roman Catholic Church on the issue of abortion. It is interesting to me to see how fundamentalist Protestants and Jews are brought together because they have similar views on the protection of Israel. Groups that would normally not have communication are sometimes strangely brought together for a temporary goal. That is what happened that night in Jerusalem. Here is the background.

The three groups conspired together that evening: the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Pharisees. Their common goal was to discredit Jesus of Nazareth in front of his constituency, the common people. It was probably not their intent to assassinate Jesus, which is what eventually happened, but rather to discredit him. They did not want a martyr on their hands. They would much prefer to make him a fool. Let's give him enough rope and he may just hang himself. Thus, each group would in turn ask him a question, not because they thought that they could learn from him, but because they wished to trick him. They were hoping for that one slip of the tongue. Each group would ask him a question that would be dear to their cause:

The first question asked was from the Herodians.
The next question was asked by Sadducees.
The third question came from a Pharisee.
Having routed the opposition, Jesus now, in essence, says, "It is my turn! Now I want to ask you a question.

50. Donkeys in the Church

Illustration

King Duncan

There is a humorous story about a church having an outdoor nativity pageant using live animals. It was quite a feat, because the church was located in the very heart of downtown in a large metropolitan area. The evening of the pageant everybody was busy making preparations. The donkey that was to be used in the pageant wandered off and trotted down the street. He caused quite a commotion. Finally he entered a nearby bar. Obviously, one of the customers was startled when he saw a donkey come into the bar. The customer pushed his glass aside and decided he had had enough. The bartender, seeing that he was startled, tried to calm him by saying, "Oh, don't let that donkey bother you. He belongs to the Methodist Church up the street." Thinking about that, the man decided it was time to leave.

Well, there are some donkeys in the Methodist Church, in the Presbyterian Church, in the Baptist Church and there are donkeys inside and outside the church. In fact all of us act like donkeys at one time or another. But when Jesus of Nazareth was born in Bethlehem of Judea, all of us donkeys were raised to a new level. God has come down. Humanity has been lifted up.

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