Based on Luke 10:38-42

A busy home can be a messy home. When my wife and I are out and about and someone asks about our family and we share with them that we have five children (and a dog), they usually respond, “Five children! You must be busy!” Yes and no. Yes, we both have full-time jobs. Yes, we have five children, but one of them just got married, another lives in the Midwest, three will be in college, and most of the year we are empty nesters. But yes, we are busy. When the kids are home there are dentist and doctor appointments, paperwork to fill out for school, bills to pay, a house to clean, and a dog to walk.

A busy home can be a messy home—not just physically messy, but emotionally and spiritually messy too. My wife and my kids and I are very well aware of our weaknesses, our failures, how we sin against each other, and how susceptible we are to specific temptations. We feel the guilt of our sins, and that makes for a messy home.

This is true for military homes. You can be single, single with kids, married, married with children and have a busy home, and that’s still going to be a messy home. You know how susceptible you are to certain temptations. You know your weaknesses and your failures when you sin against your spouse, your parents, your co-workers, your friends, and your neighbors. You feel the guilt of your sin. A busy home is a messy home.

We see that today in our reading in Luke 10:38-42. We stand outside a home and peer in the front door and see three main characters: Jesus; a woman named Martha; and her sister, Mary. For some of you this may be the first time you’re hearing this story. For others, if you have heard this story before in a sermon or a devotion, you may have heard (and I have been guilty of saying this too), “Be more like Mary. Don’t be a Martha.” You will not hear that today.

What happens in this story is that Martha is doing what God has called her to do: to serve her neighbor. In this case it’s Jesus and her sister, Mary, and whoever else is in the house, by cleaning, preparing dinner, and serving drinks. This is a good and God-pleasing vocation.

Mary is not helping her sister. She is sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to his words. But when Martha approaches Jesus, she gives him a command: “You tell my sister to come help me!” Jesus helps Martha put busyness in proper perspective. He says to her, “You are distracted by a lot of things. But Mary has chosen the one thing that is needed, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Jesus is saying, “It’s okay to be busy. God gives you a vocation. It is a good thing to be busy in your vocations as you serve your neighbor in your home, at your place of work, in your church, in your community.” But where is Jesus in the busy, messy home? He is present. He is giving proper perspective to the busy, messy home. This is what is needed in a busy, messy home: to sit at Jesus’ feet and to listen to his words.

When we are so anxious about all the busyness and messiness of our home, we sit at Jesus’ feet and he says, “Do not be anxious about anything. Come to my Father in prayer because he cares for you.”

When we are stressed out about finances, we sit at Jesus’ feet and he says, “Look at the birds outside your window. Look at the flowers in your yard. Your Father feeds and clothes them. He will certainly feed and clothe you. He will provide your daily bread.”

When we are so overwhelmed by guilt and when we are so aware of our weaknesses, we sit at Jesus’ feet and he says, “My blood covers over your sin. See how I have defeated the devil for you. See how my righteousness covers over your guilt and weaknesses. You are forgiven. You are at peace with me. Here, put on the armor of God, so that you may stand firm against the attacks of the enemy.”

Not only does Jesus give us proper perspective for busy, messy homes, he prepares us for what is to come. Mary and Martha are about to go through a whole lot in their home. Their brother, Lazarus, will become gravely ill. He will suffer. He will die. They will have to bury him and grieve, until Jesus arrives later and speaks to them and raises Lazarus from the dead. But it is Martha who gives a beautiful confession of faith: “I know that my brother will rise again at the resurrection at the last day, because you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” These words can only be spoken by someone who sat at the feet of Jesus in spite of a busy, messy home.

Jesus is right there in the middle of your busy, messy home. He is there to give you proper perspective; prepare you for future difficulties, sadness, and grief; and prepare you for the joys and blessings he plans to give you. Be busy in your vocations. Sit at Jesus’ feet. Know that the one thing needed for busy, messy homes—the words and promises of Jesus—will not be taken from you.

Prayer:
Almighty God, we thank you for planting in us the seed of your Word. By your Holy Spirit, help us to receive it with joy, and bring forth fruits in faith, hope, and love.

Visit the homes of our military members and drive far from them all the snares of the enemy. As they sit at your feet to hear your Word, do as you promise: preserve them in the one true faith. Let your holy angels also dwell in the homes of our military members to preserve them in peace and safety. Let your blessing always be on them. Through Jesus, our Lord. Amen.