Sermon outline

Fourth Lecture

Text:  Luke 10:38-42

Title:  “Maintaining A Right Perspective”

(Series on stress management tape #1)

Introduction:  In order to better manage stress we need to maintain a right perspective!  There is an old Greek motto that says:  You will break the bow if you keep it always bent.  Wise words, but how do we loosen the strings?  Even when we make every effort to slow down and relax, others place high demands on us.  Their ‘shoulds, and ‘oughts’ and ‘ musts’ hit us like a strong gusts of wind, driving our lives onto shallow reefs of frustration and even despair.[1]

I.                   The Perspective of Humanity (Vv. 38-40)

Here is a scene in the Bible where Dr. Luke speaks directly to a perfect case of stress.    The thought of not getting it all done is a human perspective that genders fear.  Remember the Greek motto, “You will break the bow if you keep it always bent.”  Throughout the Bible, the bow and the arrow signify death and evoke fear. (The Anchor Bible V6. p. 894)  It takes energy to bend the bow and I’m not so sure that we can continue to keep the bow bent and ready to hit every target set before us.  If the bow does not break the person bending the bow may weaken or even break. 

A.     Relationships are stressed because one person or sometimes both parties put the bow of marriage under such constant pressure.  And so stubbornly we keep the bow bent until the relationship weakens or the relationship breaks down.

B.     In our Biblical story today Mary, the younger, realized how privileged they were, to have Jesus drop by for a visit in their home.  She decided to sit down and really make the most of the visit.  “She sat at His feet, drinking in His every word.”[2] 

C.     (v.40) But Martha was distracted; her focus was not on the most important issue.  Enjoying the presence of the Lord.  The word “distracted” means dragging all around.  She made herself busy with details:  Preparing a meal, cleaning up, and her human perspective was simply that Mary should have been doing the same thing.  That attitude will cause stress on yourself as well as those around you.  In this case Martha had her bow bent to the point that she was too weak to keep holding and she broke. 

1.      She assumed the Lord didn’t care – Lord do you not care?

2.      She blamed Mary, my sister has left me to serve alone.

3.      She tried to work things out on her on, tell her to help.

Martha displayed good qualities.  But her problem grew out of hand when she attempted to do more than was necessary.  Mary chose not to spend her time the same way, hustling, bustling, and fussing.

It’s interesting that anxiety-prone people frequently blame others for their plight.  Rather than realizing their stress is self-appointed, they often criticize others for causing it.  Does that sound unfair?[3]

II.                The Perspective of Jesus (Vv. 41-42)

(V. 41) Jesus answered and said to her, Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.

A.     Dr. Luke uses a term for “worried” meaning “to be pulled in different directions”.  The root verb in Greek means to divide into parts.  Martha was being pulled apart from within.  Her stress was caused by internal tearing.

B.     The other word our Lord used to describe Martha was “bothered”, suggesting the idea of noise, tumult, trouble”.  She was agitated, ripped apart in turmoil.

There was nothing wrong with Martha’s desire to serve our Lord.  Before long, however, worry stole away her perspective.  She lost sight of the important.  Charles Hummel calls this “the tyranny of the urgent”, a fitting description.  For Martha, who allowed herself to get caught in the sticky web of stress, the important got replaced by the urgent.

1.      The night Jesus was placed under arrest and later subjected to a series of mock trials which ultimately led to His crucifixion, He had been praying to the Father.  In that prayer He said:  “I glorified Thee on the earth, having accomplished the work which Thou hast given Me to do” (John 17:4).  Even though there were still millions to be saved, and ministered to, Jesus said that HE had completed the job.  Jesus kept the right perspective, unlike His nervous friend, Martha.

There are some people right now who are clinched in the vice-grip of worry.  Stressed to the max!  On overload! And about to break their bow.  We can manage our stress when we apply the Word of God to our life situation.

Application:  (Proverbs 3:5-6) Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.  I all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Look at the four verbs!  Trust; So not lean; Acknowledge; Make straight.

Three of the verbs are commands.  They represent the child of God’s responsibility:  Trust; do not lean; acknowledge.

The fourth verb is a promise.  It declares God’s part in the transaction, His responsibility.  He will make your paths straight. 

My Responsibility                                                                                                     God’s Promise

Trust!  Cast myself at His feet;                                                                          He will make straight…

Do not lean! Do not support myself; Do not try to work things out for myself.

Acknowledge!  Literally, it means to recognize God’s presence and control.

When God promise to us that HE will make straight in the Hebrew it carries the idea of removing obstacles that are in the way, as when a road is being built through a mountain pass. 

Another observation of this text is that of the use of the term your no less than four times.  God is really emphasizing the personal nature of this truth.  He is telling us that we must enter into it individually no one else can apply it for us.  Responding to life’s situation is your own choice, no one else. 

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