#1385 Luke 11 Part 1 How Do You Do That

 

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 And he said to them, “When you pray, say:

“Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

3 Give us each day our daily bread,

4 and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.”

5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Luke 11: 1-13 ESV

Luke 11: 1-13 Lord, teach us to Pray

More on this from Matthew 6

Now Jesus was praying in a certain place - The disciples noticed that Jesus prayed often, looked for times to slip off alone, to meet with His father. Prayer is important, it is one of the few things we can call necessary to the faith. He has given us His word, which faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word, and God's word should inform our prayers. We should also pray as we approach the word, asking the Holy Spirit to guide us in understanding. God has also instituted the sacraments, which is the taking of the wine and bread, what He has commanded us to do in remembrance of His atoning work on the cross. Before we take these we pray, we look to God for forgiveness, confessing our sins, repenting of the very things which Christ died to free us from, and we do this that we not take the cup in an unworthy manner. If the example set by God Himself, in taking on the body of a man, was to be constant in prayer, then how could we possibly not need this. If we have heard the word, believed in our heart, trusting in Christ's life and death, then we are brought back into the fellowship that was lost in the garden. This is the whole of it, we are no longer estranged enemies, but rather friends and family, and we talk to God not trying to impose our will, but rather to know and glorify Him in His. 

…2You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3And when you do ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may squander it on your pleasures. 4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.… James 4: 2-4

Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples - In Matthew 6, which is a continuation of Matthew 5, the Sermon on the Mount, He had already taught them this very thing, and probably at other times as part of His teaching, but here they are asking. Maybe they didn't hear so well during the sermons, or like I have often done, mentally affirmed a thing, gave the amen, but then walked away and didn't put it into practice. It is easy to be a hearer of the word, or think, I already know that, I have done that before, or that is what I would tell someone else to do, but do I really pray believing that God hears me? Do I look forward to time with Him? Then ask yourself, do I really love someone I have no desire to learn about, to hear from through His word, or to talk to by way of prayer? Apparently, John the Baptist and other teachers gave their disciples prayers to learn in order to start the process, or and maybe to provide the structure and boundaries, to help them understand the approach. We don't want to approach God with strange fire as in the case of Nadab and Abihu. 

5And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. Truly I tell you, they already have their full reward. 6But when you pray, go into your inner room, shut your door, and pray to your Father, who is unseen. And your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not babble on like pagans, for they think that by their many words they will be heard.… Matthew 6: 5-7

Father - What a privilege. This is one great aspect of having God the Son become a man, to take and incorporate human nature with His divine nature. Men were made in the image of God, had communion with God in the garden, but then man chose sin, his free will no longer being free, but now the bondservant, slave of sin. When Christ comes into the world, He bears the whole of the human experience, born of a virgin, in perfect obedience to the Father, without sin. He becomes the firstborn of a new creation. His birth into human history marks the beginning of the new birth, the regeneration of those being born again. He is our elder Brother, our closest kin not under the curse of sin, and therefore the rightful kinsmen Redeemer for all those being brought out, purchased back from slavery. The wages of sin is death, and He comes to settle with death. The standard of God's law is perfection, and He lives in perfect obedience to the Father. Pride has separated us from God, and if ever anyone had the right to it, well, there is none higher than Him, and yet He humbled Himself that He might pick us up. If you think anything is unfair to you in this life, then let Him be your bar. Because of His righteousness, His unfair death, I am now able to be adopted by God and to call Him, Father. I am welcomed through the curtain of His flesh for He has taken my place on the cross. The Shekinah is once again in the temple, and the glory of the Lord grows more perceptible all the time. 

…14For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit of slavery that returns you to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.… Romans 8: 14-16

…5to redeem those under the law, that we might receive our adoption as sons. 6And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, you are also an heir through God.… Galatians 4: 5-7

Hallowed be Your name - God's name is Holy, set apart. We approach with a holy fear, not as rebellious sons and daughters, but with that reverence that comes from love, the type which cannot bear to see the family name smeared. We are called Christians after all, so let us walk as Christ walked, in the fear of disappointing Him, let our prayers be to the desire of not sinning, of being separated from sin. 

1Now Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense, and offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to His command.

…2So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died in the presence of the LORD. 3Then Moses said to Aaron, “This is what the LORD meant when He said: ‘To those who come near Me I will show My holiness, and in the sight of all the people I will reveal My glory.’” But Aaron remained silent. 4Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, sons of Aaron’s uncle Uzziel, and said to them, “Come here; carry the bodies of your cousins outside the camp, away from the front of the sanctuary.”… Leviticus 10: 1-4

Your Kingdom come - This is our preoccupation, the furtherance of the Kingdom, the telling of the gospel story. Like the man knocking on the door in the parable of verses 5-9, he is knocking on behalf of a visitor, and his desire is to be able to feed someone else. He is persistent in his knocking even if it wakes the whole house. As long as it is today, as long and as many times as we have opportunity to knock on heaven's door, then let us do so. As long as I have breath than let me pray for bread, for patience, for love, for the salvation of my neighbor. And who is my neighbor? Every human being. 

…9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.… 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11

…16the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned.” 17From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” Matthew 4: 16-17

Spurgeon on praying this prayer repetitively - I THINK there is room for very great doubt, whether our Savior intended the prayer, of which our text forms a part, to be used in the manner in which it is commonly employed among professing Christians. It is the custom of many persons to repeat it as their morning prayer, and they think that when they have repeated these sacred words they have done enough. I believe that this prayer was never intended for universal use....This prayer of Christ is a great chart, as it were: but I cannot cross the sea on a chart. It is a map; but a man is not a traveler because he puts his fingers across the map. And so a man may use this form of prayer, and yet be a total stranger to the great design of Christ in teaching it to His disciples. (The Fatherhood of God)

Give us each day our daily bread - It truly comes from Him, every ingredient is His own invention. We pray to Jehovah Jireh (God our Provider). 

…7Two things I ask of You—do not refuse me before I die: 8Keep falsehood and deceitful words far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the bread that is my portion. 9Otherwise, I may have too much and deny You, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or I may become poor and steal, profaning the name of my God.… Proverbs 30: 7-9

Forgive us our sins - These are what kept us from entering the presence of a Holy God, let them become all the more severely regarded in our hearts. God, please forgive me, and cleanse me.

…8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.… 1 John 1: 8-10

For we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us - That is a grand statement. Those who have received without merit should be slow to be offended, even slower to offend and quick to forgive. I have often felt I owned this to some degree until God sends me someone more difficult. I cannot remember a time when my pride did not make forgiveness seemingly invisible to me.

…13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive yours.… Matthew 6: 13-15

And lead us not into temptation - Guide us away from sin Lord; it is the enemy of belief. 

15But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out, or you will be consumed by one another. 16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17For the flesh craves what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you want.… Galatians 5: 15-17

…12So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 14Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.… 1 Corinthians 10: 12-14

Friend, Lend me three loaves - A friend in need.

…41and if someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’…

…44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same?… Matthew 5: 41-46

A friend of mine has arrived on a journey - It feels imposing, but you sometimes look around and find you don't have the knowledge or resources for the situation. 

…3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus:… Philippians 2: 3-5

Because of his impudence - Be audacious, come daily, come early, ring the bell often. I have found often that what I lack in knowledge, resources, skill or talent, can be made up for with persistence.

Stevenson - You need to know that the householder (NEIGHBOR) is NOT being likened to God. God is not sleepy or too busy or uninterested in answering our prayers. To place God in the role of the householder is to try to make the parable stand on all fours. This is even more obvious when we look at the parable of the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-5). There the story is of a widow who continues to make appeals to an unrighteous judge who only dispenses justice because it is convenient to him. Neither the householder or the judge are being LIKENED to God. Rather, they are being CONTRASTED to God. If continual prayer causes even such as these to respond, how much more will our loving Father provide for our needs if we continue to ask Him? - Precept Austin

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find - No one ask and no one seeks, and some think they ask, but have not sought the Lord's will, only things to squander on their foolish pleasures. Some look only to themselves.

…10As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one. 11There is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. 12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”… Romans 3: 10-12

…32For the Gentiles strive after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own.… Matthew 6: 32-34

If you then who are evil - The disciples jaws must have dropped. He is calling all of us evil, is He forgetting that we are related to Abraham? As humans we give our children good things, like food, shelter, things that they enjoy and can help them in life, but God is even above this, for everything He gives is to the good of His children, and even all that He withholds is to our good as well. As a parent I have made mistakes in not giving the most important thing my children need, the knowledge of God through His word, but at the same time I gave them plenty of things they don't need, excesses and bad example. They have witnessed my temper, and they know my hypocrisy, but God makes none of these mistakes. 

…5Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great upon the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time. 6And the LORD regretted that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. 7So the LORD said, “I will blot out man, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—every man and beast and crawling creature and bird of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.”… 

8Noah, however, found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God. 10And Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.…Genesis 6: 5-10

Remember that Jesus is addressing His disciples and He reminds them of their own intrinsic depravity! And notice that Jesus does not say they DO evil but that they ARE evil (so they "do" evil because they "are" evil). His Own disciples are "evil!" In short, Jesus' brief description of mankind is that we are inherently evil, which is a reference to the fact that we have all inherited the sinful nature of Adam (total depravity Ro 5:12+, cf Ro 7:18+) and sin is evil (see Ge 39:9b, Dt 9:18, 1 Ki 15:26, 34)! Even the "best" of us still have evil dwelling within us! Sometimes the truth hurts!

MacArthur explains "Whenever you see what we call “the milk of human kindness,” whenever you see people who don’t know God parent well, love their children, show kindness, give their children what they need, be philanthropic; you’re seeing the residual of the image of God, so warped and scarred in the fall, but still there. And so He says, “You, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children." (Sermon) - Precept Austin

#1384 Luke 10 Part 4 The Good Portion

 

38 Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10: 38-42 ESV

Luke 10: 38-42

Spurgeon sets the context for this compact classic contrast in Luke 10:38-42 of contemplation and work - Our wise Master next returns to the subject of service, and instructs them by the memorable parable of the Good Samaritan and the wounded man. And then as if they might vainly imagine philanthropy, as it is the service of Christ, to be the only service of Christ, and to be the only thing worth living for, He brings in the two sisters of Bethany. The Holy Spirit meant thereby to teach us that while we ought to abound in service, and to do good abundantly to our fellow men, yet we must not fail in worship, in spiritual reverence, in meek discipleship, and quiet contemplation. While we are practical, like the seventy; practical like the Samaritan; practical like Martha, we are also like the Savior, to rejoice in spirit, and say, “Father, I thank You,” (Lk 10:21) and we are also like Mary, to sit down in quietude, and nourish our souls with divine truths. (Martha and Mary) - Precept Austin

As they went on their way - We have just left the encounter with the lawyer, and Jesus' answer to him through the parable of the Good Samaritan. This comes following on the heels of the question, "who is my neighbor?" Remember there were two parts to understanding the law and the prophets, and they were encapsulated in the summation of "love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love thy neighbor as thyself."

…36“Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” 37 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38This is the first and greatest commandment.… Matthew 22: 36-38

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” Luke 10: 25-28

A woman named Martha welcomed Him - Jesus was not welcome in every village, and welcoming Him would be no small thing, since He had, at most times, the twelve with Him also. Some do not consider these things when they look at Martha, but the intent of the passage is not to paint her as the bad guy, but to teach her and all of us a valuable lesson. As you will see in the passage, Martha is the sister of Mary, and elsewhere we learn that she is also the sister of Lazarus. She is also a great representation of the second part of the answer regarding the law, she facilitates, coordinates, serves, and therefore loves her neighbor. Jesus does not live in her town, He needs a place to stay and food to eat, so for Martha, He is her neighbor. 

34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.” Luke 10: 34-37

…38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ 40And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’… Matthew 25: 38-40

And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His teaching - It's not everyday that you get a visitor like this, and this is God, teaching the word, expounding the truths of Scripture. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, all this, right here in Martha's living room, and her little sister wants to hear what He has to say. How else do you get to know Who God is, how do you even begin to realize what Christ's represents? You have to listen, and she is more than a little intrigued, so she sits up close where she can hear, at his feet. This is an art form for people like me, people whose minds can drift off so easily, or become stuck on a certain point along the way. We all need to go to a church whose teachers are under the authority of Scripture, and they need to put Scripture at the forefront of their message. I don't go to Sunday service in order to learn about them, I will grab a cup of coffee or go fishing with them in order to do that, but what we all need is for them to take us to the higher pastures, to graze upon the truths of God brought to us in Scripture. I need to learn how to listen like Mary, to be so engaged with what the Lord is communicating through His word. I have to block out the other distractions, stop thinking about what or where we are going to eat later, whether the wind is in the right direction for fishing, or what problems my bosses could be creating at work. I need to be at Jesus feet, focused and taking it in, so I have something to digest for the rest of the day.  

In fact, we're going to take Mary's posture. We're going to start sitting at His feet and we're going to get as close as we can and your job is to going to be like Mary. Your job is going to sit and listen to what He says. And my job is going to be to tell you what He said and what He meant by what He said. And He's going to teach us about prayer and He's going to teach us about Satan and more about demons. And He's going to teach us about divine judgment and about hypocrisy and about persecution and about suffering and about the Holy Spirit. He's going to warn us about greed. He's going to instruct us about contentment, about how to use money, how to give, how to be a steward. There are going to be lessons on unity, lessons on righteousness and holiness. There is instruction on divine justice, on humility, on pride, on the cost of loyalty to Christ, on the kingdom of God and how to enter it. He's going to teach us about how heaven rejoices when sinners are converted. He's even going to teach us about divorce, about hell, about penitence, about forgiveness and a lot about faith. And our Lord's teaching is unequaled, wouldn't you agree? Monumental. And there's only one posture for this and that's to be there at His feet like Mary was. And that's why He drops this incredibly wonderful little story. It's as if the teacher comes into our lives and says, "All right, students, sit down, we're going to begin class." And class went for six months. For us, it could be six years. I heard somebody say that. But we have to do a lot of recreating of the scene, you understand. - J Mac

So we have a much fuller understanding of who Martha is, who Mary is, and what their relationship to Christ is, let's read John 11:

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

I Am the Resurrection and the Life

17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Jesus Weeps

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. 34 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus Raises Lazarus

38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11: 1-44

But Martha was distracted with much serving - In many cultures women were not deemed learners, and some Jewish Rabbis even commented that it was useless to teach a woman. The roles God assigns to different sexes does not exclude either from learning, in fact, this is the essential thing, for each individual has to know God for themselves. In the later epistles to the churches, older women are instructed to teach the younger women, and in the OT women are to be teachers of their children. You can't teach if you haven't learned, and these roles are essential to godly living, to the foundation of a God fearing society. The family is at the very core of civilization, and the neglect of sound learning and teaching there can be disastrous. In modern times I have heard men say that they are too busy to teach their families about God or to attend a place of worship that focuses on sound doctrine. They deem the spiritual aspects of the family as up to their wives, and fall into disobedience to God's call for them as leaders. Martha is distracted by serving, but I know many men that put a premium on watching football, fishing, or just laying around, rather than going to church (I was one of them). You begin to see the picture of the OT law, where the Sabbath was set apart as holy, and God gave them enough manna on Friday to carry them through Saturday, the Sabbath day. It removed the busy excuses, untied them from the yoke and allowed them to sit at Jesus' feet, learn from them word, contemplate the kingdom, rid their minds of distractions. The law was extended to men, women, animals, and even foreigners, otherwise the men would have had the women go out and work, or the foreigner. Everyone needs rest, and everyone needs both types of food. 

…3The tempter came to Him and said, “If You are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” 4 But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Matthew 4: 3-4

20My son, keep your father’s commandment, and do not forsake your mother’s teaching. 21Bind them always upon your heart; tie them around your neck.… Proverbs 6: 20-21

…3Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not slanderers or addicted to much wine, but teachers of good. 4In this way they can train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled, pure, managers of their households, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be discredited.… Titus 2: 3-5

Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone - Martha is obviously busy with service to who knows how many people, and she sees her sister, seemingly just sitting there. In her mind, Mary is not doing her part, for Martha obviously thinks what she is doing is more important, and that her sister should be picking up the other side of this as well. "Leave the learning to the men, help me with the flat bread and donair." Sadly, she is not only trying to correct Mary, but also Jesus, and she does at least call Him Lord, for this family follows Christ. but is she right?

Tell her then to help me - She clearly thinks she holds the high ground here. 

You are anxious and troubled about many things - Remember when Christ told the disciples to feed the multitudes? The miraculous meal that followed was also very simple, just some fish and bread. We should do our best with the talents God has given us, but we should not remove ourselves or others from the most essential things. Sadly, when I was a child, and this still goes on today, there were people in the church that worried about being able to concentrate or relax during service, and so they didn't want their small children in there. Instead of bringing their children to service and teaching them how to behave, they instead paid a woman to always miss service and stay with the children in another room. She was always kept busy, away from the feet of Jesus so to speak, but recalling some of the sermons there, probably not so much. 

Spurgeon - Agitated, distressed Martha was afraid that something would go wrong with the dinner. She had too much on her hands (Ed: Or as we might say today "too much on her plate!") — too much on her brain. That led her to blame her sister Mary, and to try to get the Lord to blame her too. There is a strong tincture of self-righteousness in Martha’s speech.

Leon Morris on you are worried (merimnao) - Jesus repeatedly warned his disciples against undue anxiety, as he does Martha. They were not to worry about the cares of everyday life (Lk 12:22; cf. Matt 6:25, 34), for this is unproductive and incompatible with faith in a loving heavenly Father, who cares for the needs of his children (Lk 12:23–30). Even in the face of trials, disciples were not to “worry about how to defend yourself or what to say” (Lk 12:11–12; cf. Matt 10:19–20); God would supply all their needs if they would make his Kingdom their primary concern (Lk 12:31; cf. Matt 6:33; Phil 4:6–7; 1 Pet 5:7). (Borrow The Gospel According to St. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary - Tyndale NT Commentary) - Precept Austin

…5Let your gentleness be apparent to all. The Lord is near. 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.… Philippians 4: 5-7

But one thing is necessary - Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

…3Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust. 4One thing I have asked of the LORD; this is what I desire: to dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and seek Him in His temple. 5For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.… Psalm 27: 3-5

THOUGHT - That is the deepest need of every man or woman's soul, God's Word. The vitality of our spiritual lives depend on our intake of the Word (1Pe 2:2+). We make the choice to imbibe the living and active Word and the Spirit takes that Word in our heart and supernaturally (yea, even mysteriously) transforms us from glory to glory into greater degrees of Christlikeness (2 Cor 3:18+). By the Word ingested we grow in faith (Ro 10:17+). Jesus summed up our need in His refutation of the devil's temptation declaring to the Tempter "It is written, ‘MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.’” (Mt 4:4, cp Lk 4:4). Of course just hearing (or reading or studying) the Word of God is not enough. We have to obey it for the Spirit to use it in our life to transform us. Jesus said "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it.” (Lk 11:28) As Don Whitney says "No factor is more influential (Ed: cp "one thing...necessary") in making us more like the Son of God than the Spirit of God working through the Word of God." - Precept Austin

Spurgeon - Lord, enable me to be a non-anxious one. May I be so eager after heavenly things, that I altogether leave my earthly cares with thee! Let us spend life on the one thing, and it will be well spent: as for the twenty secondary objects, they also will be ours if we pursue the one thing only.

Mary has chosen the good portion which will not be taken away from her - The Pharisees could not understand the disciples rejoicing in the bridegroom, and Martha could not perceive that her sister had found better food. The Lord is only with them for a short time, and His words are the words of life. I hope one day that my kids will know that feeling when they touch the Bible, the words which men have bled and died in order to bring to us. When we handle it, it is more precious than any earthly thing. Heaven and earth will pass away, but God's word will remain. That is real food in deed. She has chosen to know Christ by listening to His word, and being reconciled to God through it. She is learning in every phrase Who He is, and what is most important. 

…2For You granted Him authority over all people, so that He may give eternal life to all those You have given Him. 3Now this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only TRUE God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent. 4I have glorified You on earth by accomplishing the work You gave Me to do.… John 17: 2-4

#1383 Luke 10 Part 3 Motives

 

25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” 27 And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” 28 And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”

29 But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

 Luke 10: 25-37 ESV

Luke 10: 25-37

And behold - Pay attention.

A lawyer stood up to put Him to the test - He would be a scribe, someone with a title, someone familiar with the law. His approach isn't as a truth seeker, but as someone, who like Satan, wants to test or trap Jesus. He is coming as an expert in the law, someone of high esteem in these matters. This guy thinks he is saying something, thinks he has measured Jesus and can show Him deficient. 

14For many are called, but few are chosen.” 15Then the Pharisees went out and conspired to trap Jesus in His words. 16They sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and that You teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You seek favor from no one, because You pay no attention to external appearance.… Matthew 22: 14-16

Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life - He addresses Him with a term of respect, but remember, he is trying to test Him, not be taught by Him. It is a very important question though, so I imagine a lot of ears perked up for this, especially since it was coming from the mouth of an expert. 

…29Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”… Acts 16: 29-31

What is written in the law - Brilliant, now Jesus is turning the question back to the man's area of expertise. What does God's law say? And Jesus was asked this same question before, and I think Christ's answer is what the man is playing off of, a flaw he thinks he sees in Jesus' logic. 

Joseph Parker on what is written in the Law - "Jesus Christ never treated the Old Testament lightly. I am afraid that some of us imagine that we have got beyond the Old Testament, and therefore hardly ever turn to its ancient pages. Believe me, the testaments are one: as the day is one—the twilight and the noon-tide, as the year is one—the vernal promise and the autumnal largesse—so are the testaments of God one. And no man can profoundly interpret the New Testament who is not profoundly conversant with the Old."

Spurgeon - That was a most appropriate answer to a lawyer. “ You ask me what you should do; well, you profess to be a teacher of the law, you ought, therefore, to know what is written in the law.” - Precept Austin

…30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” 32“Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,… Mark 12: 30-32

You have answered correctly - If we love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves, then we have fulfilled the law, because these two things summarize all of the law. If you love God you will obey Him, and if you love your neighbor you won't steal from him, won't take his wife, will be happy for him and not resent him when he does well. If we love God and neighbor we won't want to bring our neighbor into anything that would go against God. The lawyer gave the same answer that Jesus gave.

…8But food does not bring us closer to God: We are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if someone with a weak conscience sees you who are well informed eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged to eat food sacrificed to idols?… 1 Corinthians 8: 8-10

Do this and you will live - That is the very essence of the law, but the response should be obvious, immediate, and clear to the mind, that I haven't kept this, that I failed at this, it's not an option for me. My response should be that I need to repent, that I am lost, fallen short of the mark. 

…19Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. 20Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin. 21But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets.… Romans 3: 19-21

Desiring to justify himself - Yeah, it says that, but, I think I have done enough. I bought some thin mints from those girls to help their troop go to camp. I gave some money to a homeless guy, dumped a bucket of ice on my head to empathize with someone. I'm a scribe for crying out loud, there is a DR. in front of my name, several bricks with my name are laid in the synagogue for our town because our family donated a lot of money to have it built. I teach there. He doesn't want to accept the simple teaching of the law, it's meaning, the reality of it's bar, that you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. I'm a good person, just ask my mom, the people I hang out with.

And who is my neighbor - Oh, he thinks he's saying something here. He sees a work around, a loophole, and this is probably why they used the word lawyer instead of Scribe. Jesus, you need to define neighbor, and this is a tough one because the man wants to hear from Jesus whatever he has already told himself. This is the mode of religionist, to seek a religion that makes them feel good about themselves, that justifies and exalts them. If you are offended, well then be offended, because I am talking to myself more than you right now. I can think of many people that I would not want to view as my neighbor in this sense, but have I not needed mercy, have I not irritated someone to the point of wanting me to go away? Have I not been a burden to someone else before? 

But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor (plesion)? - The humble response to the impossible demand of the Law would have been to cry out "I cannot do this. Lord, how can I do this?" Justify (dikaioo from dike = right, expected behavior or conformity, not according to one’s own standard, but according to an imposed standard with prescribed punishment for nonconformity) primarily means to deem to be right. Dikaioo describes the act by which a man is brought into a right state of relationship to God. Dikaioo is a legal term having to do with the law and the the courtroom, where it represented the legally binding verdict of the judge. It is not surprising to see a "lawyer" use this term. He sought in a sense to "pronounce a verdict" (or have it rendered by a judge) that he was in full accordance with requirements of God's law to love God and to love his neighbor as himself. The lawyer wanted to vindicate himself, to clear himself from guilt, accusation, blame, etc, by evidence or argument. So he asks who is my neighbor (plesion)? Notice he did not ask "Who is God?" He assumed he was fine on that front and besides no one could see into his heart and discern whether he did or did not love God. But to love one's neighbor as one loves himself is a different issue. Vertical love to God can be feigned, but horizontal love is more difficult to fake. So he wants to see how Jesus defines "neighbor." Remember that his "goal" is to discern how to obtain eternal life (salvation).

As MacDonald observes "If His reference to the law had had its desired effect on the lawyer, he would have said, “If that’s what God requires, then I’m lost, helpless, and hopeless. I cast myself on Your love and mercy. Save me by Your grace!” Instead of that, he sought to justify himself. Why should he? No one had accused him. There was a consciousness of fault and his heart rose up in pride to resist." (Borrow Believer's Bible Commentary)

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho - The man puts out a question, and this is how Jesus answers him. The road from Jerusalem to Jericho was about 17 miles through a wilderness notorious for bandits. It was a narrow and rocky road with lots of ambush points. 

John MacArthur comments "This dramatic tale is widely used to teach the importance of helping those in need. In fact, the term “Good Samaritan” has become an idiom for those who demonstrate unusual, sacrificial kindness toward others. But while it is important to help the needy, that is not the point of the story. It is in reality a story about how one inherits eternal life, because that is the question that initiated the conversation to which this story is the conclusion. The Lord offered this story in answer to the scribe’s question, with its somewhat cynical implication that he did love all those whom he considered to be his neighbors. Jesus graciously gave him one more unforgettable, inescapably clear insight into his wretchedness; one more opportunity to acknowledge his sinfulness and cry for mercy." (See Luke Commentary) - Precept Austin

Leaving him half dead - The man was helpless.

A priest, a Levite - Priest come from the tribe of Levi, but they must be from Aaron's line. The other Levites had various jobs associated with the temple, and the whole tribe was originally set apart to the service of God. These should be the exemplary citizens, knowledgeable about the law, just like the lawyer. Both of these men saw the beaten man and could not be bothered, but chose to avoid the situation all together.   

…8At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to serve Him, and to pronounce blessings in His name, as they do to this day. 9That is why Levi has no portion or inheritance among his brothers; the LORD is his inheritance, as the LORD your God promised him. 10I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights, like the first time, and that time the LORD again listened to me and agreed not to destroy you.… Deuteronomy 10: 8-10

But a Samaritan - Jesus has opened a wound and is now pouring salt into it. The Jews hated the Samaritans, but Christ makes the Samaritan the hero, the definition of "neighbor". He had compassion. This goes beyond thinking that you might be repaid, for the man doesn't know who he is, but he knows that he needs help.

Bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine - The wine would burn like an antiseptic, and the oil would sooth, also providing a protective covering.

Two denarii - He gives the inn keeper two days wages so that the man can rest up, but also promises to return and settle up with the inn keeper if the man's provisions exceed this. This isn't a passing feel good moment, tossing a coin to a panhandler. This is consciously perceiving a real need, weighing it out, owning the inconvenience of stopping ones own journey, reaching into his own pocket for resources, and caring for someone who may not even like you if they knew you were a Samaritan and didn't need your help. 

The one who showed him mercy - I would have loved to see the eyes, the body language associated with this answer. It is the right answer, but Jesus follows up with what it means to actually own it, to keep the law, He says, "you go, and do likewise." Like the Samaritan, like your natural born enemy, the guy you would never acknowledge as your neighbor, go and do what he did. Obedience is the fruit on the tree of the one who actually keeps the law, who does what God says to do. If you want the power to do this, well God only gives that to the broken and contrite, the ones who admit they are imperfect, in need, just like the man lying in the road. 

…6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.… Matthew 5: 6-8

…17So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead. 18But someone will say, “You have faith and I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19You believe that God is one. Good for you! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.… James 2: 17-19