Sunday, July 20, 2025

Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Genesis 18:1-10a (10b-14)
Psalm 27:(1-6) 7-14
Colossians 1:15-29
Luke 10:38-42

One thing I have asked of Yahweh, that I will seek after: that I may dwell in Yahweh’s house all the days of my life, to see Yahweh’s beauty, and to inquire in his temple.

Meryl Streep plays Miranda Priestly who is the editor-in-chief of an important fashion magazine. Anne Hathaway is a journalist named Andy Sachs who is trying to break into the world of publications. She doesn’t think that the work of a fashion magazine is worthwhile, but she is hired as an assistant to Miranda. It is, apparently, the “job every girl would die for.” Andy sees it as a steppingstone for a “real” journalistic position at one of the big news publications. Miranda is demanding and cruel (this the “devil” in the title). Andy detested the job at the beginning, but eventually got caught up in the world, even to the point of losing herself.

There is a scene where Miranda is hosting a party for important people in the industry as well as in politics. Andy and the other assistant Emily (played by Emily Blunt) are working hard to make Miranda look good. They were required to study the guest list, with pictures and biographies, and stayed with Miranda every moment. When someone approached, they whispered information in her ear so that it would appear that Miranda knew intimate details about them all. The ruse was a success, and Miranda appeared to be the perfect hostess.

This isn’t surprising in our culture of hospitality today: it often matters who you are and if you are somebody, you are treated better than people who are nobodies. We go out of our way to ensure important people are comfortable and that all their needs are met, while ignoring the needs of those who have no wealth, power, or authority. We plan dinner parties and work hard to make sure everything is perfect. Would you invite a stranger that comes to your door and feed them on the spur of the moment?

It is impossible to be ready for unexpected guests! I like to say that my door is always open, but I have to admit that my house isn’t always perfectly ready for guests. My floor usually needs to be vacuumed, and the furniture dusted. I doubt I could come up with a hearty snack. I certainly could not be as good a hostess and Abraham and Sarah were to their unexpected guests. I have to admit that sometimes I forget to offer my unexpected guests even a glass of water. It was second nature to the people in Abraham’s day. Abraham and Sarah were semi-nomadic; they lived in temporary dwellings and moved with their livestock. They didn’t stay in one place for very long.

Hospitality was vital in their world. The roads were dangerous, and there was not a McDonalds or Starbucks on every corner. Some travelers might go for days without access to fresh water or food. The nomads or semi-nomads settled, even briefly, in places where good water was available to take care of their needs and the needs of their animals. Travelers passing by were always welcome, and they were received with grace and hospitality.

Hospitality was the cultural norm of the day, but Abraham was more than hospitable. He was willingly and willfully humble before his guests, extremely generous with his resources and patient with their visit. Abraham was a man of great wealth, power and authority despite his nomadic existence. After all, kings honored him. He had servants and herds so large that even when divided they were vast. Yet, when strangers came to his tent, Abraham ran to greet them, bowing down before them to honor their presence. He invited them to rest and to wash their feet. Then he ran to prepare a feast, first asking Sarah to use the finest supplies to make bread and then choosing a fine calf to roast. This meal must have taken hours to prepare. Then, as they ate, Abraham stood nearby, as if waiting to serve their every need with just a word. Abraham would not let the men leave until he served them a meal.

The passage begins, “Yahweh appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.” Abraham recognized the LORD and gave Him the honor and attention He was due.

Where was Sarah? Sarah was not quite so grace filled. She worked hard to prepare the meal that Abraham served his guests, but she didn’t even greet them. The couple was old even by our standards. She was probably tired and depressed; she thought she had nothing to show for her life. She had no children, no grandchildren. She had a strained relationship with Hagar and Ishmael’s presence was a constant reminder of her failure. She had no reason to be happy. She worried that she was to blame for her troubles. She had no hope. How could she ever show her face to the world? It is no wonder she hid in the tent, staying busy with the meal.

She did overhear their conversation, though. Sarah was around eighty-nine years old when the three men came to their camp. She was eighty-nine years old when a twenty-five-year-old promise was renewed, a promise that was already past hope the first time it was given. Yet, these men told Abraham and Sarah that the promise would finally be fulfilled within a year. Sarah would be ninety and Abraham a hundred years old. How could they possibly parent a child at such a great age? How could they live long enough to see that child become a man, find a wife and have children? How would they ever experience the joys of being grandparents?

Abraham believed. Sarah laughed.

Sarah laughed within herself when she heard the promise. I think I would, too. It wasn’t a hearty, joyful laugh. It was a laugh of cynicism; the promise was ridiculous. Even if her failed and failing body could finally bear a child, how could she ever be a mother? How would she have the energy to keep up with a toddler? How would she live long enough to see him grow? She laughed within herself because it was too late. How could she ever enjoy being a mother at this late age?

Who were these men who would speak such ridiculous words to a tired old woman?

It was almost cruel for the men to say such things, to respond to her hospitality with teasing. She was so caught off guard by the LORD’s Word that she even denied laughing. God’s Word is not cruel, but it doesn’t always make sense, and so we often receive it with skepticism and doubt. Sarah’s pain was so deep that she could not see that that Lord had come to reveal that it was time for the promise to be fulfilled. It was unbelievable; she probably let go of the hope of the promise long before that day. Abraham honored the Lord with humble service; Sarah received the LORD with uncertainty and fear.

There is so much more we could discuss in this passage. Who were the three men? We know that the Lord appeared before Abraham, but were the others angels? Were the three men a picture of the three-fold character of God? Did Abraham really see God, since human eyes cannot see God and live? What about Sarah? She reacted to the idea that she would be a mother with laughter, though she was not joyful. She was incredulous. When the men confronted her about the laugh, she lied. There is so much to be said about our human reaction to the presence of God. We don’t believe it; we don’t believe what God says to us and when we are confronted about our doubt, we lie.

Though there are so many themes in this passage, I think for this season of Pentecost that we need to see the example of Abraham’s servant response to the visitor. How often do people cross our path that we ignore because we don’t think they are important enough? Abraham may or may not have known that the visitor was the LORD, but as Christians we are called to see Christ in the faces of every stranger. When someone approaches, are we willing to run to them, honor them, and serve them, no matter who they are? We do not know when we might just be running to, honoring, and serving the Lord.

It is interesting that we have this story of Abraham and Sarah serving those who came to their tent, yet there seems to be such a different perspective in the Gospel lesson. Martha was serving Jesus and the disciples, as was her responsibility, but it was Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet, who was honoring Jesus.

One day at church, our pastor asked my daughter and I to help with the children’s sermon. We were supposed to be as much of a distraction as we could be. So, when he called the children up, we slipped into the front row. He asked the children to pay close attention to the story he was going to tell and then we got started. I made a paper airplane which I threw toward the kids. We discussed an article in our church magazine. I tore out a page, made a ball and threw it at the pastor. We called out to Zack who was serving as acolyte that day and trying to be as well behaved as possible. It is pretty hard when your mom is being so silly.

Needless to say, we did our task well. Pastor finally had to stop telling the story and ask us to stop. Then he talked to the children about how distracted we can be by the things around us when we should be paying attention to more important things, like God’s word. When the service was over, several people suggested that perhaps I was having way too much fun being a distraction that morning, all in good humor of course.

It was fun, but I have to admit that even though it was what I was asked to do, my silliness even became a distraction for me. It took several minutes after it was over to stop giggling and I might have missed a bit of the sermon as my mind wandered thinking about things I could have done. The point of the lesson was quite clear, however. We don’t listen very well. Either we let the world around us become a distraction or we simply focus inward, and we do not hear what others are saying.

When my daughter and I were playing during the children’s sermon, we fulfilled the task that our pastor asked us to do. However, in the process of doing it, we also missed out on the story ourselves. Every day we go out into the world in faith doing what God has called us to do: to serve Him by loving our neighbor. However, sometimes our good works can become so self-centered that we miss hearing Him as He speaks into our lives. We get burnt out because we begin to think we are the only ones who are doing all the work.

Whenever we hear this story, we are tempted to think Jesus is lifting Mary above Martha and teaching us to be like her. The reality of this story, however, is not that we should spend all our time sitting at the feet of our Lord, but that we should not worry and fuss over the distractions of this world that keep us from hearing Him. A balanced life of being Mary and Martha, listening and doing, is the way Jesus calls us to live. We can’t know God’s will if we don’t hear His voice, and once we hear His voice, we can’t help but go out and do His will. In the meantime, we are to focus our attention on what really matters, Jesus and His Word, so that we might live in His grace to His glory.

Today’s Gospel lesson is a relatively short passage, much shorter than I remember. It seems to me that we spend a lot of time studying this story, particularly women’s Bible studies. We always ask the same question: Are you a “Mary” or a “Martha”? And then spend our study time comparing the two women. We generally conclude that most of us are more like Martha and that this story is a reminder not to worry so much about things. Isn’t it amazing that we spend so much time on five brief verses of scripture. Yet, perhaps for women, it is the very story we need to hear often.

I taught a workshop on spiritual gifts a few years ago. We did an assessment, and I tried to prepare the women for the surprises they would see in their results. “You might just have the gift of pastoring” I said, which shocked and even upset a few. They didn’t want that responsibility. They didn’t realize that they didn’t have to become an ordained minister to use the gift, it is a special gift given by the Holy Spirit to certain members of the church to assume a personal responsibility for the spiritual welfare of a group of believers; to shepherd, counsel, and encourage believers and to give them food from God’s Word, to feed by teaching; to nurture others in truth; to equip the saints. It is about shepherding people in a good, godly direction, helping them to be the people God has called them to be. This gift sometimes leads people into ordination, but no always. Unfortunately, most of the women at the workshop rejected any gift that was not “hospitality.” They served in the kitchen, making coffee and organizing potlucks. They didn’t see how they could use their other gifts in that setting.

In the Old Testament lesson, Abraham was lifted up for being a servant to his guests. He was praised for honoring those strangers with a place to rest and a meal fit for a king. He jumped to his feet when he saw the visitors, bowing before them and offering them hospitality. While they eat, he stood nearby, as if waiting to meet their every desire. As we compare these actions to our Gospel lesson, it seems like that was exactly what Martha was doing. She was trying to provide the best hospitality to their friend and teacher, to meet His every need.

It made me ask some questions. Was Martha really put down for her active service? Did Martha really mean to put down Mary as lazy? What is the difference between the story of Abraham and the story of Martha? Why is service approved in one and disapproved in the other?

The problem was not that Martha was actively serving Jesus and the disciples. The problem was her worry. She was concerned about doing everything right, making everything perfect. She was concerned about the image that her family was portraying in front of Jesus. Mary appeared lazy. Without Mary's help, the meal might not be satisfactory. She was afraid that she could not accomplish the work and that Jesus would be disappointed. Her service was not centered on Jesus' need – thought it might have appeared that way. Her service was self-centered, focused on her need to please, her fear of failure. It was not a humble approach to hospitality, but a demanding and vain attitude. Abraham, on the other hand, was a man of substantial means who willingly and willfully humbled himself before his guests for their comfort. It did not matter who they were or what they wanted, he gave them his best.

Another thing that I see in the texts for this week is the idea that when God is revealed to us, we “see” Him with our own eyes. In the Old Testament lesson, we see that the LORD appeared to Abraham and then in the next verse it says, “He saw three men.” Martha saw Jesus as a man who had needs. It did not matter that Jesus was able to feed more than five thousand on a hillside one day. She saw Him as someone to help, someone to serve. Paul wrote that Jesus is the image of the invisible God. We can’t see God, but we can see Jesus. He is the tangible: the flesh, the Word, the touch of God. With these texts we might ask ourselves the questions, “How is God visible in our world and in our life? How do we see Him?” And, what do we do when we realize His is in our presence?

Have you ever been on a mountain road that seems endless? These hills are so long that it is difficult to see the top. Modern cars are built to sustain power, but you can feel the difference as you get closer to the top. Sometimes you even wonder if your car will make it, your vehicle struggles and you lose speed. It seems nearly impossible for larger vehicles, which slow down so much that you wonder how they don’t end up going backwards down the hill at any moment. There are times when I think I’ve made it because the road seems to disappear as if it is headed back down, but then I realize it is just a brief break before the journey continues upward again. You can’t ever be sure that you’ve reached the top until you are actually headed down the other side.

There was a story called “The Little Engine that Could.” It is about a little steam train without much power that has to climb a very big hill. He’s not sure he can make it, but with encouragement he tries. He builds up steam and speed as he approaches the hill, and then begins the ascent. At first the climb is easy, but the journey becomes more difficult with each passing moment. He loses steam, and nearly loses hope, but he is encouraged to go on. He puffs to himself, “I can do it, I can do it...” I’ve driven on some roads with the same hope. “I can do it. I can do it...” I think.

Have you ever thought about how difficult it is to live as a Christian in the world? I don’t just mean in our day and age, because Christians throughout history have dealt with difficulties far worse than anything we can imagine. However, even in a society where a vast majority of people claim to believe in some higher power and moral code, the life of faith is like trying to drive up that mountain. Just as we think we have reached a pinnacle, we discover that the hill continues just beyond the crest.

We follow a God that is invisible. We believe in the Christ who is physically beyond our grasp. We can’t really hear Him, as we might hear our neighbor and if we do the world considers us insane. We can’t be entirely sure of our interpretation of the events and the words that have been given to us because we are biased by our own needs and desires. It is no wonder that so many people are atheist or agnostic. How can we be certain of something that we can’t see? How can we trust someone that is invisible?

I once attended a workshop where the teacher was discussing the passage from Paul. He said that when scientists first discovered the atom and learned about the miniscule parts of the atom, they found that there is an unknown force that held it all together. We see an atom drawn on a piece of paper with lines and walls and we think that's how it really looks. Actually, the atom just seems to “magically” hold itself together. The teacher said that when the scientists saw this, they called that “magical force” the “Colossians force” based on verse sixteen, “for in Him all things hold together.”

We make it up the mountain road because we know that it has to end and then we’ll be able to coast down the other side. Sometimes it is difficult. Sometimes we think our car is going to overheat or that we will end up going backward back down the hill. But we persevere and complete the journey. That’s how it is with our Christian journey. Sometimes it seems impossible. We don’t actually see the end and at times it is hard to believe there is another side. It would be easy to say that eternal life is a myth and that none of it is real. Yet, by faith we persevere. We believe in God and keep going, by His grace saying, “I can do it.” He holds us all together. He is the force that gets us over the top.

Paul wrote, “He is the head of the body, the assembly, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” Abraham gave his attention to the Lord. He is our focus, the one thing we need wherever we go or whatever we do. With Him there is no reason for concern. With Christ comes a hope that reaches beyond the physical needs of our body. As we live in that hope, we are better able to discern the needs of those for whom we are sent to serve. There are indeed a great many people who need us and our gifts. Yet, we must remember at all times that God does not need us to do the work. He calls us to join with Him in humble service.

Before we serve, we need to look to Him. The psalmist wrote, “When you said, ‘Seek my face,’ my heart said to you, ‘I will seek your face, Yahweh.’” Mary chose the good part. That doesn’t make Mary better than Martha; it simply means that Mary found peace in the presence of God. She had work to do, too, but she approached it without fear or worry because she spent time at the feet of Jesus and her eyes were on Him.

There is one thing that is needed: eyes that see the image of God in Jesus Christ. God came to us. He revealed Himself so that we might know and experience His grace. He is faithful and will fulfill His promises even when we have lost all hope. We can’t chase after Him. We can’t give Him anything He does not already have. He does not need us. He calls us to sit at His feet, to share His grace, and to live in the hope that keeps us from ever being shaken.

This week’s lessons remind us to become more aware of the presence of God. We are encouraged to listen to His voice and to pay attention to His Word. Abraham received the LORD with humble faith and Mary sat at Jesus’ feet as He proclaimed the Good News. God is not physically present for us, but we do have Him in our hearts and in the scriptures. We may have moments like Sarah and Martha, distracted by the cares of the world, but we should not worry or be afraid. God calls us to seek Him, that we might dwell in His house forever. As we live in faith and the hope of Christ, we will not be worried or fearful but will go to do His work in joy and peace.