Sermon Tone Analysis
Overall tone of the sermon
This automated analysis scores the text on the likely presence of emotional, language, and social tones. There are no right or wrong scores; this is just an indication of tones readers or listeners may pick up from the text.
A score of 0.5 or higher indicates the tone is likely present.
Emotion Tone
Anger
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Disgust
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Fear
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Joy
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Sadness
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Language Tone
Analytical
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Confident
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Tentative
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Social Tone
Openness
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Conscientiousness
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Extraversion
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Agreeableness
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Emotional Range
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Tone of specific sentences
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Anger
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The phrase is one that is often uttered.
“There is just too much to do.”
How can I get everything done that I need to do?
Each day of our lives we have plenty to do: from the daily homework assignments to earning a living, keeping our rooms clean to giving ourselves down-time.
This same issue is one that Martha experienced all those many years ago.
She couldn’t figure out how to get everything done.
Yet, Jesus had wonderful news for Martha.
In the midst of the busyness of our lives, he has wonderful news for us, too.
In our text for today, we hear the wonderful invitation: *Join Mary at Jesus’ Feet!*
There we learn that *His Word is the one thing necessary* and *it will not be taken from us*.
Jesus and his disciples were traveling about the Judean countryside.
As they walked from town to town, the thought crossed the mind of Jesus many times.
“My time on this earth is coming to an end.”
With his earthly life coming near to its end, Jesus decided to go into a small town.
There he was greeted by a friendly face, a woman named Martha.
Martha invited Jesus to come visit with her and her sister, Mary.
When they arrived at her house, Jesus sat down.
Mary did the same, sitting right up next to the feet of Jesus.
There she listened and listened, and listened to Jesus’ words.
Imagine the beautiful stories and lessons she must have heard.
Did she hear the wonderful examples of God’s grace in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?
Maybe she heard about the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies.
Was the Lord’s topic of the day that he would soon go to Jerusalem to die? Did she hear about the glories of heaven?
We don’t know.
But, OH, the gems that Mary must have heard from Jesus’ mouth.
But while Mary was sitting there, we see a figure in the background.
Martha is running about, thinking of all the things that need to get done.
One minute she’s at the dining table, the next she’s outside by the food.
Then she’s back inside, making sure everything is clean.
Can’t you just see the anxious look on her face?
She had so many things to do, and so little time to do them all!
And each time she passes Mary, there that anxious look is.
The first time it was probably just a quick glance.
As she passes a second time a little cough escapes her mouth.
The third time, Martha makes sure Mary can hear her huff.
Finally, she had had enough.
Martha quickly moves and stands right up next to Jesus.
The question leaves her lips.
“Lord, don’t you care?
Don’t you care that Mary has left me alone to do all the work?”
That question says it all.
Martha thought for sure that she was right.
She was so sure that she had her priorities straight.
The thoughts that must have gone through her mind!
“Here I am, doing everything, and she just sits there?
Can’t it wait?
We need to eat, don’t we?”
She expected the Lord to respond, “Of course I care Martha!
How could I have forgotten?”
But, in case Jesus didn’t get her point, she adds this little command: “Tell her, then, to help me!”
How surprised do you think Martha was then to hear the Lord’s response?
“Martha, Martha.”
With those two words, Jesus said, “You’re wrong Martha.”
Don’t you think Martha could have heard the Lord’s disappointment?
Jesus didn’t need to say anything else for Martha to get the point.
The thought was there, “What did I say wrong?”
Jesus had Martha’s attention.
His words had caused Martha to look back on her words and actions.
He continued by saying, “You are worried and upset about many things.”
Can I give you a literal translation here?
“You are anxious and in a riot concerning much serving.”
Jesus wanted Martha to realize what was really going on.
Her mind was filled with all those things she was worried about.
She remembered how she had just been scurrying about.
She remembered how she was worried everything would get done.
But surely, she must have thought, these things still need to get done, don’t they?
The Lord answered her unspoken question.
And as surprising as his first response was, nothing topped this.
“One thing is necessary.”
Don’t you think Martha was floored? “One thing, Lord?
Really?
Only one?
What is it,” she surely thought.
“Maybe the cooking and cleaning can wait.”
The Lord’s point was clear enough.
There will be time to cook; we can clean later.
“Come,” Jesus was saying, “join Mary at my feet.”
Brothers, we are just like Martha.
Put yourself in her shoes.
The Lord is coming to your house!
Don’t you think that you would want to make sure a good meal was prepared?
Don’t you think that you would want the house to be clean?
I know I would.
Better yet, hink about your daily life.
There are so many things we need to do everyday.
These things are not bad things by themselves.
They are necessary things, good things.
We need to sleep.
We need to eat.
We need to make sure our rooms or apartments are clean.
We need to go to work.
We need to get our homework done.
Aren’t we just like Martha when we get so wrapped up in these earthly activities?
There we are, scurrying around, trying to get everything done.
One minute we’re here, the next we’re there, a third we’re over there.
Our minds and hearts become so anxious and worried.
We develop huge riots inside ourselves.
We become so focused on getting these things done, we lose sight of what is really important.
We begin to consider the activities of daily life to be the most important things.
In the meantime we push God’s Word into the corner, saying “That can wait.
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