Wedding Woes Part 3 – Devotion and Marriage

Turn back again to 1 Corinthians
chapter 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 7. We played a little catch-up last
week, didn’t we? Delving back into this chapter
after taking about a six-week break from it for those five
weeks in Advent and then the week that we were away at a conference. And we were reminded that this
chapter, the last week, it serves as Paul’s marriage and family
seminar, in which he has dealt with many things pertaining to
marriage and the marriage relationship. And in this latter half of the
chapter, As Paul explains in verse 25, he’s providing his
opinion, his wise, seasoned counsel on some additional matters. What he explains is that Jesus
Himself had not taught on these particular things. And so Paul
is willing to provide his invaluable advice Our title for this section,
Wedding Woes, indicates not a low view of God’s institution of
marriage. Rather, it suggests that difficulties
will be naturally attending the married state. And we are working
our way through the outline of the latter half of this chapter,
chapter seven. where Paul gives five pieces
of advice regarding the pursuit of marriage. We’ve worked through
the first two sections already. Paul’s principle of abiding and
marriage, verses 25 through 28. And then Paul’s principle of
urgency and marriage, in which we considered last Lord’s day,
verses 29 through 31. In that second principle, Paul
refreshed his concern about what he initially referred to as the
present distress, verse 25. There, in verse 29, he expresses
it in different terms. He says the time has been shortened. And whether he’s alluding to
the Lord’s return or to more localized challenges there in
the Corinthian church, time is of the essence. And marriage
only compounds the difficulties that life naturally presents. But Paul doesn’t say don’t get
married. He’s only providing these Corinthian
believers a heads up that there will be additional difficulties
if you marry. There will be additional woes. And that’s why we called this
section in verses 29 through 31, urgency and marriage. Paul ultimately referred to it
as the use of the world. Whether it was marriage or our
emotions, weeping and rejoicing, whether it’s buying, owning,
these are all matters directly related to this life. And they are all right and good
things, as we’ve seen. And beneath this umbrella of
the use of the world, there’s plenty of room for other earthly
enjoyments that are not listed there in verses 29 through 31. Things like travel is not forbidden,
participation in athletics or exercise, owning and attending
to your own home and property, early retirement, and so much
more would fit under that umbrella of the use of the world. Paul
does not forbid the proper use of any of them. What Paul is
arguing here, what he’s advising really, is for the believer to
maintain focus, to keep one’s perspective. And given the circumstances,
whether it’s the Lord’s soon return, or the hatefulness of
the world, or even just strife and division in a local church,
We can easily lose our heavenly focus. We can easily become distracted
from spiritual to earthly things. Trials, challenges, upsets will
come and go. But opportunities for service
to Christ and to His kingdom can easily be lost forever. This life is temporary, transient. As Paul says, it’s passing away,
but eternity is forever. And this is vital advice. Given
the difficulty of the days in which we live, Christians must
seek to make the most of the time that he points out has been
shortened. And he says that we’re to do
that by setting reasonable parameters over the things of the world.
As Paul urged the Colossian church, set your minds on the things
above, not on the things that are on the earth. In our worst
nightmare, we could not have imagined so graphic a reminder
as we received this past week. that a thousand families would
lose everything they owned. Well, with that, Paul transitions
here to a new paragraph, not unrelated to his previous discussion. In verses 32 through 35, Paul
turns to address the principle of devotion and marriage. This morning we come to the third
piece of advice that Paul gives for maximizing our time and our
usefulness for his kingdom. Would you read along with me?
Verses 32 through 35. But I want you to be free from
concern. One who is unmarried is concerned
about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But
one who is married is concerned about the things of the world,
how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The
woman who is unmarried and the virgin is concerned about the
things of the Lord, that she may be both holy, both in body
and in spirit. but one who is married is concerned
about the things of the world, how she may please her husband.
This I say for your own benefit, not to put a restraint upon you,
but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion
to the Lord. Paul is building upon the same
themes here in these verses that he’s already established, namely
that of abiding in one’s current state and status, that it’s good
and appropriate, whether you’re married or single, abide as you
are. In short, if you’re married,
if you’re bound to a wife, do not seek to be released. But
the circumstances are so challenging that Paul is hard pressed to
strongly endorse marriage. Instead, he speaks of urgency
regarding earthly opportunities. That’s his priority. And that
leads us seamlessly to this third principle. That believers, as
believers, we are to be devoted to the Lord and to His work. Any person, single or married,
is going to meet with distractions in this life. But a married person
will meet with far more. It’s important, Paul insists,
that a person, considering marriage, ponder this truth very wisely,
with eyes wide open. It’s not going to be an easy
road. And it’s certainly not easier than it will be for a
single person if someone is so gifted. So Paul makes three important
comments for those that are considering marriage. And he does so in order
that the Christian will be able to sharpen their priorities. This is counsel for adjusting
our spiritual focus. Counsel for adjusting our spiritual
focus. And the first comment that Paul
expresses is a desire for freedom from worry. Would you glance
at verse 32? A desire for freedom from worry. And although verse 32 begins
a different paragraph, the content is not altogether removed from
Paul’s previous thoughts, 25 through 31. We see a link to
those thoughts by the very first word of this sentence. It’s translated
as but. It’s a soft contrast to Paul’s
thought in the previous verses. that the time has been shortened
so that those who have wives or weep or rejoice or buy or
make use of the world should be as though they did not. Paul
issues a contrast and says, but, but I want you to be free from
concern. This is virtually an echo of the immediately preceding
verses. Paul didn’t want these believers
caught up in a web of worldliness, earthly matters. It’s not that
these are inherently bad things, wives or emotions or buying or
any other means of utilizing the world. but they cannot be
allowed to consume entirely the Christian’s thought life and
resources. And so Paul adds here in verse
32, I want you to be free from concern. This is his personal
call. This is his admonition. This
is his plea to believers to free up their resources. so as to
be more focused and productive on Christ and his kingdom. And much of Paul’s argument here
has centered around the issue of marriage and singleness, that
those who are unmarried are much more free in this regard. But
his desire is to maximize the spiritual usefulness for those
who are married as well. He’s not setting married people
aside. It’s important to examine Paul’s
precise language here. Paul desires that believers would
be free of concern. And that sounds like a good thing.
It is a good thing. But we need to understand the
scope and the significance of Paul’s words to really comprehend
his appeal. First of all, regarding this
word free, I want you to be free of concern. If you don’t mind
the pun, it’s a rather free translation in the New American Standard
because that word is not there in the Greek. It’s a derived
translation from the word concern there, the form of which is preceded
by the Greek letter A, alpha. So instead of the root word,
merimnos, we have here a-merimnos. And that alpha, that letter A,
has the effect of canceling or reversing the suggestion of the
word itself. And we have words like this in
our English language. You’re familiar with them. Amillennial
is used to speak of one who does not hold to a millennial reign
of Christ. Or another popular one, apolitical,
to suggest that a person or an organization is completely non-political. We also append in our own English
language two letters, U and N, un, to many words with the same
effect. And so we could here say that
Paul wants these believers to be unconcerned, free of concern. But in particular,
we need to understand the meaning and the significance of the word
translated here is concern. It’s a crucial, it’s crucial
rather that we note that this word in some form or another
occurs no fewer than six times in this passage. Now, depending
on your translation, this word might be relatively easy to see. In the New American Standard,
it’s the word concern, and you can easily find five of them.
In the ESV, you’ll see anxious or anxieties. If you’re reading
a King James, you’ll see carefulness or care. The fact that so many
different translations use so many different words to translate
the Greek should be a red flag to us that we need clarity as
to the word’s meaning. But for now, we can acknowledge
that concern, those things that tend to interest or even occupy
our minds is a major focus in these verses. Well, I should also point out
that this word is, as we’ve seen, somewhat obscured at the end
of verse 34. Our translators, both in the
New American Standard and the ESV say, both translations say
his interests are divided, speaking of the man there. But it’s the
same exact word translated elsewhere as either concerns or anxieties. Now, let’s move on to the important
question about the meaning of this word. If we were to take
this exhortation literally, free from concern, or as the ESV has
it, free from anxieties, or as the King James has it, without
carefulness, we would surely arrive at very different applications
of Paul’s words. Not all of which would be entirely
biblical or practical. It sounds good and right to be
free, free as possible from anxieties. But does the word really insinuate
anxiety? And what about cares? Should a Christian really be
without care, free of any and all concern? Is this really the
goal of Christianity, to get ourself to the place where we
are careless? carefree. Well, we can gain a lot of insight
about this word outside of this passage. Scripture interprets
scripture, right? And Paul’s use of this important
word calls to mind a great section of anxiousness and faith that
was taught by the Lord Jesus. Jesus gave a much more detailed
version of this same command about worry,
concern, anxiety. And Paul knew the mind of Christ. And the mind of Christ is that
faith, that is trust, as over against worry, peace as over
against anxiety, is the goal of the Christian. Jesus himself
used the word plentifully. And we find the fullest treatment
in Matthew’s gospel, chapter six. Would you turn there? Matthew
chapter six, and some of you have already forecasted where
I was going. Matthew chapter six, and I want
to pick up in verse 25, where Jesus uses this word over and
over again. Matthew chapter 6 verse 25, For
this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life
as to what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor for your
body as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food
and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air
that they do not sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into
barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth
much more than they? And which of you, by being anxious,
can add a single cubit to his life span? And why are you anxious
about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the
field grow. They do not toil, nor do they
spin. Yet I say to you that even Solomon
in all his glory did not clothe himself like one of these. But
if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today
and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will he not much more
do so for you, O men of little faith? Do not be anxious then,
saying, what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or with
what shall we clothe ourselves? For all these things the Gentiles
eagerly seek. For your heavenly Father knows
that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and
His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will
care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of
its own.” You’re likely familiar with those words. So familiar
that you know that nearly identical words are also found in Luke’s
gospel chapter 12. Those words, however, were spoken
on a completely different occasion than that which is recorded in
Matthew. And so it shouldn’t surprise us that Jesus used the
same material on different occasions. It was a priority of Christ.
We’ll limit ourselves to Matthew’s account this morning. And there
in Matthew chapter six, Jesus uses this word concern five times. You don’t recognize it there
in that passage because it’s translated as anxious. Jesus
uses the word here in the sense of sinful anxiousness. And if we were to take that and
apply it directly to our passage, first Corinthians seven, then
any concern or anxiousness would have to be considered sinful. In addition to these, very similar
lessons, Matthew 6 and Luke 12. There are other passages that
seem to affirm that, that all concern or anxiousness is sinful. Think of this one, Matthew 10,
19. When they hand you over to the
authorities, when persecution rises, do not worry. Same word. Do not worry about
how or what you are to say. It will be given you in that
hour what you are to say. Do not worry. Worry in that context
would be sin. The use of the word by all three
of the synoptic writers is also used in the context of the parable
of the soils. It’s used there to speak of the
worry of the world that chokes the word of the gospel. What
about the Apostle Paul? How does he use the word? Well,
in Philippians 4, 6, you know this word, be anxious for nothing,
but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving,
let your requests be made known to God. And Peter, likewise,
uses the word to tell his readers to cast their anxieties upon
the Lord by way of prayer. Well, all of that is pretty definitive,
isn’t it? And if that’s all we had, we
would have to conclude that concern in the sense of worry is sinful. But those are not the only passages. And not the only way that this
word can be understood. Even in the very passage that
we’re considering this morning. It can be used to speak positively
of a caring concern, a deliberate thought of others. It’s not a
bad thing. Outside of our passage, Paul
uses the word in a much more mild sense in First Corinthians
12 25, where he urges those believers to have the same care for one
another. Essentially there, he says, be
anxious for one another. Care for one another. Have a
concern for your brothers and sisters in Christ. Same word. There Paul is encouraging them
to be concerned for each other. That’s not a sin. So not all
care and concern is sinful worry. Paul uses the word again in Philippians
2 20. The same epistle where Paul used that word to exhort
them to be anxious for nothing. In 220, he laments that he has
no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned
for their welfare. He didn’t have another pastor
to send to oversee Philippi. And so concern or care for the
Philippians welfare was a good thing, not sin. And even Paul
himself in his second letter to the Corinthians acknowledges
that he was under daily pressure because of his concern for all
the churches. Care and concern is not sinful
worry. But concerns become anxieties
when they are multiplied and when they are not managed in
prayerful faith. As the godly 19th century pastor
Robert Johnstone spoke of it, anxiety is fitted to draw the
mind away from God, distracting the Christian soul, making the
earthly doubts and fears effectually oppose the heavenward longings,
and rendering the believer for the time almost a double-minded
man. Now in that context, concerns
become distracting, and both mind and heart become divided. And what are legitimate concerns,
and we will and should have legitimate concerns in this life, can soon
become distractions. And we should not allow these.
concerning ourselves with things well beyond our control or influence,
seeking to prepare for every possible contingency, will surely
bring us down into an unproductive fearfulness. Once the mind becomes
anxious, it quickly slips into unproductive whirling. what J.C. Ryle characterized as a wearying,
corrosive, and self-tormenting state. Wearying, corrosive, and
self-tormenting. We can never be entirely free
of cares and concerns in this life. It would be wrong to try. But we can be free from anxiousness,
from overly focusing upon them. And if we allow ourselves to
worry and to become anxious for earthly things, we surely are
not trusting in God and in His ability to supply our needs.
Paul tells us the same exact thing in the passage in front
of us. Glance, if you would, at the very next passage. the
very next sentence rather, verse 32, one who is unmarried is concerned
about the things of the Lord. Well, if concern is an inherently
sinful thing, then wouldn’t concern about the things of the Lord
be sin as well? It’s foolish thinking. There In that sentence, he’s
obviously speaking about a man. And he says the same exact thing
about women in verse 34, to be concerned about the things of
the Lord cannot be a bad thing. We’ll look further what Paul
is urging there in a moment. But the bottom line is that concern
is not always sinful worry. And so when Paul expresses his
desire that these believers be free from concern, he isn’t speaking
in an absolute sense. He isn’t saying, be careless. There are many things about which
we are to care. Not necessarily to the extent
of worry, but we should care. We should be concerned in some
way. And in that sense, we can never
be completely free of concern. So what can we understand, Paul
encouraging here, is a well-ordered life that rids itself of unnecessary
concerns so that one can focus on the more important concerns
of life. This is exactly what a friend
once advised me. He said, if you have too many
priorities, you don’t have any priorities. A single person is just going
to be less distracted by the concerns inherent with married
life. That’s the bottom line. So Paul has expressed his desire
that the believer be freed up, liberated as far as possible
from unnecessary concern. But Paul knows that this one
little sentence is not enough to clearly lead the Corinthian
church or us to an understanding of his appeal here. And so he
moves to a discussion of the range of worry in the remainder
of verse 32 all the way through verse 34. Would you glance at
those verses? Not only does Paul present to
us here in his counsel for adjusting our spiritual focus, he presents
not only a desire for freedom from worry, but now he wants
to discuss the wide range of concerns that might face us. And he says, initially there,
one who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord,
how he may please the Lord. But one who is married is concerned
about the things of the world, how he may please his wife and
his interests are divided. Well, if that’s all you had,
you probably would, nobody would ever get married. No Christian. So we need to understand this.
Paul breaks up the discussion here into a section about concerned
men, single men or married men. And then in verse 34, he transitions
to a discussion about concerned women, single or married. Here in the middle of verse 32,
he turns his attention first to men, and specifically first
to unmarried men. Look at verse 32, if you would.
Paul lays out this truth to the Corinthians, one, A man who is
unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord. And here
too, just like in his initial sentence, Paul isn’t speaking
absolutely that just because a man is single, he’s going to
automatically be more spiritual, more godly, more in tune to spiritual
concerns. It’s not absolute. It can be
that way. It ought to be that way. But
we’ve all met many single men who are just as inclined to fritter
away their time and days and opportunities as anyone else. It’s not a given that a single
man will be concerned about the things of the Lord, but for the
most part, it’s true. Such a man generally is going
to be more concerned about the things of the Lord, that is,
as Paul adds, how he may please the Lord Pleasing God ought to
be the goal of every Christian, right? The chief end of man is
to glorify God and enjoy him forever. The unmarried man is in a unique
position of giving himself wholeheartedly to the service of Christ and
to his church. A single man can be devoted to
the Lord’s service, not so much with the married man. As Paul
points out in verse 33 and 34, such a one is concerned about
the things of the world. That is not a sin. It’s not as
unsavory as it sounds. Paul is not suggesting here that
this is an inherently sinful pursuit. It’s not. He’s just saying that a married
man is going to be concerned with the things of the world.
That’s how he may please his wife. And
that little element isn’t talking about the physical intimacy element
of the husband-wife relationship. Paul dealt with that issue in
the opening five verses. But here he’s talking more about
pleasing one’s wife in the realm of earthly concerns. child rearing,
protection, the home, security, those kinds of things. If he’s
a good and godly husband, a married man is going to have to be concerned
about these things. How much insurance to carry.
retirement plans, 401ks and such, which schools to enroll the kids,
what curriculum to use, how are the kids progressing in school,
which neighborhood to live in, which house, a mortgage, the
lawn, the roof, and all the many, many appliances, the furnace,
you get it. Those are all concerns that a
husband has to take on. security systems, door locks,
fences, vehicles, oil changes, tires, maintenance, and on and
on and on. Spiritual shepherding of his
family, how each member is progressing in his relationship to the Lord. None of those things are in themselves
sinful. It’s just that a single man does
not need to attend to such things. A married man does. It’s not
a bad thing. But it does mean, as Paul points
out in verse 34, that his interests are divided. He’s got two plates
to spin. Incidentally, it’s a bit clumsy
and unfortunate that some scribes somewhere along the line began
verse 34 with this clause. glance at it if you would, it
doesn’t belong here. It belongs with verses 32 and
33. And I don’t want you to panic
and think that I’m tearing at scripture. The chapter and verses
divisions are not inspired. They were added, they’re manmade
additions added over time, but this one is clumsy because that
clause goes with the previous section. I also have to point
out here that the word translated here in verse 34 as interests,
remember, is the same one translated elsewhere in this section as
concerns or ESV anxieties. So Paul says, both men, single
or married, have concerns or interests. They will, naturally.
The only difference is that a married man has more of them. Paul says that there is a range
of concerns for the man, whether single or married. And there
are a range of concerns for the woman as well, whether single
or married. Just as Paul began his discussion
with a focus on the virgins, so he returns to that focus in
the middle of verse 34. He seems to be distinguishing
there between those who are unmarried and the virgin, he says. And
the explanation doesn’t need to be any more difficult than
this. The unmarried would refer likely to a woman who had at
one time been married, whether now widowed or even divorced,
as opposed to the virgin who had never been married at all.
Paul says that such a woman is just like the single man concerned
about the things of the Lord. That’s it. She’s freed up. She’s fully given to the worship
and service of her Savior with one important addition. Glance at the passage if you
would. Paul includes here a purpose clause for the woman, that she
may be both holy in body and spirit. This cannot be that a
single woman has opportunity to be more holy than a married
woman or a mother. Paul is using this word holy
in its simplest sense of sanctified. That a single woman is sanctified
that is set apart for a special service. That is service. to the Lord Jesus himself. Paul
is not suggesting that it is absolutely not the case with
a married woman, but like her male counterpart, her interests
are going to naturally be divided. She has children to care for.
She has a husband to care for and a home. She has to be. And likewise,
the husband, the clause there, how she may please her husband,
is not so much referring to intimacy, as I’ve already pointed out,
as to her entire role as the husband’s suitable helper. Genesis 2. This is her God-given
design. And compared to the similar exhortation
given to men, there is an omission here from the description to
the women. Would you just glance? It’s the
little phrase, interests are divided. That’s not there for
the women. It’s going to be true, but it’s not Paul’s focus. He’s
not pointing it up as an area of concern. And that’s because
when a married woman, including a mother of children, is engaged
in caring concern, she cannot possibly be sinfully distracted. Because in doing so, she is fulfilling
her role as a wife and a mother. But she is necessarily limited.
She’s limited in what else she can accomplish. And the truth
is she will not likely be the next great missionary to India
or anywhere else. Paul closes this important discussion. with a defense of overcoming
worry. He’s called them to it. He’s
expressed his desire for the freedom from worry and a discussion
of the wide range of concerns. But in verse 35, he ends his
counsel for adjusting spiritual focus with a defense of overcoming
worry. Would you look at that verse,
this I say for your own benefit, not to put a restraint on you,
but to promote what is appropriate and to secure undistracted devotion
to the Lord. Why does Paul say all of this?
Why does he, in verse 32, express his desire that these believers
be free from concern? Why does He go into such detail
in verses 32 through 34 about the wide range of things that
might cause worry or concern? Why does He tell us these things? In verse 35, He provides this
defense. He tells them in the positive
that what He’s telling them is for their benefit. This is for
their good. His aim is to only help them. And what he has to say is for
their advantage. The only other time this word
is used, it’s translated as profit, financial gain. He’s not trying
to make a name for himself and saying these things to the Corinthians.
He’s not trying to gain something from them in return. And he adds to that statement,
a statement in the negative. Would you glance at it? I say
this for your profit, not to put a restraint upon you. This
line is graphic and simple. The word restraint is taken from
hunting, and it speaks of a snare, a trap that is set, a rope that
is used to either capture or ultimately to lead an animal.
Paul basically says, look, I’m not trying to treat you like
the pet goat to walk you to the county fair. It’s not a moral
that is a sin issue here. He isn’t trying to bind or fetter
them with these principles. He’s not trying to impose some
kind of law on them. What Paul is trying to do is
articulated in the final line of this verse. And it begins
with a strong adversative, but, which serves really to slam on
the brakes and do a quick U-turn. Let me tell you what I am trying
to do, Paul says. Paul’s told us what he does not
intend, that is to put a restraint. Now he tells us what he does
intend. It’s the final line, to promote what is appropriate
and to secure undistracted devotion to the Lord. The challenge of
this final part of the verse is that there is no verb in this
entire string of words. The NAS supplies two infinitive
verbs. We call them two verbs, T-O verbs. It’s the way that they’re listed
in the dictionary. Look at them, if you would, in verse 35, to
promote and to secure. Neither of those words are there
in the Greek, but the string wouldn’t make any sense to our
ears without them. Listen to how it would literally
be translated. It would read something like
this, but to that which is proper and consistent to the Lord undistractedly. Doesn’t make any sense. So we need those supplied verbs. And the more I studied the options
available, the more I liked the way the NAS translates it. Paul’s
goal was to encourage appropriate behavior and undistracted devotion. That word appropriate is an appropriate
translation. The word just means proper, fitting,
beautifully behaved. The second word translated as
devotion is a really fascinating word. Eu para edras. It’s a compound of three words. Eu meaning well, para, beside,
and edra, seating or seated. And so it means, listen to this,
to be well or honorably seated beside someone or something. And it speaks of faithfulness
or devotion to a task or to a person. And in that sense, it really
is an echo of the first thought expressed in verse 32. Would
you glance at it? I want you to be free from concern. final word in the string is another
alpha canceling word there in verse 35, aperispastos. You don’t have to write it down.
Again, that alpha has the function of canceling or reversing the
suggestion of the word. And the root word basically means
distracted. I want you to be undistracted. appropriate conduct, and undistracted
devotion to the Lord. Paul may well have had a very
significant image in mind here. His exhortation and his narrative
provide a window into Luke’s gospel to
an account there that Jesus spoke. Would you please turn in closing
to Luke chapter 10? Because here Luke captures a
very uncomfortable moment for us. Luke chapter 10. And would you scroll down to verse
38. Now as they were traveling along,
he entered a village and a woman named Martha welcomed him into
her home. She had a sister called Mary
who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to his word.
But Martha was distracted with all her preparations. And she
came up to him and said, Lord, do you not care that my sister
has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help
me. But the Lord answered and said
to her, Martha, Martha. You are worried and bothered
about so many things, but the only one thing is necessary. For Mary has chosen the good
part, which shall not be taken away from her. And right on cue,
here’s our word. Translated here as worried, Mary
and Martha were hosting a dinner party for Jesus Christ, Mary
was intent on worshiping Him. Martha, on the other hand, was
intent on pulling together a multi-course meal and grumbling, which Jesus
addresses in verse 41, Martha, Martha, you’re worried and bothered
about so many things. That word worried is the same
word that Jesus used in Matthew 6. It’s the same word that Paul
uses in 1 Corinthians 7. Martha was concerned, and that
is not her sin. But she allowed her concerns
to multiply and overwhelm. Luke describes it so powerfully,
she became bothered. And that word is really an almost
humorous one in the Greek. It’s onomatopoeia. You know,
that’s the, remember eighth grade English? That’s a word that sounds
like what it means. Here we go. Are you ready for
this? Thorubodzo, bothered. She was all in a dither for worrying
about dinner. And that was her undoing. She
allowed her concerns to grow and fester to bother her like
walking five miles with a pebble in your shoe. She became anxious,
distracted, emotionally dragged this way and that. She became
unable to discern and focus upon what was truly important, not
even upon the worship of her Lord. So Paul says, I’m saying
this for your benefit. I’m not trying to burden you
with unnatural restraints like a leash around a goat’s neck.
I’m only trying to encourage you to do what is right and natural
for the child of God, to worship and serve the God who redeemed
you. This is most natural and relatively
easy for the single person. They are the ones who most easily
render undistracted devotion to the Lord. Whether a person
is married or single, a believer is called to this. It will be
much easier for the single person. Are you married? You’re not excused
from your devotion to the Savior. You too are called to worship
and serve Him just as is the single person. If anything, you’re
gonna have to work harder than your single friends. You’re
going to have to establish and maintain priorities. You’re going
to have to say no to things, even good things. You’re going
to have to focus and remain focused. It’s not going to be easy. In
fact, it’s gonna be incredibly difficult. But if you made the choice to
marry, you made the choice to have Children, you signed up
for this. And if you’re single or single
again, you have no such excuses, spouses and Children and other
related priorities. Yours is the easier route. You
remain freed up almost entirely to render an undistracted devotion
to the Lord, to sit as it were at the feet of Jesus, like Mary,
and to worship and serve him with everything in you.