July 20, 2025

Be A Neighbor

Pastor Rok Lee

Luke 10:30-37

38 Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him. 39 She had a sister named Mary, who sat at Jesus’s feet and listened to what he was saying. 40 But Martha was distracted by her many tasks, so she came to him and asked, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her, then, to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things, 42 but few things are needed—indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”

We all live busy lives. Some people say that after retirement, they can finally rest, but that’s not always true. There’s a Korean saying: “When you are young, work hard, even if you must buy the hardship.” It means that in your youth, it’s worth pushing yourself because the lessons you learn will help you later in life. So, we all keep ourselves busy. But sometimes we stop and think, “What am I really doing?”

A young man once got a job at a big company. He worked harder than anyone else. He woke up early for self-improvement, worked all day, and exercised after work. Even weekends were spent on self-development. But one day he suddenly thought, “Why do I feel so empty even though I’m working so hard?” He realized that he was doing many things but missing the most important thing.

This is true for many of us today. We have so many tasks that we often lose sight of what matters most. The story of Martha and Mary reminds us of this. Martha was caught up in busyness, but Mary sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to His words. This story teaches us three lessons.

First, busyness does not make us righteous. The Bible says Martha was “distracted by her many tasks” (v.40). In the original language, it means “being pulled in every direction.” Her heart was scattered and consumed by her work. She lost the joy of serving and began to feel frustrated.

She saw Mary, who was just sitting and listening, and became upset. So she came to Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Martha’s frustration had boiled over. Maybe she even felt sorry for herself for being the only one working hard. Many people think the problem was that Martha focused on service instead of listening to Jesus. But that’s not quite right if we understand Jewish culture.

In Jewish tradition, hospitality was one of the most important commandments, rooted in stories like Abraham welcoming strangers in Genesis 18. To welcome guests was considered an honor and a sacred duty. Martha was doing what her culture and upbringing taught her was right.

Yet Jesus gently pointed out that Martha’s busyness—and her belief that her hard work made her more faithful—was the real issue.

Busyness does not make us righteous. Many of us think the more we read the Bible, pray, or serve in church, the stronger our faith is. Then pride begins to grow: “I do more than others. I must be a better Christian.”

But busyness alone does not mature our faith. Instead, it can make us proud and quick to judge others—just like Martha.

Second, Jesus understands our busyness. Martha also felt lonely. She likely started with joy, wanting to prepare the best meal for Jesus and His disciples. But as the work piled up, she grew tired and overwhelmed. No one was helping her. Perhaps she burned her hand on the fire or dropped a dish. Frustration set in.

Then Jesus spoke to her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things” (v.41).

Think about how Jesus’ voice sounded. When He rebuked Peter, He said, “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matt. 16:23). He called the Pharisees “a brood of vipers” (Matt. 12:34). But to Martha, He spoke softly, calling her name twice in affection. He understood her heart: “I see your worries. I know your burden. I care about your struggle.”

We, too, are pulled in many directions by notifications, tasks, and relationships. Busyness wears us down until it turns into complaints. Sometimes we even think, “Lord, You don’t understand what I’m going through.”

I remember when I was in high school. I served as a youth group leader, and there were many meetings and events. My class had eleven students—ten were girls, and only me a boy. It was exhausting.

During one summer retreat, after a long meeting, I felt so drained that I couldn’t even make it back to my room. I sank into a chair in the lobby and muttered a prayer, “God, are You even there?” At that moment, tears fell. I prayed there for an hour, and that prayer changed the course of my life.

Before that, I had been very busy in church—choir since elementary school, hand copying the Gospel of John in middle school, always running around. But all that busyness left me exhausted. When I realized God truly knew and understood my heart, it brought me deep comfort.

Do you ever think, “God doesn’t really know my pain”? He does. He sees every struggle and shares in your suffering.

Third, one thing is enough. Finally, Jesus teaches that only one thing is enough. We try to do so much, hoping to impress others or prove our worth. Busyness has become a badge of honor in our world. Martha, too, wanted to show Jesus she was a good host, maybe even a good person, through her service.

Sometimes we serve God as if we’re making a deal: “Lord, I’ve done all this for You, so please help me get that job.” “Lord, I serve so hard—please send me the right spouse.” People around us even say, “If you serve faithfully, God will reward you.”

But Christianity is not about earning blessings by our actions. Jesus says, “Only one thing is needed.” Please don’t misunderstand: serving the church has value. But the most important thing is not what we do—it’s “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matt 22:37)

Serving the church is the same. It’s good if we can serve the church in many different ways. However, we have our limitations, so we can’t do everything. We can’t pour our whole heart into many things at once. That’s why we choose just one thing—the one thing we can do best, the one thing we can offer to God today. Surely we need to do that one thing.

Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” God does not place burdens or heavy loads on us; instead, He gives us rest and peace. This is the decision I hope we make. And I hope we pray about it. Ask yourself in prayer, “What is the one thing I can offer to God today?” Seek out one thing each day to give to Him. Then true peace will come into your heart.

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