Sermon by Rev Sydney Maitland for Sunday 20 July 2025.
Georg Friedrich Stettner, 17th century: Christ at the home of Martha and Mary (Source)
• First Reading: Amos 8: 1-12 (A basket of ripe fruit)
• Second Reading: Colossians 1: 15-28 (The supremacy of the Son of God)
• Gospel: Luke 10: 38-42 (At the home of Martha and Mary)
The honoured guests have arrived without warning. The house is a shambles, un-swept, the cushions in every kind of state you can imagine, and absolutely nothing has been prepared.
How many of them are there? Jesus, the 12 and the hangers-on. Say at least 20. Where to put them? Not enough chairs, cushions, or even stools.
Mary, where are you? Can’t you see the work that has to be done? Word will get out and our home will never recover. Don’t even think of asking Lazarus.
Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.
And now they are here. Which sauce to serve? The fig or the date? Do both. Then there are the dips – the cheese, the houmous, the spicy one, the sweet one as well. And nobody is doing a thing about it. Not to mention the baklava, kateifi and halwa. Best not offer the scented kind.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Then the meat dishes. No pork or course, but the lamb, beef and goat. Oh yes, and the chicken.
And nobody is helping? Do I have to do it all myself?
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
Oh, the music. Leave Black Sabbath, but Dylan should be OK.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
It is easy to ham up a simple dramatic sketch, with Martha going spare at the preparations, Mary sitting around dewy-eyed, looking at Jesus and the rest of the disciples somewhat bemused at the commotion.
But then look again.
Try Amos: speaking to a wealthy and complacent people in Samaria, the trading and more open-minded part of Israel. Try not to be too narrow-minded about their religion when there are so many others around and we do not want to upset the feelings of our trading partners, do we?
But their own religions practice had also become cold and formal, devoid of life and certainly of authenticity.
You only had to look at their discomfort at the Sabbath, itching to getting back to what really matters: trading, making money.
And if a few people are ripped off with fraudulent measures, or a few unfortunates are harshly foreclosed upon for trivial debts, like the price of a pair of shoes, then so what?
But God says through Amos, that enough is enough. There are enemies at the borders and in case you missed it, judgment also comes through environmental disasters. Look at Sodom and Gomorrah, or the plagues of Egypt or the drought of Elijah. And you think environmental disasters are solely human in origin?
Think again. The book of Revelation may also help.
No, there comes a time when the prophets and apostles and evangelists have had enough abuse and contempt. Things can be taken out of their hands, and eventually will be.
But is it not as if we are devoid of religion. It is just that things keep being put in the wrong order of priority.
Instead of starting with God and the message of His salvation, we start with self: all our sexual and emotional and identity distractions. Our failures of relationships and transactions come out of our misplaced loyalties and priorities.
And it is far easier to stress the environment in preference to our need for personal faith and repentance. It is more convenient to discuss poverty and the poverty trap than to give sacrificially ourselves.
Come to that, it takes less effort to condemn Israel than it does to look at the enemies just beyond our own shores and to prepare.
Much of this is so much displacement of attention. Skip what is essential in favour of the conveniently fashionable.
But Paul’s letter of the Colossians puts it into focus. Jesus is the image of the invisible God, who has put all things into His hands.
He is the firstborn of all creation and the firstfruits of those who have died and risen from the dead.
He is the starting point and not just the afterthought for those who like religion.
He has reconciled us with God when we were enemies and facing judgment. We dare never forget or neglect Him and the salvation He has brought us.
And so for us, yes it is a matter of setting priorities. And these start with that personal faith in Jesus and our relationship with Him.
It means letting Him point out the areas of our lives where we need to let go of something – a habit, an attitude, a memory, a hurt.
It means letting Him touch us where we are most sensitive. Letting Him speak to us where we most need to listen.
Letting Him show us the things we most wish to avoid.
Above all, it is letting His love come into our lives – and especially where we most need His truth and His healing.
