Lakeside Church

Luke 10:38-42

These questions are connected to the message, “What to do when there are so many options,” from Jan. 30, 2022. You can watch it here.
Dive In: This is a very familiar passage so it could be particularly helpful to read this passage slowly, a few times, in an unfamiliar translation of the Bible (e.g. N. T. Wright’s The New Testament for Everyone, Contemporary English Version, Amplified Bible, or The Message).
Reflect:
  1. If this story is new to you, what stands out either as shocking, encouraging, challenging, or confusing?
  2. This is such a familiar story for those who have spent any time church, and we’ve probably heard it preached from one angle most of the time. What was the predominant takeaway or angle that you’ve understood from this passage historically?
  3. This story is a classic example of why historical, cultural and even linguistic context are so important when interpreting Scripture. What difference does understanding the 1st century Mediterranean culture make to understanding what’s really going on here? (For example, Jesus saying “Martha, Martha” and the implications of the repetition, the cultural expectations of Martha, etc.)
  4. Given that neither serving nor study (or devotion) are better than the other, but that each has its place, which one is your own tendency? Would you say that your tendency lines up with your spiritual gifting?**
  5. Is it possible that Martha was anxious and frustrated because not only did she carry the weight of her ethical and cultural responsibilities but that she, too, would have liked to sit and listen to Jesus? If you’ve never considered this possibility, why do you think that is?
  6. Jesus wasn’t reprimanding Martha but rather freeing her from her cultural constraints and giving her permission to serve him in a different way, in “a man’s way.” Was there a time when you experienced God giving you permission to step out of the expectations of your faith tradition or culture and express your faith and following differently? In other words, have you ever experienced a release from a set of expectations that set you free to experience and serve God differently?
Act on it:
  1. If you’ve never explored what your spiritual gift is, try taking the short gift inventory from churchgrowth.org below.
  2. This week, if your default or preference is activity — doing and serving — try sitting or walking in silence and meditating on a verse or story of scripture.
  3. If your default or preference is quiet devotion or solitude, try doing something of service this week.
  4. Of all your priorities this week, what is “the one thing” that could make a huge difference in your life or someone else’s this week?
** for a short survey to help discover your spiritual gifts try https://gifts.churchgrowth.org (Note: they use the term “administration” for “leadership”)