To serve or be served that is the question

Here is an excellent post from Chris at Extreme Theology:

Rick Warren believes and teaches that Christians who are unwilling to GIVE UP the benefits of a small church in order to ‘minister to more people’ are SELFISH and IMMATURE. Included in the list of things that must be ‘given up’ is the expectation that a Pastor will preach doctrinally rich sermons and personally disciple the sheep in his care. Warren has described his view as the difference between ‘Service’ and ‘Serve Us’.

Well, here is an interesting idea. American Evangelicals are committed to asking themselves WWJD (What Would Jesus Do). So let’s ask Jesus what He would do regarding this question. How would he come down between the two positions? Would he favor a Christian who was busy doing service or one who was literally sitting around and doing nothing but listening to His words?

Thankfully the scriptures tell us exactly what Jesus would do in this situation! Here is what God’s word says:

Luke 10:38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Here it is. If Rick Warren is correct then Jesus is about to give Mary a ‘royal talking to’. If Rick Warren is right we are about to hear Jesus command Mary to get off her ‘Selfish’ and ‘Immature’ butt and get to work and Serve him.

Is that what Jesus does? Not even close!

Luke 10:41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

What!?!?! How can this be?! Mary is doing nothing but listening, nothing but receiving, nothing but believing Jesus’ words. Rather than Serving Jesus, Mary is being served by Jesus! Even worse, Jesus has made it clear that what Mary has chosen to do is BETTER than what Martha has chosen to do. In fact, Jesus makes it clear that He will NOT take that away from Mary.

To put it another way…

Jesus says in Luke 18:17 “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”

Martha through her frantic works of service to JESUS was NOT receiving Him like a little child and Mary was. Children can only be given to. They simply trust. They love to receive gifts. Mary, like a child, was listening at Jesus feet and receiving the gift of His word. She wasn’t trying to impress Jesus through her works of service like Martha was. That is why Jesus kindly and lovingly corrected Martha and praised Mary.

Those churches and pastors that have bought into Rick Warren’s idea of “Service” vs. “Serve Us” are literally kicking out the Mary’s of the church, those who come to church and sit at the feet of Jesus to hear and receive His word. They are instead filling the church with a bunch of Martha’s and requiring their members to do works of Service rather than be served by their pastors.

Is that What Jesus Would Do?