072 One Thing Is Necessary
Luke 10:38-42
March 17, 2018
This morning we approach a story here in Luke’s gospel
That is quite familiar to many of you.
It is the story of the first time our Lord approached the home
Of the infamous Martha and Mary.
Luke is the only gospel writer to include this incident.
Certainly it fits Luke’s narrative of Jesus being a NECESSITY since Jesus speaks to that exact point.
• For Luke it also works as a transitional story since we are about to enter a long section in Luke which deals with the authoritative teaching of Jesus.
• It fits Luke’s theme of highlighting the difference between self-righteousness vs being poor in spirit
• It fits nicely with the previous parable of “The Good Samaritan” since there we learned what it means to love your neighbor as yourself, and here we get a glimpse of what it means to love God with all your heart.
• It fits a continual pattern of Luke with references to hospitality
So it’s not hard to figure why Luke would include this story
That every other gospel writer omitted. It fits nicely.
But we would still ask Luke’s main purpose in including this story,
I think more than anything Luke includes this story
Because it answers the important question regarding
WHAT JESUS DESIRES TO RECEIVE FROM HIS FOLLOWERS.
Here we have a woman breaking her back to serve Jesus
And yet it is ultimately deemed unnecessary by Jesus.
In fact, according to Jesus, only 1 things is necessary.
NOW MORE THAN ONCE WE HAVE FOCUSED ON MARTHA
Carrie and I even discussed these ladies a little further
As we drove to see our parents Thursday night.
And I think the typical idea that arises when you look at this story,
And when you ask, what was Martha’s problem,
Most will quickly say, “Martha was too busy”.
You see words like “distracted” and “preparations”
And “serving” and “worried” and “bothered”
And you couple that with the fact that Mary is sitting
And we quickly just sort of assume that busyness is the problem here.
And I don’t want to throw that out altogether here this morning, for certainly Martha’s propensity to be busy could affect here negatively.
But you should know that busyness in and of itself is not the problem.
In fact, I have a tough time finding
Where the Bible condemns people just for being busy.
I can read however:
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,”
I can read:
Ephesians 5:15-16 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.”
I can even read specific instructions for women in the Bible
That would have been directly applied to a woman like Martha.
Things like:
1 Timothy 5:11-15 “But refuse to put younger widows on the list, for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge. At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go around from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention. Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.”
Obviously there, keeping busy is not a bad thing.
Or:
Titus 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”
There was work to be done.
We are all familiar with the Virtuous woman of Proverbs 31.
• That woman who is rising while it is still dark to cook meet for her family,
• Who travels a far distance to buy groceries,
• Who tends to her fields and her maidens,
• And whose candle burns into the wee hours of the night finishing her tasks.
Busyness is not the problem in and of itself.
Read the gospels, our Lord was busy.
I think we could make a much stronger case
By talking against laziness or idleness than busyness.
Busyness is not the problem here.
Really, for Martha it all comes down to motive,
And that is what I hope to show you this morning.
So let’s look at our text this morning about this one necessary thing.
3 points
#1 A CASE OF BIBLICAL HOSPITALITY
Luke 10:38
Luke isn’t really interested in giving the full context of the event,
Merely saying “Now as they were traveling along”
Which indicates that Luke is more interested in using the story here
Than he is about the timing of when it occurred.
This story fits the current point Luke wishes to make.
“He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.”
Based on John’s gospel we know who this woman is.
• Martha and Mary are the sisters of Lazarus, the man Jesus raised from the dead in John 11.
• They would come to be dear friends of Jesus during His earthly ministry.
• Their home was in Bethany which is 2 miles outside of Jerusalem.
• And it seems that this was the first meeting that Jesus had with this family.
And so what you have here is A CLASSIC CASE OF HOSPITALITY.
And while we know that Martha will receive the correction from Jesus here,
I do want you to understand a little of the backstory to her mindset
So you can see why she is upset.
In the culture of the day, even all the way back to the O.T.,
You could not overstate the importance of hospitality.
• The terrain of the area is rugged and harsh.
• Water is scarce and food can be scarce.
• Travelers depended on hospitality to survive.
• And it was an ultimate offense and grave sin to refuse it.
You are aware that it is commanded:
Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”
Even in Paul’s letter to Timothy when giving instruction about widows,
Those women who refused to show hospitality while married
Are disqualified from the widow list.
1 Timothy 5:9-10 “A widow is to be put on the list only if she is not less than sixty years old, having been the wife of one man, having a reputation for good works; and if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, if she has assisted those in distress, and if she has devoted herself to every good work.”
And just so you understand the implications.
JEWS WERE COMMANDED TO DO THIS
For both the resident alien and for their traveling brethren.
It was understood when you welcomed them in,
• That you would bow in honor,
• Wash their feet,
• Give them a kiss,
• Feed them and care for their animals,
• And even give them preference in the home.
Consider stories like Abraham welcoming the strangers into his home, even before he knew who they were.
Genesis 18:1-8 “Now the LORD appeared to him by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by. “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.”
And this was the norm and was expected.
In fact, a failure to offer hospitality could be taken as an act of hostility.
Remember Gideon when the men of Succoth refused to feed him?
Judges 8:4-9 “Then Gideon and the 300 men who were with him came to the Jordan and crossed over, weary yet pursuing. He said to the men of Succoth, “Please give loaves of bread to the people who are following me, for they are weary, and I am pursuing Zebah and Zalmunna, the kings of Midian.” The leaders of Succoth said, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna already in your hands, that we should give bread to your army?” Gideon said, “All right, when the LORD has given Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will thrash your bodies with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers.” He went up from there to Penuel and spoke similarly to them; and the men of Penuel answered him just as the men of Succoth had answered. So he spoke also to the men of Penuel, saying, “When I return safely, I will tear down this tower.”
And Gideon did both.
Remember David nearly being moved to war because Nabal refused to feed his men, and only Nabal’s wife Abigail stopped a war because she fed David’s men?
This hospitality was so important that
The host was even responsible for the well-being of his guests.
We remember Lot defending the same messengers that had previously been with Abraham from the men of Sodom.
Genesis 19:6-8 “But Lot went out to them at the doorway, and shut the door behind him, and said, “Please, my brothers, do not act wickedly. “Now behold, I have two daughters who have not had relations with man; please let me bring them out to you, and do to them whatever you like; only do nothing to these men, inasmuch as they have come under the shelter of my roof.”
I’m just giving you these stories because
I want you to understand what a big deal hospitality was.
It was expected, and it was to be done well.
You should also know that hospitality plays a big role in Luke’s gospel.
A lot of the stories Luke shares about Jesus come in this context.
For example, we remember Luke 7
And the Pharisee who really offended Jesus for his lack of hospitality.
Remember?
Luke 7:44-48 “Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. “You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss My feet. “You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet with perfume. “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”
Perhaps you remember James and John being ready to annihilate the Samaritans for a lack of hospitality.
Luke 9:52-54 “and He sent messengers on ahead of Him, and they went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make arrangements for Him. But they did not receive Him, because He was traveling toward Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?”
Perhaps you remember Jesus instructing the 70 when they would go out in ministry:
Luke 10:5-11 “Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house.’ “If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you. “Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. “Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ “But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, ‘Even the dust of your city which clings to our feet we wipe off in protest against you; yet be sure of this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’”
Hospitality was expected and Jesus even announced that
Those who refused it would come under judgment.
And we could go on in Luke’s gospel.
• In Luke 11 Jesus gives a parable about prayer using hospitality as the backdrop
• In Luke 11 Jesus will have lunch again with a Pharisee
• In Luke 14 He enters a Pharisee’s home again
• In Luke 19 Jesus will announce to Zaccheus that He is staying with him
You get a lot of references to hospitality.
AND IN THAT SENSE IT WOULD SEEM THAT MARTHA IS DOING WELL.
• She is working to the detail to make her home hospitable.
• No doubt cleaning and cooking and making beds and doing all the necessary preparations to make the scene perfect.
Even in that sense it would seem like Mary is the one in the wrong here
For not bothering herself to be a good host.
And yet, it is Martha who earns the correction.
This tells us that there is something important to learn here.
So we have a case of Biblical Hospitality
#2 A CASE OF BREWING HOSTILITY
Luke 10:39-40
Well Martha is really probably the matriarch of the home.
In fact, it is called “her home” in verse 38.
• It is likely that Martha was a widow.
Well, now we find out that Martha was not alone.
Living with her was her sister Mary.
(And it is likely that others would have been there too, even Lazarus)
(39) “She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet listening to His word.”
Jesus has entered and Mary is mesmerized.
• She has just scooted up to Jesus as close as she can,
• She is glued to every word He is speaking.
Even in her amazement,
She has lost all sense of any of the chores going on around her.
Mary has dropped her broom and she is just focused on Jesus.
Mary was SITTING, but Martha was SERVING.
(40) “But Martha was distracted with all her preparations;”
“distracted” comes from a Greek word that means
“to draw away” or even “to be dragged away”
Martha was lost in her work.
• It wasn’t necessarily that she liked the work,
• It’s just that she felt the pressure of the work.
• She was a slave to the cultural expectations of hospitality.
• The floor wasn’t going to mop itself…
• The lamb wasn’t going to roast itself…
• The bed wasn’t going to make itself…
• And all these were things that had to be done.
Martha was chained to it.
You can imagine her frustration then,
• When already frazzled
• She finds Mary with a can of Pledge in one hand and a washrag in the other
• And instead of dusting she’s just sitting there listening to Jesus.
I tend to think that Martha probably made a little racket in the other room
To just give a reminder that she was still working hard…
• There were a few extra powerful sighs coming from the other room,
• Maybe even a few forceful throat clearings going on…
But Mary didn’t get the hint.
She either didn’t get it or she didn’t care.
AND FINALLY FRUSTRATION BOILS OVER.
But here is the interesting part.
Martha doesn’t jump on Mary, Martha confronts Jesus.
(40b) “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.”
There is no doubt that Martha is frustrated with Mary,
But here we see that she is also frustrated with Jesus.
• Could He not see that the house was not ready?
• Could He not see how hard she was working?
• Could He not see that there were still things to get done?
Then why in the world would He be content
To just let this woman sit and dodge all the work?
And so Martha actually gives Jesus one of the harshest accusation of anyone in the gospels.
• She doesn’t accuse Him of being demon possessed.
• She doesn’t accuse Him of being a blasphemer.
• She accuses Him of not caring.
Now let me make sure you pick up on one important theme to Luke.
Throughout his gospel Luke has made sure to distinguish
Between the self-righteous and those who were poor in spirit.
We saw that all the way back to Luke’s highlighting people like:
• Zacharias and Martha
• Mary and the shepherds
• Simeon and Anna
At the same time Luke has also exposed the self-righteous:
• Like the people of Nazareth
• Or the people of Capernaum
• Or the Pharisees
Well this story highlights another one of those contrasts.
Martha is obviously the self-righteous one and Mary the poor in spirit.
• Martha is the worker.
• Martha earns her reputation.
• In Martha’s mind she deserves certain treatment.
And nothing frustrates a self-righteous or legalistic person more
Than when they don’t get the recognition they deserve.
In fact, they hate it.
Beyond that, they take great issue with those who don’t earn it and are yet accepted.
• This will be the issue of the older brother verses the younger brother in that
parable of the prodigal.
• This will be the issue of the Pharisee and tax collector who both go to pray in
the temple.
• This will be the issue of Zaccheus and the Pharisees who were blown away
that Jesus went to stay with him.
It’s a common theme for Luke.
That Jesus accepts the poor in spirit
And that is infuriating to the self-righteous.
Martha is there right now.
• Not just mad at Mary,
• But also mad at Jesus because He’s not recognizing the value of her efforts.
Just as an off shoot I would remind you that it is a common theme in Scripture that children of the flesh hate children of the promise.
Galatians 4:28-29 “And you brethren, like Isaac, are children of promise. But as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so it is now also.”
That is what is happening here.
Martha was willing and committed to do the work of hospitality,
But she expected to be honored because of it.
But, you see a case of biblical hospitality and a case of brewing hostility
#3 A CASE OF BRUTAL HONESTY
Luke 10:41-42
So here comes the point.
• Martha is standing there red faced, huffing a little.
• No doubt the room and all the other guests have fallen into that awkward silence.
• Mary is likely already trying to get up and get to work.
And Jesus answers.
(41) “But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things;”
Jesus had noticed how hard she was working.
Jesus had seemingly even pitied Martha for the prison she was in.
“worried” is the same word used 5 times in Matthew 6
When the Lord told us not to worry.
It is translated “anxious” in
Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
“bothered” comes from a word that means
“to make an uproar”
And so if you can catch Jesus’ observation and rebuke here,
He just answer Martha by saying:
“Yes, I can see how hard you’re working. Who couldn’t?
Your anxiety and frustration and the uproar you’ve been making this whole time is obvious to everyone.”
• We all caught that slam of the cabinet door…
• We all noticed the fury of the broom while you swept…
Jesus revealed to Martha that He was certainly aware
Of the scene she had put on to demonstrate
What a hard little worker she was.
You know Martha don’t you?
Sometimes you are Martha aren’t you?
Willing to do it,
But somebody had better darn well notice how much work it required.
Can I remind you that legalism and self-righteousness
NEVER IMPRESS JESUS?
What do we expect Jesus to do here?
Applaud Martha for all her hard work when He knew very well that applause was what she was seeking?
Martha is busy trying earn favor and accolade
And she is upset when it doesn’t work.
I’ve seen this many times in my life in the church.
People want to “serve” or “give” or “contribute” but when you don’t put their name on a plaque or at least in the bulletin or call attention to their every deed they are furious.
Well there is Martha, and Jesus is dealing with her here.
“Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary”
Martha, I can see how busy you are, but in all your commotion
You have actually failed to take care of
The most important aspect of your hospitality.
But don’t worry, Mary has your back!
“for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”
• “Martha you did everything on your list that a good homemaker should do when welcoming a guest.”
• “You did everything EXCEPT the most important thing.”
YOU DIDN’T LOVE YOUR GUEST.
But Mary did.
MARTHA’S PROBLEM IS NOT BUSYNESS.
MARTHA’S PROBLEM IS THAT SHE DIDN’T LOVE JESUS.
She is the counterpart to that Pharisee who invited Jesus over earlier.
• He didn’t love Jesus, so he didn’t serve Jesus.
• Martha did serve Jesus, but it wasn’t for Jesus, it was for her own reputation.
• And she proved that because she actually scolded Jesus.
Now let me remind you of another account just like this one,
That we have also looked at a couple of times.
Revelation 2:1-7 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this: ‘I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. ‘But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ‘Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place — unless you repent. ‘Yet this you do have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’”
If you’ll listen, you can hear the exact same rebuke of Ephesus
That Jesus gave to Martha.
You work hard, you try hard, you’re checking off that list.
• “deeds and toil and perserverance”
• “you cannot tolerate evil men”
• You call out false teachers
“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love”
You did everything a church should do
Except the absolute most important thing!
Do you know what that is church?
LOVING CHRIST!
Is that not the greatest commandment?
Matthew 22:36-40 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”
If you get all the other nuances right, but miss that one, what good is it?
Take Martha as an example here.
• So the house is spotless…
• The meal is flawless…
• The bed is wonderful…
• The breakfast is perfect…
But the whole time you are there you get this feeling
That Martha is just a little put out with the hassle of you being there.
She checked off the list,
But you couldn’t really tell if she actually wanted you there.
Now look at Mary.
• We can’t tell if Martha was happy about having Jesus in her home,
• But there’s no doubt that Mary was.
And Jesus said, this “shall not be taken away from her.”
“Martha, don’t think for one second I’m gonna make Mary leave my side to go dust that cabinet. She recognizes the rare blessing of what is happening here.”
It’s not that dusting a cabinet doesn’t have its place,
But try to keep this in perspective.
It’s about loving Me!
IT IS THE ONE NECESSARY THING.
In fact, it is so necessary that Jesus told the church at Ephesus if they didn’t get that fixed that He was about to shut down their church altogether.
Or listen to this one:
Matthew 10:37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.”
Does that spell it out for you?
And so we would ask:
What good is a church that has everything but love for Christ?
What good is a church where Jesus doesn’t feel welcome?
• So what if the programs are booming…
• So what if mission trips are on the books…
• So what if the budget is stable…
• So what if the sanctuary is clean…
• So what if the musicians are talented…
• So what if the preacher is polished…
What does all that matter if the church doesn’t love Jesus?
It was the only need Jesus had that Martha wasn’t taking care of.
It wasn’t that she was busy.
It was that she was busy for the wrong reason.
EVERYTHING THE CHURCH DOES
MUST SPRING FROM A GENUINE LOVE FOR CHRIST.
Should I remind you of David’s “one thing”?
Psalms 27:4 “One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple.”
Should I remind you of Paul’s “one thing”?
Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
When Jesus reinstated Peter can I remind you of the one thing that Jesus wanted to know from him?
John 21:15-17 “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
This story ISN’T JUST ABOUT the importance of taking time to be with Jesus before you get busy. Sure that’s true.
This story is about being busy for the wrong reason.
• Yes, love Jesus enough to put the world on hold and sit at His feet.
• But also let even your busyness be driven out of love for Him, not your own
satisfaction or glory.
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men,”
It is true that everything Martha did, was technically for the Lord.
The problem is that she didn’t love Him when she did it.
And that is the even better application here.
• Don’t fool yourself that reading your Bible daily is the same thing as loving Jesus.
• Don’t fool yourself that praying daily is the same thing as loving Jesus.
• Don’t fool yourself that going to church or going on mission or working with kids or youth is the same things as loving Jesus.
Now certainly if you love Jesus you’ll do those kinds of things.
After all, that woman in Luke 7 showed her love for Jesus by washing His feet and kissing Him, and anointing Him with perfume.
I KNOW FOR SOME THAT SERVICE IS A GENUINE LOVE LANGUAGE
But you can do all those things without loving Jesus.
MARTHA PROVED THAT.
And according to Jesus, living Him was the only thing that really mattered
That was the only thing that was necessary.
That was the only thing that was needed.
SO WE ARE CALLED TO LOVE CHRIST
Now, I also believe in being practical in application.
It’s one thing to tell people to love Jesus,
And I most certainly don’t want to just leave you saying, “How?”
Well let me remind you of that previous hospitality scene:
Remember that woman who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, and wiped them with her hair, and anointed His feet with perfume?
Do you remember what Jesus said to Simon the Pharisee about her?
Luke 7:47 “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.”
And this is also the problem of Martha.
• She is self-righteous.
• She is still focused on what she has done and what she deserves.
• She is actually angry at Mary for being so unworthy
• And angry at Jesus for accepting her
In many ways this story is just like the one in Luke 7.
The reason people love Jesus a lot
Is because they realize they have been forgiven by Jesus a lot.
Love for Christ occurs
When you come to grips with the reality of what you are,
And what Christ did on your behalf.
1 John 4:19 “We love, because He first loved us.”
And if you want to love Christ more then get to know that love.
• Get in the word, and learn what you are.
• Continue in that word and learn who Christ is.
• Go even farther in that word and see what Christ did for you.
Love will be the response.
Without that, all we are is a church where Jesus feels unwelcome.
Love is the one necessary thing.
