“Love, Service, and Priorities”
Luke 10:38-42
July 12, 2026
“Management theorist Russell Ackoff used to say that many of our problems are the result of being efficient at the wrong things. In one interview, he said, ‘The curious thing is the righter you do the wrong thing the wronger you become. If you’re doing the wrong thing and you make a mistake and correct it you become wronger. So it’s better to do the right thing wrong than the wrong thing right. Almost every major social problem that confronts us today is a consequence of trying to do the wrong things righter.’” [Reagan Rose, Redeeming Productivity, 114.]
That sounds right. I think.
What Ackoff and so many other productivity advocates are encouraging us to do is to learn how to prioritize what we do, and as Stephen Covey has said, Do First Things First. What’s the most important thing to do? Do that. And then pick the next most important thing. And so on. Covey said, “The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
In an interaction with a lawyer who was trying to trap Him in a theological error, Jesus addresses our priorities — how do we understand what is important in life, and even more, how are our actions and affections related to our quest for eternal life? That was the lawyer’s original question, “what shall I do to gain eternal life?” (v. 25). Jesus asked the lawyer, “What is written in the Law?” And the lawyer provided a clear and biblical answer about the essence of the Mosaic Law (vv. 27, 29, though he still thought he could achieve eternal life on his own, v. 30). Luke then illustrated those principles with a parable from Jesus (the Good Samaritan) and a brief interaction between Jesus and Martha. That interaction addresses the priority of one’s relationship with God and gives us direction for how we live for and serve Him.
Loving God is the great priority of life.
Loving God equips us for every service in life.
What does the love and worship of G/d look like, and how does it relate to our service of Him?
As we look at this familiar story, let’s learn how to follow four principles of loving God…
- The Priority of Discipleship (vv. 38-39)
- The Temptation of Service (v. 40)
- The Correction of the Heart (vv. 41-42a)
- The Promise of Devotion (v. 42b)
Download the rest of this sermon on Luke 10:38-42.
“Christ in the Home of Martha and Mary” (Vermeer), Public domain, via WikiArt.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website by Tuesday.
Words of Grace 