Martha and Mary

FIRST SIBLING RIVALRY GONE GOOD
LUKE 10; JOHN 11-12

IMAGINE: Being a family of two sisters and one brother, living your daily routine, and guess Who comes to dinner.

Martha and Mary lived with their brother, Lazarus, in the small village of Bethany which was approximately two miles southeast of Jerusalem. They were two very different sisters who served the Lord in two very different ways. Both had good ways of serving, but one had the better way. One sister learns to stop and listen. The other one learns action is sometimes needed.

While they were traveling,
He entered a village, and a
woman named Martha
welcomed Him into her home.
Luke 10:38

Martha, along with her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus, were more than likely known for their hospitality of taking people into their home. In the culture of that day, a traveler would be tired and hungry after a day’s journey and would need a meal and lodging. Hospitality was a social requirement that if not extended, would have been shameful.
Martha was possibly the oldest of the siblings and appears to be head of the household. The implication infers this was a prominent and somewhat wealthy family within the community. Her home was large enough to accommodate Jesus and His disciples. She was obviously prepared to host a dinner for her many guests, who had now accepted her invitation to rest and partake of a meal.

She had a sister named Mary,
who also sat at the Lord’s feet and
was listening to what He said.
Luke 10:39

Mary’s whole desire was to be near her Lord. She hung on His every word and was at the feet of Jesus every time He came near. Mary was always content to be silent, listen and meditate on whatever He had to say.
Mary was much more in tune with the internal matters thus leading to the eternal, than she was of external circumstances. She was humble, reverent, and hungry more for the spiritual food Jesus had than for the real food her sister was preparing.

But Martha was distracted by her
many tasks, and she came up
and asked, “Lord, don’t You care
that my sister has left me to
serve alone? So tell her to
give me a hand.”
Luke 10:40

Martha seems to be a detailed, pleasing, serving, do the “right” thing type of woman. She puts a lot of expectations upon herself, maybe fearing shame would be brought against her and/or her family, since hospitality was a must in the culture.
This sister was concerned more about doing for the guests in her home while Mary, the other sister, was absorbed in who Jesus is, and chose to take advantage of His teachings while in their home.
Martha and Mary loved Jesus, but Martha had taken her eyes off Him and become bogged down in the busy and mundane. Mary, on the other hand, kept her focus on Jesus all the time, taking into consideration His leading would make clear what He wished done. Martha believed in service to Christ, whereas Mary’s belief was service with Christ.
Martha got caught up in an attitude of self-righteousness which led to self-centeredness, which then led to a critical spirit, anger, resentment, and a crude persona. She had advanced onto a slippery slope by taking her eyes off the One who could keep her off this downhill slide. Martha forgot that she needed Jesus’ work in her life more than Jesus needed her work in His life.
As she busied herself with preparations, she missed the fact as to why Jesus was in her home. She missed the fact that He was teaching those who were with Him, including her sister.
As Mary was hanging on His every word in adoration, Martha did not hear a word that was being taught. She had become so caught up in her own feelings that she admonished the Lord to make Mary help her. Very clearly, not one of her better moments.
In all fairness to this busy bee, showing hospitality in that culture, as mentioned before, was an absolute social requirement. Martha worried abut details, the perceived expectation of others, and was a text book 101 perfectionist. On top of all that, Mary’s “do nothing” appearance really rankled her.
Again, in all fairness to Martha, she may not have only been upset by Mary not helping her prepare the needs of the many guests in her home. According to the custom of that day, a single woman would not have been at the feet of a single male.
The temple had a women’s court separate from the men’s area of the temple grounds. The women were to be taught by their father, husband, or male family member within the privacy of the home. Mary sitting at the feet of a male in a room full of males would have certainly raised eyebrows at best. Martha very likely was trying to protect her little sister’s reputation, as well as get help for herself in the preparations needed.

The Lord answered her,
“Martha, Martha, you are
worried and upset about
many things, but one thing is
necessary. Mary has made
the right choice, and it will
not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10:41

Jesus did not rebuke Martha for being busy serving her guests, but rather how she had become distracted from the more important matters. She had become so bogged down by the serving than by who was being served. Poor Martha had the Creator of the Universe in her living room and all she was concerned about was the next meal.
The answer Jesus gave to Martha, concerning her sister’s cooperation around the house, may have shocked her into paying attention to something other than her chores. Jesus, very kindly, informed her that the works she was busied with, though good, were not the best. Her efforts in trying to find comfort for her guests was keeping her from her guests.
Jesus was teaching a valuable lesson in that personal attention to her guests was more important than provisions supplied. He was making clear to these ladies, and the guests in their home, that His union with people is of the utmost importance.

Now a man was sick, Lazarus, from
Bethany, the village of Mary and her
sister Martha. Now Jesus loved
Martha, her sister, and Lazarus.
When Jesus arrived, he found
that Lazarus had already
been in the tomb four days.
John 11:1, 5, 17

Jesus stayed with this family on several occasions when in Judea. They had become personal friends of Jesus throughout His earthly ministry, although it is not recorded as to how this friendship developed or when it began.
Meeting up with these two sisters again, their brother had become ill to the point of death. Martha and Mary sent for Jesus in hopes of a miracle to heal their beloved brother. Jesus did indeed have a miracle in mind for these three whom He loved. His miracle was to be much more than they had anticipated though.

Many of the Jews had come to
Martha and Mary to comfort
them about their brother. As
soon as Martha heard that Jesus
was coming, she went to meet Him.
John 11:19, 20

        When Lazarus died many Jews had come to Martha’s house. As was the custom, according to oral Jewish tradition, upon the death of a family member, a minimum of two flute players and a professional wailing woman had to be hired for the dead. It is not recorded if this was the group that came to comfort, but this family appears to be loved by many. When Martha heard Jesus was on His way to her and her sister, after being told Lazarus had died, she went out to meet Him.
She was understandably disappointed He had not come sooner as she believed Jesus could and would have saved him from death. Martha had come along way. Instead of staying in the house tending to the many Jews who had come to comfort, she ran to Jesus. Martha’s faith had grown, and her priorities put in proper perspective. She now knew to go to Jesus for her true comfort.
Martha returns to the house to get her sister and take her to where Jesus is. As Mary quickly leaves to go to Him, so goes the whole group behind her. Martha and Mary both believed their brother Lazarus would rise again in the resurrection of the last day. But, what these two sisters had not grasped yet, was that Jesus is the resurrection and He was ready for them to see the Glory of God.

He shouted with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
John 11:43

To everyone’s amazement Lazarus came out of the cave, he had been laid in, wrapped in linen strips with his face wrapped in a cloth. Those who had followed Mary from the house unwrapped him. This put a whole new spin on the term “seeing is believing”, as many who witnessed what Jesus had done now believed Him to be who He said He was, the Son of God.

Six days before the Passover,
Jesus came to Bethany where
Lazarus was, the one Jesus had
raised from the dead.  So they
gave a dinner for Him there; Martha
was serving them, and Lazarus was
one of those reclining at the table
with Him. Then Mary took a pound
of fragrant oil – pure and expensive
nard – anointed Jesus’ feet, and
wiped His feet with her hair.
So the house was filled with
the fragrance of the oil.
John 12:1-3

Jesus passed through Bethany on His way to Jerusalem for the last Passover He would have with His disciples. Once again Mary is at the feet of Jesus and Martha is serving the dinner to the guests gathered.
Jesus was dining at the home of Simon the leper as Mary approached him with an alabaster jar of a very expensive perfume. (Mark 14:3). She then proceeded to pour the oil on His head and His feet and wiped them with her hair, thus preparing His body for burial, as He did confirm this was her motive.
Mary seem to always understand that He came for a mission and that was to die for the sins of the world. Her mind set was always on eternal matters. External matters she addressed with each day, but when her Master was present the day to day matters mattered not.
Unlike the disciples, who would bicker about who was the greatest, Mary hung on Jesus’ every word, thus realizing His death on the cross was at hand. Mary is always at the feet of Jesus, always Christ focused, always listening intently, thus more than likely had an idea concerning His up coming death and resurrection.
Mary had seen her own brother resurrected from the dead after four days of being in a tomb. If Jesus said He was to die and rise on the third day, she had no reason not to believe Him.
As was common throughout Jewish history there were three typical offices where one would be anointed to their calling. One was that of a Prophet, another was that of a High Priest. Anointing was the divinely appointed ceremony in the inauguration of the Jewish kings.
Anointing Jesus with the expensive oil, as Mary did, showed she recognized Him as Prophet, Priest, and the future King of Kings. It was important to her to anoint His body while He was still living as her way of agreeing with Him as to who He claimed to be.
Martha, on the other hand, had gone from seeking self-servitude to serving others with a grateful acceptance as to who Jesus truly is. She appears to have gone from self-focus, which had caused her disappointment, bitterness, and resentment to being Savior focused.
With her brother being returned to her from the dead, Martha did a quick turn around from what she could do for Jesus to recognizing what Jesus does for all mankind.
As she pondered on all Jesus had done she learned to accept the fact that He loved her for who she was, not for what she could do. Martha started out too bogged down, too busy tending to chores for Jesus, that she had no time or energy left to spend quality time with Jesus.
Martha becomes a woman of immense faith having learned there is a proper time for the external, a proper time for the internal, and all time is the proper time for the eternal. She learns service and worship are both needed to have balance in the faith. She learned to trust the Lord in extenuating circumstances even though all seemed lost.
Jesus never told Martha to quit serving, as that is a vital part of anyone’s walk with the Lord. But, as Martha learned, listening and following how the Lord is leading is of utmost importance. In all scenes with Martha she is serving. She felt her type of serving was superior to her sister’s worship style. As Jesus is very patient in His teaching her, she comes to the realization that quiet worship of Jesus is serving.
Mary, on the other hand, is always shown to be at the feet of Jesus. She had been criticized by her own sister and even some of the disciples, yet never felt compelled to defend herself. Her confidence was in Jesus, who she trusted beyond measure. Listening to Him was her top priority.
Mary always sees and trusts Jesus as her Defender and Comforter. He defends her to Martha and comforts her when her brother dies. She knows Him as her Rescuer and recognized Him as the Rescuer of the world. She does not take matters into her own hands when being accused of a supposed misdeed but relies on Him to defend and protect her in the face of criticism.
The lives, as recorded, of these two sisters ends somewhat as it began. Martha is serving guests in a home, but with a much better attitude. Mary, of course, is once again found at the feet of Jesus.

Each of you should use
whatever gift you have received
to serve others, as faithful
stewards of God’s grace
in its various forms.
1 Peter 4:10            

Thought for the day:
Oh! What a friend we have in Jesus