We see very little of this Mary in the Bible.
So for Mary to plop down at the feet of Jesus and listen to his teaching among a group of men was remarkable! Women could only congregate in the Women’s Court of the Temple, nowhere near the men. Girls stayed in the home, illiterate, while the boys went to school. It was unthinkable for a woman to sit at the feet of a rabbi and listen to him teach. Martha wanted Mary to behave in the traditional woman’s role. She didn’t ask Jesus what His opinion was, she boldly told him what to do! We could kindly call her behavior outspoken and straightforward. Martha, possibly hot and tired from cooking and cleaning, went to Jesus and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” v40b.Īpparently, Martha was so comfortable with Jesus that she has no problem venting her frustration. Martha had a sister, Mary, who instead of helping her with the domestic chores was sitting “at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” v39. She was simply doing what was expected of her. Domestic work would have been the norm for women in her time. We should commend her for her gift of service in seeing to the needs of others. Meanwhile, Martha was busy making sure her guests were comfortable and well fed. Jesus was teaching and speaking to the gathered group. “Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made.” v40a. She was willing to face the consequences, however, and let everyone know of her devotion to Him. It was dangerous to associate too closely with Him, as the authorities were trying to find a way to kill Jesus. Martha shows her courageous side by having a close friendship with Jesus and housing Him. Some believe Martha was the older sister, and perhaps she was used to being “in charge.” (I’m an older sister… we sometimes have a reputation!) It is also large enough to accommodate Jesus and his disciples for lodging, and she had enough food to feed them all. What did Martha do in the Bible? The verse states the home belongs to her, which makes her the head of the household. There was no “calling ahead”, so I assume they just showed up on her doorstep! Martha’s gift of hospitality shows what a giving person she was. Martha was the one who graciously invites her dear friend Jesus and His disciples into her home. Mary and Martha lived in the town of Bethany just a couple of miles east of Jerusalem. (We’ll never know.)Įither way, there are great lessons to learn from these sisters. Maybe Martha had already asked Mary to help, and she ignored her. I’ve been on the receiving end of doing the lion’s share of the kitchen work while others sit around. What jumps out at you from this conversation? I haven’t studied this story extensively, so my first reaction is Wow! That takes a lot of nerve to get snappy with the Messiah when you’re having a tiff with your sis!īut I get it, Martha.
Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.’” Luke 10:38-42 (NIV) ‘Martha, Martha’, the Lord answered, ‘you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.
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!’ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.īut all the preparations that had to be made distracted Martha. “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. Jesus Visits Mary and Martha Mary and Martha Scripture I wanted to write a blog post on sisters, and these two women caught my eye. Jesus spent some of his last days on earth in their comfortable home. This family believed Jesus was the Messiah and saw Him bring their brother back to life. John 11:5 (NIV) tells us “ Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” The story of Mary and Martha gives us amazing insight into their personalities and teaches us some important lessons. How did Jesus know Mary, Martha and Lazarus? Mary and Martha (and their brother Lazarus) were some of Jesus’ closest friends.
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