Jesus loved Martha

We are all familiar with the story of Mary and Martha found in Luke 10: 38 – 42.  Martha ‘opened her home’ to Jesus and then got all caught up in the arrangements whilst Mary sat devotedly at his feet listening to him.

The same thing happened at a special dinner served in Jesus’ honour (John 12: 1 – 3) at their house in Bethany at the start of the Passover week.  Martha is serving (again), Lazarus is reclining at the table with Jesus and Mary is extravagantly and devotedly pouring her love out by anointing Jesus’ feet with expensive nard and wiping his feet with her hair.  This time Judas Iscariot complains about the cost and again Mary is commended for her devotion. 

Poor Martha – forever stuck in the kitchen.  However before we get carried away on a wave of sympathy for poor Martha, let’s take a look at the one other occasion the family is mentioned when Lazarus is sick (John 11).  The sisters send for Jesus who waits two days before setting off and in the meantime Lazarus dies.  However there is a very important verse slipped in here, ‘Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus’ (John 11:5).  It is obvious Jesus loved the whole family very much but note the order here – not devoted Mary, faithful Lazarus and, oh by the way, serving Martha.  Martha comes first and Mary is merely mentioned as her sister.  This story is all about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead yet Martha takes a central role in it. 

When Jesus finally sets off for their home knowing full well that Lazarus has died but that God would be glorified, the first one out to greet him is – Martha.  Naturally she chides Jesus for not being there to heal her brother but faith is not dead because she says, ‘But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask’(John 11:22). Jesus assures her that her brother will rise and she says that she knows that on the last day he will be resurrected. 

Then this wonderful exchange takes place, Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?’

‘Yes Lord,’ she told him, ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.’ (John 11: 25 – 26)

It is Martha who comes out with the profession of faith.  Martha who is always busy in the kitchen but she has faith.  Mary knows Jesus could have healed Lazarus but she does not have resurrection of the dead in her mind.  Martha does.

Too often people say they are a bit of a Martha by which they mean they prefer to be doing and serving rather than sitting at Jesus feet.  But Jesus loves Marthas and serving is no substitute for faith.   It is not serving or sitting at Jesus’ feet – it is both. Jesus loves Marthas and Marys.