MARTHA: ATTENTIVE HOSTESS

When we first meet Martha, she is busy entertaining a house FULL of guests.

Martha, her sister Mary, and their brother Lazarus live together in the town of Bethany which is located less than two miles from Jerusalem.

We have no idea how old any of them are; however, there are a few significant clues in the Gospels which indicate they were people of means.

Martha is an extrovert who has the gift of hospitality and delights in opening their home to friends and family. Some of her favorite frequent visitors include a traveling teacher/healer (Messiah?!) named Jesus and his 12+ disciples.

It's a lot of work to provide nourishment for such a large group of men and women, but she doesn't mind. She truly enjoys the company and a house overflowing with laughter and discussion and, of course, great food.

When she knows company's coming, she begins preparing early—sometimes days ahead of time so that everything runs smoothly in the moment.

ACTS OF SERVICE

Martha has a servant's heart and her love language is "acts of service." In other words, offering hospitality to others is how she expresses love and appreciation to her friends.

That said, Martha does sometimes resent it when she's left to do the work all alone—especially when she'd rather be in the room with everyone else doing what they're doing.

In this way, she reminds me a lot of myself. Let's just say there have been times when I've drastically underestimated the time it takes to make something, and I end up in the kitchen when I'd rather be in the living room with the family. But I don't stop. Because. Reasons.😉

Maybe that's what is going on in Luke 10:38-42.

Martha is upset at her sister who has taken the posture of a student and ditched her responsibilities as co-host to these guests. Every minute that goes by where she is working and Mary is not, Martha becomes more and more fed up with the entire situation.

Not only is she frustrated with her sister, she is also perturbed with her dear friend Jesus who hasn't shown any compassion on her poor nerves!

In a moment Martha immediately regrets, she interrupts Jesus in front of everyone to call out his indifference towards the whole situation.

Jesus gently rebukes Martha by naming her distraction, putting things into perspective, and calling her attention to the present moment. He reminds her that not everyone takes serving as seriously as she does and refuses to rob Mary of an experience she's obviously enjoying.

Martha had imagined the whole thing going differently in her head. 🤦🏽‍♀️

Although we aren't told what happens next, it's safe to assume Martha joins her sister and the rest of her guests—at least for a little while.

A MIRACLE IN BETHANY

⏩ Fast-forward to another time when we get to see Martha in action.

At some point in the future, Lazarus becomes really sick—and things are not looking good. Martha and Mary send a message to Jesus so he knows. They fully expect He will come quickly and heal their brother. But that's not what happens.

Jesus tarries. Lazarus dies. Sisters grieve. Mourners arrive. The body is prepped for burial, then laid in a tomb. The tomb is sealed.

Four days later, Jesus and his followers finally enter Bethany. But it's too little, too late... Or is it?

As soon as Martha hears Jesus is in town, she drops everything and reaches him before he enters the house. She is mourning and hoping that with Jesus' arrival, maybe something good will come out of this tragedy. She greets Jesus saying:

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” 

John 11:21 (NRSV)

She and Jesus have a conversation, and in one of the most pivotal moments of John's Gospel, Martha makes a bold confession of faith—the same confession of faith Peter gives in Matthew, Mark, and Luke—proclaiming for the first time that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

"Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

John 11:27 (NRSV)

SIDENOTE: In his article "Martha, Peter's Equal," author and minister, Gordon Lindsey, compares Peter's infamous confession in Matthew, Mark, and Luke to Martha's not-so-famous confession in John. They are nearly identical, and it's significant that in John's Gospel, the proclamation that Jesus is the Messiah is spoken by a woman.

Jesus accompanies Martha, Mary, and the mourners to visit tomb where Lazarus is buried. When Jesus commands them to remove the stone sealing it, Martha steps in to protect her honored guest from the expected stench of decaying flesh.

Jesus is not deterred; He is determined.

Site of Lazarus' Tomb in Bethany, Israel

In an act that defies the laws of nature, Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb, and the dead man actually walks out alive. He’s all wrapped up, but he’s alive. When Jesus suggests they give him something to eat, you can bet that Martha is already on it.

BACK TO LIFE. BACK TO REALITY.

Not too long after this, Martha hosts a dinner in Jesus' honor to celebrate the miracle of her brother’s miraculous resurrection and healing.

Martha is once again in her element serving everyone, and her sister is back at Jesus' feet...but that's another story.

In Martha, we have a woman who is strong, mature, assertive, and concerned for the well-being of others. She is not perfect, but she knows that. She is always learning and evolving in her understanding of who she is and who God is. She is a woman of profound faith who proclaims Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God straight to his face. She’s amazing!

You can learn more about Martha in Luke 10 and John 11-12.

Additional Resources:

• 🎥 Video walkthrough of the site of Lazarus' tomb

• "Martha, Peter's Equal" by Gordon Lindsey on The Bible's in My Blood (Online) 2014.

• All the Women of the Bible by Edith Deen (New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1955), p. 168.

• “Martha and Mary” Women’s Bible Commentary, 3rd Edition. Edited by Carol A. Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, and Jacqueline E. Lapsley. (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2012), p. 504.

Photo Credits:

Photo by Nicole Michalou on Pexels

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