Admit it, you have been conditioned to judge Martha as a hopeless case.
If you've grown up in the church like me, you are expected to give Martha the evil eye. She's so obsessed with household chores that she doesn't love Christ or something. I don't think that I've ever really sat under someone teaching something positive from Martha's example until recently. She's always been this one-dimensional busy-body who is the personification of works-based theology. She only cares about works and misses the Messiah entirely or so the standard boiler-plate teaching goes.
Having a mother who bears the name of Martha, I always hoped for some kind of shout-out from the pulpit pointing out something positive about Martha. Sadly, Martha remained a cautionary tale against the evils of cooking, cleaning and other sinful household chores.
Meanwhile, we obsess over Mary lethargically sitting in awe of Christ and wiping his feet with her hair and anointing them with oil. While we heap praise on the emotional yet work ethic-challenged Mary, we tend to heap judgment on Martha. And to simply retain that simplistic view of these two passionate followers of Christ is to diminish them and to miss the complete picture.
As God is a God of perfection and the Author of the complete picture, there's sure to be more to the story. Let's look at the original text with haughty Martha running around like a chicken with its head cut off from Luke 10:
It sets up an active-passive contrast between the sisters. Martha's faith is one of an active and bold woman. Mary is more of a silent and passive taker-in kind of gal.
Martha has been referred to as the "female Peter" for her fearlessness in approaching the Lord and her boldness. Martha's boldness during that time is in many ways more remarkable than Peter's due to her gender. Jesus' rebuke to Martha is not one of complacency but of priority. It's not a call to a life of lethargy but a life of ordered priorities. He's not upset with Martha for cooking and cleaning. He's upset with the condition of her heart AT THAT MOMENT.
In John 11, we see more of Martha's tenacious faith. Lazarus is sick to the point of death. The ladies call for Jesus to come and heal their brother:
And when Lazarus dies and Jesus tarries, it is the bold Martha that approaches Jesus while the more passive Mary stays home:
She's not happy and she's letting Jesus know. There's something powerfully bold and authentic to her faith in this passage that the passive Mary doesn't seem to demonstrate. Martha speaks her mind, but still acknowledges that "even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
Mary later meets Jesus and her weeping causes Jesus to weep. After raising Lazarus to life, Jesus again encounters the sisters and Lazarus in the following chapter of John where Martha is still about the business of serving and Mary is anointing Jesus' feet with oil. There is no condemnation here of Martha as in the Luke account.
Martha may have temporarily missed the point but she had a bold and active faith. Faith without works is dead. Pastor Gary Clark from Calvary Fellowship of Gloucester County recently pointed out that this family trio represents the mission of the church. Martha represents serving, Mary represents worship and Lazarus represents witnessing. People were drawn to this family because of Lazarus' testimony and resurrection. Jesus celebrated the powerful and authentic worship of Mary. And it was the boldness and action of Martha that demonstrates faith through actions.
As people of faith, we need to be about all 3 of these things. We need to get up and serve like Martha. We need to passionately worship like Mary. We need to boldly witness like Lazarus. To remove any pillar of our faith will distort the view of authentic Christianity to our children and our community. Parents who don't follow the teachings from Sunday in their daily living will undermine the Gospel and detach their children from having a relevant faith. Parents who focus only on accomplishment and deeds will fail to impart the message of grace and the importance of worship. There's a huge difference in attending church and being a Christ follower. Following Christ demands action and sacrifice. Bottom line? Do the dishes and your devotions.
To diminish Martha as simply a cautionary tale about the evils of works based theology and to elevate Mary to a place of spiritual perfection is a woefully inaccurate picture of these two very complete Christians. As with Biblical heroes from Abraham to John, these ladies are not perfect. And in their imperfection we can find valuable lessons of how to live as followers of Christ. Plus, Martha's one heck of a cook. Or so I've been told.
If you've grown up in the church like me, you are expected to give Martha the evil eye. She's so obsessed with household chores that she doesn't love Christ or something. I don't think that I've ever really sat under someone teaching something positive from Martha's example until recently. She's always been this one-dimensional busy-body who is the personification of works-based theology. She only cares about works and misses the Messiah entirely or so the standard boiler-plate teaching goes.
Having a mother who bears the name of Martha, I always hoped for some kind of shout-out from the pulpit pointing out something positive about Martha. Sadly, Martha remained a cautionary tale against the evils of cooking, cleaning and other sinful household chores.
Meanwhile, we obsess over Mary lethargically sitting in awe of Christ and wiping his feet with her hair and anointing them with oil. While we heap praise on the emotional yet work ethic-challenged Mary, we tend to heap judgment on Martha. And to simply retain that simplistic view of these two passionate followers of Christ is to diminish them and to miss the complete picture.
As God is a God of perfection and the Author of the complete picture, there's sure to be more to the story. Let's look at the original text with haughty Martha running around like a chicken with its head cut off from Luke 10:
38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me." 41 And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."Yes, Martha misses the point of having Jesus there because she's concerned with her household chores and preparing for her guest. Yes, Mary understands the importance of just basking in the presence of Christ. Notice, however, who it is that "welcomed" Jesus into her house. It wasn't Mary.
It sets up an active-passive contrast between the sisters. Martha's faith is one of an active and bold woman. Mary is more of a silent and passive taker-in kind of gal.
Martha has been referred to as the "female Peter" for her fearlessness in approaching the Lord and her boldness. Martha's boldness during that time is in many ways more remarkable than Peter's due to her gender. Jesus' rebuke to Martha is not one of complacency but of priority. It's not a call to a life of lethargy but a life of ordered priorities. He's not upset with Martha for cooking and cleaning. He's upset with the condition of her heart AT THAT MOMENT.
In John 11, we see more of Martha's tenacious faith. Lazarus is sick to the point of death. The ladies call for Jesus to come and heal their brother:
Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 4 When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it." 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.A small caveat and yet everything in the Word of God is intentional. Look at verse 5, "Jesus loved MARTHA and her sister and Lazarus." God is a God of restoration and healing. Jesus may have rebuked Martha for missing the point of his previous visit but he loved her. And the wording of this verse basically reduces the so often over-glorified Mary to the status of "what's her face?" I believe the wording here is intentional and meant to restore the readers view of Martha to a positive one.
And when Lazarus dies and Jesus tarries, it is the bold Martha that approaches Jesus while the more passive Mary stays home:
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."Martha is breaking societal protocol by approaching Jesus directly. As a woman, this would be highly unusual. As a woman in mourning, Martha would be expected not just to submit in silence, but also to remain home. Martha, however, pulls a Peter and runs right to Jesus demanding answers. She recognizes His lordship: "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is com into the world," but she also boldly declares to Jesus "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."
She's not happy and she's letting Jesus know. There's something powerfully bold and authentic to her faith in this passage that the passive Mary doesn't seem to demonstrate. Martha speaks her mind, but still acknowledges that "even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."
Mary later meets Jesus and her weeping causes Jesus to weep. After raising Lazarus to life, Jesus again encounters the sisters and Lazarus in the following chapter of John where Martha is still about the business of serving and Mary is anointing Jesus' feet with oil. There is no condemnation here of Martha as in the Luke account.
Martha may have temporarily missed the point but she had a bold and active faith. Faith without works is dead. Pastor Gary Clark from Calvary Fellowship of Gloucester County recently pointed out that this family trio represents the mission of the church. Martha represents serving, Mary represents worship and Lazarus represents witnessing. People were drawn to this family because of Lazarus' testimony and resurrection. Jesus celebrated the powerful and authentic worship of Mary. And it was the boldness and action of Martha that demonstrates faith through actions.
As people of faith, we need to be about all 3 of these things. We need to get up and serve like Martha. We need to passionately worship like Mary. We need to boldly witness like Lazarus. To remove any pillar of our faith will distort the view of authentic Christianity to our children and our community. Parents who don't follow the teachings from Sunday in their daily living will undermine the Gospel and detach their children from having a relevant faith. Parents who focus only on accomplishment and deeds will fail to impart the message of grace and the importance of worship. There's a huge difference in attending church and being a Christ follower. Following Christ demands action and sacrifice. Bottom line? Do the dishes and your devotions.
To diminish Martha as simply a cautionary tale about the evils of works based theology and to elevate Mary to a place of spiritual perfection is a woefully inaccurate picture of these two very complete Christians. As with Biblical heroes from Abraham to John, these ladies are not perfect. And in their imperfection we can find valuable lessons of how to live as followers of Christ. Plus, Martha's one heck of a cook. Or so I've been told.
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