ARTICLE BY FATHER FRANCIS MAPLE - LINK HERE
In the little village of Bethany, not far from Jerusalem, there lived three siblings who were among the closest friends of Jesus: Martha, Mary of Bethany, and Lazarus of Bethany. Scripture tells us simply and beautifully: “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” Their home became a place of welcome, rest, and friendship for the Lord.
We first meet Martha and Mary when Jesus comes to dine with them. Martha, the practical and capable sister, is busy with all the preparations. She wants everything to be perfect. Mary, meanwhile, sits at Jesus’ feet, listening to His words like a true disciple. Frustrated and overwhelmed, Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her.
Instead, Jesus gently replies, “Martha, Martha, you worry and fret about many things; yet few are needed - indeed only one. Mary has chosen the better part.”
Poor Martha! How many of us recognise ourselves in her? Someone must cook, clean, organise, and take responsibility. Martha’s service was generous and loving. Yet in her anxiety she almost missed the joy of simply being with the Lord. Jesus was not criticising her kindness; He was reminding her, and us, that no task, however necessary, should crowd out time with Him.
But Martha is far more than a flustered hostess. In the Gospel of John, her greatness shines even more clearly. When her brother Lazarus dies, Jesus delays His coming. Grief fills the house. Yet when Jesus finally arrives, it is Martha who goes out to meet Him. With sorrow and faith mingled together she says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, He will grant you.”
To Martha, practical, busy Martha, Jesus entrusts one of the most profound revelations in the Gospel: “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” And she makes a magnificent confession of faith: “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God.” It is after this profession that Lazarus is called from the tomb. Martha’s faith helped prepare the ground for the miracle.
Mary too reveals her depth of love. Later, at a supper in Bethany, she anoints Jesus’ feet with costly perfume and wipes them with her hair - an act of extravagant devotion. While others criticise, Jesus defends her. She has understood something of His coming Passion. Her love is intuitive, contemplative, wholehearted.
And then there is Lazarus. When Jesus stands before his tomb and calls, “Lazarus, come out!” the dead man walks forth. This miracle reveals Christ’s divine authority over death and foreshadows His own Resurrection. Lazarus becomes a living witness to the power of Jesus - so much so that others believe because of him.
What, then, does this family teach us?
Martha teaches us generous service - but also the need to pause and pray. Mary teaches us deep listening and loving devotion - but not neglect of others. Lazarus teaches us that Christ calls each of us out of our tombs - from sin, fear, and despair - into new life.
Jesus did not say that Martha’s way was wrong, nor that Mary’s was the only path. Rather, in this beloved household we see the harmony of action and contemplation, work and worship, service and faith. The Christian life needs both the active hands of Martha and the listening heart of Mary. And it needs the living witness of Lazarus - people whose transformed lives point others to Christ.
