A Revealing New View Of Mary & Martha

Hey Friend,

I will be having foot surgery on the 10th.  This is a complex surgery that I'm having in an attempt to correct an unsuccessful surgery three years ago that left me with constant, residual nerve pain in my foot.  Naturally, I am a little more anxious than I normally would be about how this surgery is going to turn out.  I would really appreciate your prayers for me, the surgeon, and for peace and patience in the process of a smooth healing.

Meanwhile, I would love to share a revealing (at least to me) new view of Mary and Martha.  We all say we'd love to be like Mary - sitting at the feet of Jesus and resting on His every word while our silly sister, Martha, scurries about cleaning house. 

One of my favorite writers, Denise Hughes, at "Deeper Waters" www.deeperwaters.us/devotions/ wrote this devotional that has me thinking about how multi-faceted we all are.  Possibly because we are created in God's image?

To get the full gist of this devotional, you really need to read the scripture that goes along with it.  You'll be glad you did.  You may have read this story before, but I challenge you to read it with fresh eyes......get ready to be blessed...

DAY 24

— Read: John 11:1-27 —

Click HERE to read the scripture.....

Two women. Mary and Martha.

They’re most known for the time they had Jesus in their home, along with many other guests. Jesus was teaching and Mary was listening while Martha did all the work. After all, who was going to feed all those people in their house?

So Mary sat while Martha worked. And Martha got upset. But Jesus gently rebuked her, saying that Mary had chosen wiser.

Two thousand years later, women today will remark how they want to “be a Mary” and “not a Martha.”

But in today’s reading, we’re given a deeper look into the lives of these two women. Their brother had died. And in their society, if a woman didn’t have a husband or a father or a brother to care for them, they were destitute. So their brother’s death was not only a deep loss emotionally, there were also serious practical matters to consider.

Jesus heard their brother was ill, but He didn’t come. He delayed. And when Jesus finally arrived, their brother was already dead. Now we know that Jesus was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. But in that moment, the two sisters had no idea. And look at how they respond to the situation.

1. When they hear that Jesus is coming, Martha is the only one who gets up to meet Him. Mary, at first, refuses to go see Him.

2. When Martha sees Jesus, she says:

“Then Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Yet even now I know that whatever You ask from God, God will give You.'”

3. When Mary sees Jesus, she says:

“When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and told Him, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died!'”

Martha’s faith is so great that she believes Jesus could raise Lazarus from the grave. But Mary can only lament that her brother is gone (and she insinuates that it’s Jesus’ fault).

Yes, when they had lots of people in their house, Mary was the one who chose better. She sat at His feet and listened while Martha worked. But here? In this situation? Martha is the one who showed great faith.

So whenever I hear someone say they want to “be a Mary” and “not a Martha,” I have to ask: Why must we choose between one or the other?

Like Mary, I want to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to all He has to say. And I do this every day by being in His Word.

Like Martha, when my world comes crashing down, and it seems as though all hope is lost, I want to run to Jesus and put all my faith in Him.

by Denise Hughes

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— Diving Deeper —

Do you see yourself more as a Mary or a Martha or both?

Share your answer in the Comments below.