Mary and Martha - a contrast of two sisters each loving Christ in their own way

Chalk and Cheese.

Fire and Ice.

Most people will tell you that siblings are each unique in their own way.

One may be calm and measured, the other hot headed.

One may be very gentle, the other rough and ready.

One may be intellectual, the other more hands on.

One may be a handful and a headache for parents, the other the near perfect child.

We see a number of siblings in the pages of Scripture.

And in the case of Mary and Martha of Bethany, the sisters of Lazarus we are immediately struck by the contrast in personalities.

We first encounter this contrast in Luke 10:38

Luke 10:38–42 NLT

38 As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. 39 Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. 40 But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” 41 But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! 42 There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Martha is busy, she is streched.

The house is full of guests and Mary isn’t helping.

But Martha has lost sight of the uniqueness of the situation.

Jesus is in her house teaching, and women are welcome to sit at his feet with the men.

They too are counted as disciples of the Messiah.

Despite the best of intentions, especially as the hostess, Martha has become trapped by her concerns to provide a suitable feast for her guests.

Her language to Jesus is sharp.

She tells Jesus in verse 40 what he must say.

Mary on the other hand is listening to what Jesus wants to say (Word Biblical Commentary Vol 35B Explanation)

Martha is concerned about what shall we eat and drink, but Jesus wants her to see that Mary is like the sparrows of the field, not concerned about such things but simply sitting in the presence of her Lord.

Jesus’ response is in the circumstances a bit shocking.

Does he mean that preparing a meal, after a long days walk up to the high country where the Village of Bethany is located, doesn’t really matter?

Does he mean that Martha should drop the elaborate feast and just serve a simple dish?

No, Jesus is asking Martha to look beyond the practical immediate concern and to focus on what counts for eternity.

Time with him, his Kingdom.

Mary has chosen this and he will not take that away from her.

it is not a dichotomy of practical concerns verses spiritual concerns.

For both are necessary.

In God’s kingdom there is no division between sacred and secular.

Instead there is the need to see the balance.

To service add presence.

To presence add service.

Jesus was present with them now, that was the most important.

Meal preparations could wait, or simply take longer whilst Martha also listened to what Jesus was teaching.

Like Martha, we today are called on to strike a balance between faithful, diligent service in our day-to-day responsibilities and a constant attitude of dependence on the Lord. (Nelson’s New Illustrated Commentary - Martha: Too Much Service)

The Great Preacher and writer Charles Spurgeon said, “We should work with the hands of Martha, but yet keep near the Master with the heart of Mary; we want a combination of activity and meditation.”

(Faithful Stewardship, Volume 41, Sermon #2440 -1 Corinthians 4:2 Through the Eyes of C.H. Spurgeon: Quotes From A Reformed Baptist Preacher Charles Spurgeon)

But there is another thing we must understand from this passage.

We all have strengths.

We all have weaknesses.

It is all to easy to play to our strengths, to operate in the manner we prefer.

But one of the things about being mature in Christ is the ability to see beyond this and grasp the wider picture.

That wider picture as it applies to us personally and as it applies to us as a community.

If you are focussed on the moment, remember those who are serving, lest they become discouraged that they are doing all the work whilst you are having a wonderful time being with people.

If you are focussed on the task, remember those who are in the moment, lest they become discouraged that they are pressured to give up relationship to focus on tasks.

Success in God's community means we understand ourselves and each other, drawing on each of our strengths and encouraging all of us to remain focused on Christ.

Martha is a woman of action, task focussed.

We see her serving, preparing meals.

Later we see Martha engaging in a challenging conversation with Jesus about her brothers death and future resurrection.

She is direct, straight to the point, even in her confession of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God (John 11:27)

Mary on the other hand lives in the moment, she is relationally focussed.

She sits at Jesus feet, listening, learning when he first comes to stay at their house.

Later she waits with the mourners when Jesus came to raise Lazarus from the dead in John 11:28.

She falls at Jesus feet when summoned to come to meet him by her sister in John 11:32.

Unlike Martha, who some commentators see as expressing the hope that Jesus may resurrect Lazarus, Mary remains at Jesus feet weeping.

Later on at another encounter in John 12:1-11 the whole village of Bethany has gathered to honour Jesus as he heads to Jerusalem for the Passover.

John 12:1–11 NLT

1 Six days before the Passover celebration began, Jesus arrived in Bethany, the home of Lazarus—the man he had raised from the dead. 2 A dinner was prepared in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among those who ate with him. 3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance. 4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.” 6 Not that he cared for the poor—he was a thief, and since he was in charge of the disciples’ money, he often stole some for himself. 7 Jesus replied, “Leave her alone. She did this in preparation for my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” 9 When all the people heard of Jesus’ arrival, they flocked to see him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. 10 Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, 11 for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus.

Mary is the one, who in loving devotion annoints Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume and wipes his feet with her hair.

She does this in the home of Simon the Leper in the village of Bethany where it appears the whole village is putting on a dinner in Jesus honour.

Martha is there serving.

Martha is always serving, in her own home, in the home of Simon the leper.

Mary is always living in the moment, in her own home, in the home of Simon the leper.

Obviously the village has gathered in Simon’s home for the dinner as it is the most suitable place, perhaps Simon has the biggest courtyard in which to host the dinner.

Or perhaps the leading women, of whom Martha must surely be one, think Simon’s wife has the best kitchen for catering.

Whatever the reason and it is almost certainly a simple one of practical consideration Mary and Martha remain true to their personalities.

Martha, taking charge, organising.

Task focussed.

Mary, in the moment.

Relationally focussed.

We need to understand the balance needed in our own lives.

Some of us are task focussed.

Get the job done, move onto the next thing.

Others of us are more relationally focussed.

Time with people, tasks are a distraction from that.

We need to both understand ourselves, each other and get a balance in our life as an individual, as familes and as a church community.

Teresa of Avila said, “To give our Lord a perfect hospitality, Mary and Martha must combine.” (The New Encyclopedia of Christian Quotations)

Warren W. Wiersbe wrote, “It seems evident that the Lord wants each of us to imitate Mary in our worship and Martha in our work. Blessed are the balanced!” (The Bible Exposition Commentary)

Let’s not be like Martha or Mary.

Let’s be who Jesus truly wants us to be, focused on him first and above everything else, then ministering according to how he has made us.

Being prepared to be streched to have that wider view.

To see that he has made each of us unique, yet eachof us to be in community firstly with him and also with each other.