6 Things to Know about Mary and Martha in the Bible
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The names of Mary and Martha are names that many people are familiar with. When Martha is spoken of, she is often scorned for being too busy to sit at Jesus’ feet while Mary is often praised for doing the opposite. Beyond that are there any other things to know about Mary and Martha? In the Bible, two of the most well-known mentions of Mary and Martha are found in the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John. Using these two passages primarily, here are six things to know about Mary and Martha in the Bible.
1. They were loved by Jesus.
"Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus." – John 11:5
Perhaps the most obvious thing to know about Mary and Martha in the Bible is they were loved by Jesus. We know that Jesus loves everyone because that is his nature. However, there are very few places in Scripture that highlight this level of love on such a personal level. What this tells me is that Jesus had more than just a casual relationship with Mary and Martha. They truly held a special place in his heart. This relationship extended not just to Mary and Martha but also to their brother Lazarus. We see this especially when Lazarus dies and Jesus’ emotional response when he arrives at the tomb of Lazarus. I am not sure how this relationship formed or developed, but we know these people were special to Jesus.
2. They were possibly part of a Jewish sect called the Essenes.
Since Mary and Martha lived in Bethany, it is possible they belonged to a Jewish sect known as the Essenes. One of the hallmarks of this community is their devotion to serving the poor and caring for the sick. Here is a quote from the Israel Institute of Biblical Studies on this place in Bethany.
“Bethany was not far from Jerusalem (there was also a Bethany across the Jordan river). There are many reasons to think it was a very special village. It is likely that this village served as one of the Jewish Essene diaconal centers. These centers were spread throughout the ancient Jewish world. Essenes (a Jewish sect) were known for their commitment to serve the poor and sick.”
It is not far-fetched to believe Mary and Martha were part of this community even though the Bible does not say this explicitly, we can make this assertion from a historical context.
3. They were well respected in the community.
"On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother." – John 11:17-19
It appears from this verse that Mary and Martha and their family were well respected in the Jewish community. Upon news of her brother’s death, the Bible tells us that many Jews had come to comfort them. This could be because they were part of the Essene sect mentioned above and if they weren’t then it’s possible Lazarus was. Either way, many Jews came to comfort them after the death of their brother.
4. We are not sure how old they were.
One thing we don’t know about Mary and Martha in the Bible is how old they were. There is no way of definitively determining their age, but here are some clues that might help get us in the ballpark. In the mentions of Mary and Martha in the Bible, there is no mention of husbands or children. In the Jewish culture of that day women were often married during their teenage years. Also because of the way the culture was designed, it was rare in those days for a woman to be unmarried. This can lead to a few conclusions. They may have been widowed or if they did indeed belong to the Essene sect, then they could have taken a vow of celibacy which was part of the practice of this group.
It is also safe to assume that Lazarus was their younger brother which could be why they were so concerned when he got sick and died. Had they been much older and Lazarus much older I wonder if there would have been that same sense of urgency.
5. They were possibly women of financial means.
If Mary and Martha did not belong to the Essene sect, then it is possible they were women of financial means. There are two things we know about Mary and Martha in the Bible that could lead to this conclusion.
The first one is the dinner given to Jesus in his honor.
"Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume." – John 12:1-3
At this dinner, Mary opens an expensive bottle of perfume which was worth one year’s wages. Estimates say this perfume was worth three hundred denarii and considering that a typical day laborer worked for one denarius per day, this was a very expensive perfume. A perfume that expensive was either gifted to Mary or she purchased it. If she purchased it, that could point to the financial viability Mary and Martha possessed.
The second is when Jesus visits their home.
"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him." – Luke 10:38
As I mentioned earlier this is the one story most people know about Mary and Martha in the Bible. It is in this passage in Luke where Martha is serving, and Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus. How then does this potentially speak to their financial position? Simply the fact that Martha was able to host Jesus and his disciples in her home can speak to the size of her home and her ability to provide food for a group of this size. I am not trying to say Mary and Martha were rich and loaded, I am simply looking at the evidence and drawing out some possibilities.
On a side note, Martha was likely the older of the two sisters because when we talk about Mary and Martha in the Bible, Martha is usually mentioned first. Also, when Jesus went to visit them, the Bible says he went to visit the home of Martha, not Mary. It appears that Martha owned the home and her younger sister Mary lived with her.
6. Martha was a woman of great faith.
We often give Martha a hard time because of the incident in Luke 10. But when you compare that story to another mention of Mary and Martha in the Bible, what you see is that Martha had a real gift of hospitality. What we often don’t recognize is that Martha also had great faith and was sure of who Jesus was. Let’s go back to John 11 and I want you to pay attention to this exchange between Martha and Jesus.
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
"Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” – John 11:20-27
Look at all the points of faith and belief Martha speaks. She was confident in Jesus’ ability to heal her brother and even though he was dead she was confident he could raise him from the dead. She fully believed in the resurrection of the dead and the hope of eternal life. Finally, she made a confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. I know Martha gets a lot of grief, but clearly, she was a woman of great faith.
When you think about Mary and Martha, we should acknowledge both of these women for their great faith. They were both committed to the cause of Christ; they were both loved by Jesus, and they were both true believers. These women were friends of Jesus and should be celebrated because clearly, they held a special place in his heart.
Photo by Alexandra Fuller on Unsplash
