Building off my “Imaginative Prayer” post earlier, I decided to dive into the souls of Martha, Lazarus and Mary with the historical fiction novel Up from Dust: Martha’s Story.
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
John 11:5
When Jesus and His disciples arrive in Bethany, Martha welcomes them into her home.
Mary is best known for sitting beside the feet of Jesus and then anointing Jesus with expensive perfume which is seen as a preparation for his death.
Martha is best known for her pragmatics, becoming irritable when her sister leaves her to cook and serve while Mary gets to enjoy the teachings of Jesus.
“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me”
Luke 10:40
This quote from the gospel of Luke paints a picture of the sister dynamics of Martha and Mary. Martha, the older responsible one, Mary the emotional, carefree one. At first glance I am defensive of Martha in this scene. Maybe because I pride myself as the ultimate party planner and hostess, I choose solidarity with Martha. After all, imagine the chaos that would be society if we were all Mary? Nothing would get done!
Anyone who has ever hosted a party can attest to the phenomenon of being so wrapped up in the preparations of hosting, that before they know it the party is over, guests are leaving, and they did not even have a chance to enjoy it. Now imagine if Jesus were a guest at said party and you missed it.
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Luke 10: 41-42
In the novel, Up from Dust we are given a hypothetical background on Martha of the age old, ‘why she is the way she is.’ Perhaps she lost her mother young, perhaps her father was consumed by grief, perhaps she was given the burdens of a mother when she herself was only a child. Perhaps her entire life she was unable to pursue her own desires because she had to tend to her younger siblings. If any or all of this is true, I’d be frustrated too.
Ultimately, I think we are looking at a “Ying-Yang” type of situation here and Jesus wants us to learn from both holy women. There is no “Team Martha” or “Team Mary.” Take the work ethic of Martha, while also seeing the big picture like Mary. Mary prioritizes what is most important, but Martha is the reason she is able to do so. If you trend towards Martha, remember to surrender your worries to God. If you trend towards Mary, don’t forget to include others in the journey.
For when it comes to Mary and Martha, there is so much more than sibling rivalry at play. They day of the Lord is coming, and there is much to prepare.