Mary and Martha are sisters in the Bible whose stories are full of key lessons that Christians can apply to their lives. They’re both famous for their relationship with Jesus Christ and the role they played in His ministry. One surprising thing about these sisters is that the more you read their story, the more you learn from them.
In this guide, we will talk about Mary and Martha, focusing on the key lessons their lives teach us as followers of Christ today.
The Story of Mary and Martha in the Bible
The story of Martha and Mary of Bethany appears three times in the Bible, mainly in the Gospel of Luke and the Gospel of John. Let’s discuss these stories and their relevance to modern-day believers.
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The first mention of Mary and her sister Martha in the Bible is in the book of Luke 10:38-42. In this narrative, Jesus and his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem when they stopped by the home of Martha and Mary.
While Martha was focused on preparations for their special guest, her sister Mary sat at Jesus’ feet listening to His teachings.
Realizing that Mary wasn’t of help to her, Martha went to meet Jesus and said to Him, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
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 Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things“. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
From the human point of view, Martha did the right thing by deciding to . She must have planned to make Jesus’ visit to their home a remarkable experience by engaging in much serving.
However, what she considered true hospitality was just a mere distraction in the eyes of Jesus. Mary’s choice to sit at the Lord’s feet and listen to him is more rewarding than any other engagement.
Most times, Jesus was surrounded by a large crowd every time he was teaching or performing miracles. And so, having him around is a great opportunity that anyone would wish for at least once in their lifetime.
With this realization, Mary was willing to spend as much time as possible in the Lord’s presence. Although Martha’s preparations were from a place of care, she misplaced her priority.
Jesus’ words to Martha teach us the importance of setting our priorities right as believers. Volunteering is good, helping the less privileged is amazing, and paying a certain amount of money to your local church weekly is great as well. But how often do you communicate with the heavenly father through prayers? How much time do you spend on Bible study daily?
Our relationship with Christ is much more important than any religious activity. Moreover, our walk with God is more important than the work we do for Him. So if you don’t have a cordial relationship with the Lord, today is the perfect day to develop one.
One of the most famous stories of resurrection in the Bible is found in John’s gospel, specifically John 11:1-44. It’s not surprising that this story involves Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus, a friend of Jesus.
In this biblical narrative, Lazarus was sick, and his sisters reached out to Jesus about his situation. Upon hearing about Lazarus’ health condition, Jesus says, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
Despite the love Jesus had for Lazarus and her sisters, he didn’t rush to Bethany to heal his sick friend. Instead, he stayed where he was for two more days. Thereafter, Jesus told his disciples to follow him to the house of Mary and Martha because their brother was dead.
By the time Jesus arrived at the house of the sisters, he discovered that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Moreover, many Jews from Jerusalem were in their house to mourn with them.
When Martha heard that Jesus was around, she went to Him and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
Because of the expression of Martha’s great faith, Jesus gave her the assurance that her brother would live again. Martha thought Jesus was talking about the resurrection on the last day, but Jesus had a greater plan.
Jesus was deeply moved in the spirit when he saw Mary and Martha crying because of their brother’s death. When Jesus got to the place where the dead man was laid, he wept (John 11:35).
Jesus commanded those who were present at Lazarus’ tomb to take away the stone covering its entrance. So they did as they were commanded, despite Martha’s concern that the body already had a bad odor. Afterward, Jesus looked up and said a few words of prayer to God.
Then Jesus called out loudly, “Lazarus, come out!” (John 11:43). And the man who had been dead for four days obeyed the word of the Lord. Jesus asked them to take off his grave clothes and let him go.
Key Lessons:
Trust God’s Timing
When Jesus heard about Lazarus’ health condition, he stayed where he was for two more days. From our understanding, it’s easy to assume that Jesus didn’t take Lazarus’ sickness seriously.
Even Martha and Mary challenged Jesus that if he had arrived at their home early, Lazarus wouldn’t have died.
But it is important to note that Jesus doesn’t do anything without a reason. His purpose for the delay is to glorify the name of God. Indeed, the name of the Lord was glorified when Lazarus rose from the dead.
God is never too early, and he’s never too late; he’s always right on time. So when it feels as though there’s no hope, let’s trust in His perfect timing. 2 Peter 3:8 says,
“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day.” This verse of the scripture suggests that the concept of time in the Kingdom of God is different.
With this in mind, we must learn to patiently wait for the fulfillment of God’s promises in His own time. One thing remains certain—God never fails, and He won’t start now!
Even in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation, Martha’s heart was fixed on God. She 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.”
Because of this statement of faith, Jesus assured Martha that her brother would live again. From the rest of the story, we can see that Jesus fulfilled his promise to her.
As children of God, we must emulate Martha’s expression of faith if we want to receive answers to our prayers. Hebrews 11:6 makes us understand that,
“And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
There’s no situation that’s too big for God to handle. Furthermore, the Lord Almighty knows everything we need even before we ask for it. All we have to do is to believe in His mighty power and obey His commands.
Just as Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He can restore every hopeless situation in our lives if we trust Him.
Another Mary and Martha story is in the book of John 12:1-8. These passages of the scriptures tell us that a dinner was held in Jesus’ honor at Bethany.
Lazarus was among those who sat at the dinner table with Jesus Christ, and Martha, his sister, served those who were present. Then Mary poured expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair. Imediately, the perfume fragrance filled the atmosphere of the house.
Judas Iscariot, one of Jesus’ disciples, became uncomfortable with Mary’s gesture because of his selfish interest. He said, “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold, and the money given to the poor.”
Jesus responded by saying, “Leave her alone. It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.” Jesus further told him that the poor would always be among them, but they would not always have him around.
Key Lesson:
Jesus Deserves Our All
Mary’s kind gesture towards Jesus is proof that she genuinely loved Him. The expensive perfume she poured on the Lord’s feet must have cost a fortune, but she didn’t care. She was more concerned about worshipping Jesus with her possessions rather than using them for financial benefits.
This story teaches the importance of surrendering everything we own to the service of God. Abraham was ready to sacrifice his son Isaac to God without complaining (Genesis 22:1-19). King David declared in 2 Samuel 24:24 that he wouldn’t sacrifice to the Lord God burnt offerings that cost him nothing.
There is nothing we have that we didn’t receive from God. Therefore, we should be able to give our time, money, material possessions, and everything we own back to God without hesitation. Today, think of a need in your local church and try to meet it no matter the cost.
Kennie Oguntoyinbo is a freelance content writer, editor and proofreader with over 4 years of experience. She is highly skilled in creating captivating and informative content across the Christian, relationship, and parenting niches. With a deep love for Christian-related articles, she writes content that inspires the readers, combining biblical lessons with practical knowledge. Whether writing devotional blogs, relationship advice, or family-focused articles, she aims to glorify God while connecting with readers through relatable, encouraging, faith-driven articles.
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