Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house

 

 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."  

 

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

 

- John 11:17–29 

 

 Yesterday we read that a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."  Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."   Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

 

  So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  My study bible cites a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days.  But after four days it was considered that resuscitation would not be possible.

And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.   In Jewish tradition, mourning would begin on the day of a person's death, my study bible tells us.  Weeping and wailing would last three days, lamentation one week.  General mourning lasted thirty days.  It is important to know for the story of Christ's ministry that apparently many prominent in Jerusalem had come to mourn with Martha and Mary.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Similarly to the display of their characters in Luke 10:38-42, these two sisters react in unique ways to Christ's arrival.  Martha, who is inclined to active service, rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary remains in mourning until she is called by Christ (which we will observe in tomorrow's reading).  Sitting is the traditional posture when mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8,13; Ezekiel 8:14).

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Martha possesses great faith, my study bible says, but her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Jesus.  When she says, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha reveals that she doesn't fully see that christ is God, thinking that He needed to be present to effect healings (contrast 4:46-54).  By saying, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she shows her lack of understanding that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills.

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."   Jesus states, "I am the resurrection and the life."  My study bible says that in order to correct Martha's misunderstanding, Jesus declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  This leads to Martha's confession of faith here.  My study bible says that Christ's question, Do you believe this? is one that is directed not only to Martha, but to all of us.

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.   Once again we observe the personality differences in the two sisters.  Martha is the more outgoing, who takes on the duties of hospitality and outreach.  Mary is the more inwardly focused, observing the traditional posture of mourning until she is informed by Martha that "the Teacher has come and is calling for you."

Some people would call Martha and Mary, two sisters, a study in contrasts.   I think of them here (and elsewhere in the Gospels) as a study of inclusion.  Martha and Mary tell us more about the variety of facets within our faith, all of which are included for our understanding and greater grasp of just what it is that Christ is all about.  Is one sister right, and the other sister wrong?  Do we prefer one sister to another?  The answer to both questions is really "No," although we're all tempted to side with one or the other, depending on our own orientation and understanding of our personalities.  Mary is the more introverted, to use a modern term, and Martha the more extroverted.  Mary is the one in Luke's Gospel (Luke 10:38-42) who sits at Christ's feet listening, while Martha is the one who takes on the work of hospitality.  Although Jesus tells Martha that her sister has "chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her," we should understand that both sisters do what is worthy.  Both roles are valuable to the ministry of Christ.  It is just the same in today's reading.  Martha goes out to meet Christ as He approaches their home, performing the duties of hospitality.  These works of hospitality are not just significant in today's world, as signs of graciousness, care, and welcoming to others, but they were even more necessary in the ancient world than what we might call a more casual attitude today.  Hospitality is an important sign of welcome, protection, and comfort, a signal of friendship and inclusion under a home or roof, essential especially to the ancient world.  Today we consider hospitality an extension of gracious behavior, even compassion, when we consider how we treat both friend and stranger.  So Martha's role is essential.  In the "home" that is the Church, those who serve through actions of hospitality and activism are equally necessary and their roles are countless.  At the same time, Mary, the one who sits and listens, is someone whose deep faith is also evident, and she is clearly as beloved by Christ as her sister.  They are both His friends, and we will see how He is moved with compassion when He sees their grief at the death of their brother.  Mary sits at Christ's feet and listens in the story cited earlier in Luke's Gospel, which Jesus calls "that good part" that she has chosen.  In yesterday's reading, John also identifies Mary as the one who anointed Christ's feet with costly oil (which we will read about in the next chapter), which Jesus says she has kept for the day of His burial.  It's important to understand from the Gospels, and in particular from the stories about these two sisters, that in the Church there is a valued and cherished role for each person.  Jesus says, "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (14:2).  There is a place in the Church for each; just as each are created uniquely by the Lord, so each has a place prepared for them to be with the Lord.  Studying the lives of the saints, one can find many seeming patterns of holiness -- but at the same time, each one is dynamic and unique, reflecting precisely the facets of persona as cleansed, magnified, made holy in the light of God and the living faith in Christ.  No one is left out of this faith of our Lord.  St. Paul writes, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).  While we understand this to mean there are no divisions in our faith, we also know it to mean that each is welcome and each has a place in which they belong.  Let us think and be grateful for Martha and Mary, beloved friends of Christ, for without them both no picture of our faith is complete.