By Leon Bent –
Martha of Bethany is a biblical figure described in the Gospels of Luke and John. Together with her siblings Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is described as living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem. She was witness to Jesus resurrecting her brother, Lazarus.
“Jesus loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus.” This unique statement in John’s gospel tells us of the special relationship Jesus had with Martha, her sister, and her brother. Apparently Jesus was a frequent guest at Martha’s home in Bethany, a small village two miles from Jerusalem. We read of three visits in Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-53, and John 12:1-9.
Many of us find it easy to identify with Martha in the story Luke tells. Martha welcomes Jesus and his disciples into her home and immediately goes to work to serve them. Hospitality is paramount in the Middle East and Martha believed in its importance. Imagine her frustration when her sister Mary ignores the rule of hospitality and Martha’s work in order to sit and listen to Jesus. Instead of speaking to her sister, she asks Jesus to intervene.
In Martha we see ourselves – worried and distracted by all we have to do in the world, and forget to spend time with Jesus. It is, however, comforting to note that Jesus loved her just the same.
Yet, as biblical scholar Father John McKenzie points out, she need not be rated as an “un-recollected activist.” The evangelist is emphasizing what our Lord insisted, on several occasions, about the primacy of the spiritual: “…Do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear…. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness” (Matthew 6:25b, 33a); “One does not live by bread alone” (Luke 4:4b); “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness…” (Matthew 5:6a).
Martha’s great glory is her simple and strong statement of faith in Jesus after her brother’s death. “Jesus revealed to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me, will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world’” (John 11:25-27). How similar to St. Peter’s confession of faith when Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Recall St. Peter replied, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). I pray that each of us will give such a profession of faith, from the heart, when Our Lord asks.
There is an even more important interaction between St. Martha and our Lord. Jesus assures her that Lazarus will rise again then, Jesus asked her probably the most important question anyone had ever asked her, “Do you believe this?” Sometime in each of our lives, Jesus is going to basically ask us the same question – do we believe in Him and have faith in His promises? Often it will be at a time of trial, struggle and grief, like it was for St. Martha – remember she was mourning the death of her beloved brother, Lazarus. It will be the moment of truth; have we just been paying lip-service to Jesus, just mindlessly going along with what we have been taught about Him and His Church, or will we make our belief in Him real and personal?
Now, this gold nugget! Today on this Feast of St. Martha, I’d like to ponder four of her great virtues that all Catholic faithful should be known for. We should first ponder her hospitality. Second, we should ponder St. Martha’s loving service. Martha learned to serve the Lord with silent, visible simplicity. The third virtue is St. Martha’s faith. The fourth and final virtue we can examine is Martha’s desire to share the grace of Jesus’ presence and power with others.
This final flourish! Scripture commentators point out that in writing his account of the raising of Lazarus, Saint John intends that we see Martha’s words to Mary before Lazarus was raised, as a summons that every Christian must obey. In her saying “The teacher is here and is asking for you,” Jesus is calling every one of us to resurrection—now in baptismal faith, forever in sharing his victory over death. And all of us, as well as Martha, Mary and Lazarus, are in our own unique way called to special friendship with him.
The punch line! Jesus continued: “But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). What will Jesus say to us?
The last word! Jesus said Mary made a conscious decision between two alternatives: She chose listening to Jesus over preparation of a meal.
Leon Bent is an ex-Seminarian and studied the Liberal Arts and Humanities, and Philosophy, from St. Pius X College, Mumbai. He holds Masters Degree in English Literature and Aesthetics. He has published three Books and have 20 on the anvil. He has two extensively “Researched” Volumes to his name: Hail Full of Grace and Matrimony: The Thousand Faces of Love. He won The Examiner, Silver Pen Award, 2000 for writing on Social Issues, the clincher being a Researched Article on Gypsies in India, published in an issue of the (worldwide circulation) Vidyajyoti Journal of Theological Reflection, New Delhi. On April, 28, 2018, Leon received the Cardinal Ivan Dias Award for a research paper in Mariology.