Originally posted 5/13/25
The first difference we see between the two sisters is what they did when they learned that Jesus was on his way to their house. They sent for Jesus when Lazarus was sick. John 11:20 tells us, “So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house.” Why did Martha go meet Jesus but Mary stayed in the house? Mary was likely a more private individual. We don’t see that Mary speaks as much as Martha.
When Jesus arrives and speaks to Martha, he then sent for Mary. We pick up the stoyr in John 11:28-32, “When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled.” Jesus clearly loved this family.
In Luke 10:39-42 we see that Jesus praises Mary, “And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, 42 but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.””
What is meant by the “good portion”? Mary was not distracted by the busyness of life. She was content to sit at the feet of the Master. She was hungry to learn more from him. She was content to be at his feet.
John 12:1-8 “Six days before the Passover, Jesus therefore came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 So they gave a dinner for him there. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those reclining with him at table. 3 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Mary offered something that was of great value. Scholars suspect that the cost of the oil was equal to the salary earned in a year.
John Macarthur says this in the Macarthur Study Bible about the alabaster flask. “This long-necked bottle was made out of a special variety of marble, a material which proved to be the best container for preserving expensive perfumes and oils (see note on Matt. 26:7). This oil was derived from the nard plant, which was native to India. That it was pure meant it was genuine and unadulterated, which is what made it so costly. broke the flask. She may have simply broken the neck of the bottle so that she could pour out the contents more quickly, an expression of her sincere and total devotion to the Lord.”
Judas takes exception to Mary using the oil. He considered it wasteful. John 12:4-8, “But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (he who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this ointment not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?” He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief, and having charge of the moneybag he used to help himself to what was put into it. Jesus said, “Leave her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of my burial. For the poor you always have with you, but you do not always have me.”
Len Woods in his book, 31 Women of the Bible, states it this way. “An impulsive, appreciative gesture was made in a private dinner party a long time ago, and we’re still talking about it today.” p. 108 Jesus’s response is epic. “Leave her alone”. Mary understood what others did not.
What can we learn about Mary? We see that Jesus praises Mary for sitting at his feet and soaking in his words. We still need to sit and soak in the teachings of Jesus. She recognized that the Messiah was in their house. We wanted to listen to his teaching and absorb more.
How can we emulate this behavior? We need to be reading and studying God’s Word. We need to be continuing in our efforts to know the Savior more. If we do not, we will not be exhibiting fruit which is a reflection of our spiritual life.
#faith, #Bible, #Scriptures, #Christian Women, #Discipleship, #womenintheBible, #womanoftheBible, #Mary and Martha