Introduction

Mary and Martha are famous for being sisters who followed the ministry of Yeshua. They, and their brother, were so close to Yeshua that when their brother died, Yeshua wept (John 11:35) and resurrected him.

Most sermons about these two focus on the wa they approached their time with Messiah. Mary sat at His feet taking in every word and every moment, while Martha busied herself with preparations. This juxtaposition is so popular that in Maragret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, the women responsible for housework are called Marthas. When I went back to read their story, I was surprised, however, to find that it is actually Martha who invited Yeshua to their home in the first place. (For some reason, I always read the story as Mary inviting Him over and then leaving Martha to do all the work.) Nonetheless, both sisters are show to have deep faith. When Lazarus dies, Martha confronts Yeshua immediately, while Mary only comes when called for. Yet both are confident that He could have prevented the death, and both are aware that He is the Son of God.

While, I think there is ample reason to discuss the differences in their approach to worship and discipleship, I also think it's important to note that they both displayed faith. Messiah may have put things into a different perspective for Martha when she complained, but she seems to be just as well regarded by Him. We all have our own unique way of cultivating our relationship with The Most High, just like Mary and Martha.

Genealogy & Etymology

Name

Mary is a very popular name in the New Testament, and is equivalent to the Hebrew name Miriam (which is found in the Old Testament). I find it interesting that so many women are named Mary and seen as sweet and innocent, but the name actually means "their rebellion."[1] Starting all the way with Moses' sister Miriam, I can see how each of these women would be seen as rebellious in society. Despite doing exactly what God wanted them to do, they did rebel against societal standards. In this Mary's case, she didn't waste time playing hostess when Yeshua visited her home; instead she assumed the role of student (perhaps even intruding on a conversation the most would have assumed was to be between Yeshua and Lazarus).

Martha surprisingly means "mistress," though there are some who suggest it has a similar meaning to Mary and means "she was rebellious."[3] When I first read that the meaning meant mistress, I thought of the word in the context of a woman who is involved with a married man. Eventually I remembered that mistress is also the feminine of master; like the mistress of the house. The latter makes more sense when naming a child and in the context of the narrative.

Bethany

Mary and Martha live in a town called Bethany—some refer to Mary as Mary of Bethany to distinguish her from all the other Marys. Bethany was located near Jerusalem (in modern day West Bank). This region was part of Judah's territory and since they lived after the scattering of the lost tribes and the return of Southern Kingdom, the only options of origin are Benjamin, Judah, and Levi. Members of the Tribe of Levi would probably live close to Jerusalem to carry out their priestly duties, but this territory also belonged to Judah so I could see them being from either tribe.

Questions

About the Passage

1. Is Mary "the other Mary" at the tomb in Matthew 27:61
2. Is there significance in the fact that Marty stayed home but Marth came to Jesus (after Lazarus' death)?
3. Where were their parents?
4. Were either of them (or Lazarus) married?
   • Did they live together?
   • Who's home was it?
5. How old were they? Who was the eldest?
6. How did Martha know who Jesus was before inviting Him home?
7. What kind of preparation was Martha doing?
   • Was this a common argument between the sisters?
   • Was Lazarus present during this? What was he doing?
8. Did Martha have the gift of hospitality?
9. Was Lazarus raised from the dead because of his own faith?
   • Both Mary and Marth confess Messiah as the Son of God, did Lazarus confess this as well?
10. Did they play a role in the new church post resurrection?
11. Did they have children?

If I could meet them

Mary and Martha might be the only happy/healthy sibling bond we see in the Bible. This makes me wonder if they had other siblings (besides Lazarus) and if the other siblings got along with them as well. What was different about their relationship that allowed them to remain close? I also wonder if they had normal sibling squabbles—since I was raised as an only child, I've only ever witnessed sibling bonds from a distance, but this seems to be the one we are meant to imitate so I would want to know more about their relationship with each other.

Another thing I would want to discus with them is how they aided the church. Did they only provide lodging? How much did the learn from Yeshua? What were their responsibilities within the Church and outside of the Church? If they weren't married and didn't have children, what did they do?

Phototheology

Phototheology is a way of learning the Bible taught by Ivor Myers.[2] I am employing this technique in my weekly Woman of God study journal. The following three pormpts are the ones I drew from the card deck while studying Mary and Martha.

How does the text relate to events that occur in Earth present?

I relate most to Marth. There is so much work to be done; I can always find stuff to do around the house, and there's so much information to learn. However, as Messiah told Martha, there is a time to be like Mary. WE have to stop and just enjoy the moemnt, enjoy His presence in our life right now. Our society propmites the idea of going fast and working hard. We aren't conditioned to stop and enjoy the moment. We have forgotten to be present. Our inability to sit and be present in the presence of people is destorying our society. How can we do life together or imitate God's love if we are always on the move and always working?

Study the text against the backdrop of the events in heaven.

The first thing that popped into my head after reading this prompt was the parallel of Satan being the accuser. It parallels—in a weird way—Martha accusing Mary of not tending to the correct business. Messiah is quick to defend Mary the same way He defends us.

Another thing from this story that relates to Heave is the resurrection. The resurrection of Lazarus served as proof that He had power over death. If He could resurrect Lazarus, surely He could resurrect Himself, and surely He can resurrect us. Not only was this proven to us, to give us hope of mending the gap between us and Heaven, but it was a testimony to the angels in Heaven.

Finally, the battle in Heaven has always caused division, thanks to Satan. In contrast, we see Mary and Martha remain steadfast and in unity despite their disagreement. This is a model that Paul later tells the Church we should abide by.

How does the story relate to goodness?

The resurrection of Lazarus shows the goodness of Messiah and the Most High—He saw the pain Mary and Martha was in and empathized.

Another way the story relates to goodness is in how we react to situations. How we react to things is how we show both love and goodness, but we won't always react the way someone wants. In every situation, Mary and Martha react differently, but both believe in Messiah and are faithful servants of the Most High. Yeshua said that no one was good but the Most High, and in order to show goodness we must rely on the Holy Spirit. In each situation, Messiah is required to solve the problem (dispute vs. Lazarus' death) the same way the Holy Spirit is required for us to show goodness.

Journal Pages

Journal pages for Mary & Martha (April 16-22, 2025)

References & Footnotes

1. "Strong's G3137. Μαρία". Blue Letter Bible; visited April 2025
2. Pastor Ivor Myers' Phototheology Game Deck
3. "Strongs 3136. ". Blue Leter Bible; visited April 2025
4. "Bethany". Encyclopedia Britannica. October 19, 2023; visited April 2025