Devotion - Wednesday, September 22

The sisters Mary and Martha are mentioned in John and in Luke. Both stories have a high degree of familiarity, but they do differ.

In Luke 10 we get the visit of Jesus to the home of these two sisters. This is the story that my sister says causes her great discomfort – she sees herself as a “Martha.” In the story, Martha is the one who is busy preparing the meal. Martha also allows her frustration to seep out. She is working her fingers to the bone, while her sister sits and listens to Jesus talk. Jesus tells her, “Martha, you are worried about many things. Only one thing is needful. Your sister has chosen the better part.” My sister, who responds to every death in the community with a hot dish, says he wants to choose the better part – but it seems that God has just wired her to be the one who gets everything organized so others can sit and listen. “Do you think God understands?” she asks me.

In John 11, we read of these two sisters and their brother. Lazarus is the third sibling in the household. Lazarus is ill. The sisters ask Jesus to come to him. Jesus delays. Lazarus dies. After he has died, Jesus decides to go.

In this John story, there is a verse which I wanted to make sure my sister (and all the Martha’s in the world) hear. There is an acknowledgement that this is a special family to Jesus. He is clearly upset about the death of Lazarus. Within this story is the favorite bible verse of those looking for an easy one to memorize? You know it, right? The shortest verse in the bible? “Jesus wept.” This family (like all families) is dear to Jesus.

In expressing this love and devotion, John writes, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” “Jesus loved Martha and her sister…” Martha is the one who is named; Mary is the other sister.

We cannot draw profound theological conviction from a simple listing of one name over another. But it is a comfort to all those whose call to service is a call to be busy about the task at hand. “Jesus loved Martha.” He loves her sister, too. But he loves the one who is busy with many things; the one who fixes the meals and sets out the tables and makes sure that everyone is assured that there is plenty enough for each to be filled.