Martha Of Bethany

Martha, the sister of Lazarus and Mary, lived in Bethany and first met Jesus during his visit to Jerusalem with his parents when he was thirteen years old in April of 7 CE. They stopped in Bethany to rest on their journey, and Martha’s father, Simon, Invited them in so they could refresh themselves. Martha was a little over one year older than Jesus, while her sister was two years younger. In later years, it was a great event to welcome Jesus and his apostles into the home of their brother, where she and her sister could minister to their needs. They grew to love Jesus with a devoted, fraternal love.

After Jesus had to reject the marriage proposal of Rebecca of Sepphoris when he was nineteen years old, he longed to go to Bethany to talk with Lazarus and visit with Martha and Mary. And when he visited them in April of 14 CE, they all celebrated the first bloodless passover together at the Bethany home.

As trouble started to brew between the Sanhedrin and Jesus because of his growing popularity, it had become the tendency for Martha and her siblings to look out for Jesus when it became necessary. They would find lodging for him at a friend's place while the apostles were scattered about as the Jewish authorities were becoming bold in pursuing charges against Jesus.

When Jesus was with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, they enjoyed listening to him, and hung on his every word. But on one such occasion, while Lazarus and Mary were at his feet, drinking up his teachings, Martha was unnecessarily distracted by numerous needless tasks. It was her disposition to be often encumbered by many trivial cares. As Martha busied herself with all these supposed duties, she was perturbed because Mary did nothing to help. Subsequently, she went to Jesus and said, “Master, do you not care that my sister has left me alone to do all of the serving? Will you not bid her to come and help me?”

Jesus answered: “Martha, Martha, why are you always anxious about so many things and troubled by so many trifles? Only one thing is really worthwhile, and since Mary has chosen this good and needful part, I shall not take it away from her. But when will both of you learn to live as I have taught you: both serving in co-operation and both refreshing your souls in unison? Can you not learn that there is a time for everything – that the lesser matters of life should give way before the greater things of the heavenly kingdom?”

Martha and Mary sent a message to Jesus while he was in Philadelphia that their brother was very sick, hoping that he would rush back to Bethany. On February 26, 30 CE, Martha set out to meet Jesus at the brow of Bethany when she learned that he was nearby. Lazarus had died four days prior, but still she had held out hope that Jesus would come.

Upon seeing him, Martha exclaimed to Jesus, "Master, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!" Jesus told Martha, "Just have faith, and your brother will rise again." Martha responded, "I know that he will be resurrected on the last day, and I have faith that whatever you ask of God, our Father will grant you." Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live. In truth, whosoever lives and believes in me shall never really die. Martha, do you believe this?” Martha answered, “Yes, I have long believed that you are the Deliverer, the Son of the living God, even he who should come to this world.”

Jesus asked Martha and Mary to lead him to the burial tomb, where he then asked for the stone to be removed. Mary hoped that Lazarus was to be raised from the dead, but Martha, while to some extent sharing her sister’s faith, was worried that Lazarus would not be presentable, having been so long dead. Said Martha: “Must we roll away the stone? My brother has now been dead for four days, so that by this time the decay of the body has begun.” Martha also said this because she was not certain as to why the Master had requested that the stone be removed; she thought maybe Jesus wanted only to take one last look at Lazarus.

After Lazarus had come forth from the tomb in his grave wrappings, wondering why he was thus attired and in the garden, Martha told Lazarus of his death, burial, and resurrection. She had to convey to him that he had died on Sunday and been brought back to life on Thursday, as he had been unaware of the passage of time since his death.

Because of the decree set forth by the Sanhedrin to lay hold of the risen Lazarus as a blatant reminder of the miraculous act of Jesus, he eventually fled to Philadelphia to be with Abner. Soon after this and following the death of Jesus, Martha and Mary sold their property at Bethany and ultimately joined their brother to live in Perea.