Mary Of Bethany

Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, lived in Bethany, and first met Jesus in April of 7 CE during his visit to Jerusalem with his parents when he was thirteen years old. They stopped in Bethany to rest on their journey, and Mary’s father, Simon, Invited them in so they could refresh themselves. Mary was two years younger than Jesus, while Martha was a little over one year older. 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 Mary and Martha. 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 Mary 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 he was with the three of them, 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. Therefore 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, he did finally arrive, and was met by Martha. Jesus asked to see Mary also, and so Martha went to the house and told Mary to go to where he was waiting. Mary had given up all hope that Jesus would come, and when she met him she told him that she believed if he had been there, Lazarus would not have died. Their grief at losing their brother touched the Master’’s heart, as he so loved the three of them.

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, and she was not disappointed, as the Master asked that the stone be rolled away and he proceeded to resurrect her brother.

Near the end of the festive meal, given in honor of Jesus and Lazarus on March 31, 30 CE, Mary stepped out from the group of women and proceeded to approach Jesus. She proceeded to open a jar of expensive oil and began applying it to Jesus’ head and then to his feet. She then wiped his feet with her hair, and soon the scent of the oil permeated the room. The guests began murmuring about this, and Judas Iscariot demanded that Andrew speak to Jesus about what he considered to be a waste of money.

But Jesus put his hand upon Mary’s head as she knelt by his side and, with a kindly expression upon his face, said: "Let her alone, every one of you. Why do you trouble her about this, seeing that she has done a good thing in her heart? To you who murmur and say that this ointment should have been sold and the money given to the poor, let me say that you have the poor always with you so that you may minister to them at any time it seems good to you; but I shall not always be with you; I go soon to my Father. This woman has long saved this ointment for my body at its burial, and now that it has seemed good to her to make this anointing in anticipation of my death, she shall not be denied such satisfaction. In the doing of this, Mary has reproved all of you in that by this act she evinces faith in what I have said about my death and ascension to my Father in heaven. This woman shall not be reproved for that which she has this night done; rather do I say to you that in the ages to come, wherever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of in memory of her."

It is true that the oil was very costly; but Mary had saved up the money to buy it and she had intended that it would be used to embalm the Master when he died. She believed him when he told them that this was going to come to pass, and she wanted to be prepared. Ultimately, she decided to give him this honor while he still lived.

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