Martha

Martha, the sister of Mary and Lazarus, hosted Jesus in her home.

Martha was a woman from Bethany who, along with her siblings Mary and Lazarus, was a close friend of Jesus. When Jesus visited their home, Martha welcomed Him and busied herself with serving, while her sister Mary sat at Jesus' feet, listening to His teachings. Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not helping her, but Jesus gently reminded her that Mary had chosen the better part by focusing on His words (Luk 10:38-42). Later, when Lazarus fell ill and died, Martha went out to meet Jesus and expressed her faith in Him, saying that if He had been there, her brother would not have died. Jesus reassured her that Lazarus would rise again and proclaimed Himself as the resurrection and the life (Jhn 11:1-44). After Lazarus was raised from the dead, Martha served a meal for Jesus and His disciples, demonstrating her love and gratitude (Jhn 12:2).

Bitterness, the sister of Lazarus and Mary, and probably the eldest of the family, who all resided at Bethany (Luke 10:38, 40, 41; John 11:1-39). From the residence being called “her house,” some have supposed that she was a widow, and that her brother and sister lodged with her. She seems to have been of an anxious, bustling spirit, anxious to be helpful in providing the best things for the Master’s use, in contrast to the quiet earnestness of Mary, who was more concerned to avail herself of the opportunity of sitting at his feet and learning of him. Afterwards at a supper given to Christ and his disciples in her house “Martha served.” Nothing further is known of her.

“Mary and Martha are representatives of two orders of human character. One was absorbed, preoccupied, abstracted; the other was concentrated and single-hearted. Her own world was the all of Martha; Christ was the first thought with Mary. To Martha life was ‘a succession of particular businesses;’ to Mary life ’was rather the flow of one spirit.’ Martha was Petrine, Mary was Johannine. The one was a well-meaning, bustling busybody; the other was a reverent disciple, a wistful listener.” Paul had such a picture as that of Martha in his mind when he spoke of serving the Lord “without distraction” (1 Cor. 7:35).