Women of the Word: Martha

Scripture References

Luke 10:38-41; John 11; John 12:1-3

Name Meaning:

Feminine form of moro or more – meaning lord or master

Family Connection

Sister to Lazarus and Mary of Bethany

Introduction

Often you hear people asking, “Are you a Mary or a Martha?” And books everywhere compare and contrast these sisters. But while there is value in doing a compare and contrast, there is even more value in exploring each sister separately.

In this study we take a look at Martha from her first encounter with Jesus to her last. Some mention of Mary and Lazarus is included, but they are not the focus.

Lesson

The home of Martha was one Jesus returned to when needing rest. He loved this trio of siblings and would visit them rather than returning to his childhood home of the homes of His own family. From the way the three were referenced, Martha always came first which tells us she was likely the oldest. It was her home (Luke 10:38) and she was the one to offer hospitality to Jesus and His disciples.

There are three different times the siblings are found in the gospels. Three separate events are chronicled, showing us how important these three were to Jesus.

Often you will find Martha connected to her sister Mary. They are usually studied in pairs, comparing one to the other and not looking at their individual talents and personalities. This study will attempt to look solely at Martha, only referencing her siblings when necessary.

Martha was a woman of action. She presented herself as a hostess and opened her home willingly to those passing through. Then she worked hard to prepare a meal for them all. The family doesn’t appear to be wealthy, since Martha was alone in preparing the meal after Mary abandoned her to sit at Jesus’ feet. It is at this point we get a glimpse into what Martha was like this first time serving Jesus.

Luke tells us Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. It is then she starts complaining.

“Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

Was Martha angry? Or was she just flustered? Whatever she felt, we know she was complaining to Jesus, which is not something you would expect to see when there’s company. You usually see people trying to be on their best behavior and hiding their anxiety until alone. This was the first time they had met. Yet she is distracted and frustrated, worrying about the “stuff” she had to do.

Jesus’s response? He speaks to her in a loving manner, saying her name twice (the only female in the Bible who has her name repeated, which was an affectionate expression). He says she was upset and worried about many things (acknowledging her emotions and letting her know she is seen), then guided her toward spiritual peace in Him.

The next time we see her is after Lazarus dies. She goes out to meet Jesus upon hearing He had finally come, four days after the death. The sisters were being comforted by many people, which shows us they were a much loved family in their region. They were also greatly loved by Jesus (John 11:5).

We don’t know if Jesus visited them at other times, since the Bible only mentioned them on three separate occasions. But we see Martha’s spiritual growth in this second story.

Upon Jesus’s arrival, Martha’s response to seeing Him appears to be a complaint, but is it really? It is hard to know for certain due to the absence of visual cues and tone of voice. I do not read it as her whining or complaining, but rather her sharing her grief and sorrow with the great Comforter. She knew of His power and simply stated facts.

This is followed by a short dialogue between the two that ends with Martha making the most powerful statement of faith in the Bible:

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” (John 11:27)

What a difference in Martha from the first time we see her to this time. She has gone from being a distracted, stressed out busybody to a woman of faith that recognizes Jesus as the Son of God and the Messiah and brings her grief and sorrow to Him.

The third time we see Martha we are once again in her home. This time she appears to be at peace. She is back in the role of hostess. No complaining, no distractions, no stress. John simply says “Martha served” (John 12:2).

We have seen Martha go through quite the transformation in these three stories. And by the last story, we see that Martha continues to use her strengths and talents God has given her, but she is free of the anxiety that drove her to distraction in the beginning.

Final Thoughts

Many women identify with the Martha of the first story. But we need to remember that there is more to life than the “stuff” that distracts us. We need to remember we can do all the “stuff” and still have peace and spiritual growth. We need to give our worries, stress, anxiety, and sorrow to Him.

And we need to trust Him and His timing. Martha thought He was too late to do anything for Lazarus, but He had a better plan than what she had asked for. She had sent word to Him about her brother being sick and expected Jesus to heal him. But Jesus had a far greater plan in mind – to raise Lazarus from the dead. His delay in coming to help was done with something different in mind.

We need to remember that God has a plan for our life. He wants what is best for us, but we need to be patient and wait for His timing.