25 Aug My Favorite Martha

One of my favorite expressions is “We are all a work in progress.” Most people who use it, however, don’t understand that it is literally true for those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Someone is working on us: God. He is using His chisels of grace each day to make us the person He wants us to be. And whoever it is, that person is to more closely resemble Jesus Christ tomorrow than they did today.

I came to Christ on September 4, 2016. If someone who hasn’t seen me in eight years tells me “You haven’t changed a bit,” that’s a good thing if they’re talking about my physical appearance. It’s not so good if they’re talking about the spiritual me. Because eight years of walking with Christ should have me presenting with a very different spiritual look and walk than I had when I first came to Him. There is a very sneaky example of this in the gospels. It involves Martha, the sister of Lazarus.

When we first meet Martha, she is frazzled, preparing for a visit from Jesus and His followers. The Bible doesn’t tell us how many are with Jesus, but biblical scholars estimate it could have been as many as 100 people. After Jesus arrived, Martha is frantically preparing while her sister Mary is sitting quietly at Jesus’ feet. Martha implores Jesus to command her sister to help her. Martha probably found His response stunning:

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.  Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)

Jesus isn’t telling Martha that hospitality is unimportant. He’s simply saying being close to Him is more important. Two more episodes with Martha and Mary suggest that Martha got the message.

The first is when their brother Lazarus died. They call for Jesus, full believing He can heal the ailing Lazarus. Instead, Jesus purposely waits until Lazarus dies before traveling the two miles to Bethany. Then this happens:

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. John 11:20 (NIV)

Nina Smit, in her daily devotional “In Touch With God,” points out that this time it is Martha who chooses to come to Jesus while Mary stays at home with what was undoubtedly a house full of funeral guests. In the next chapter, there is yet another gathering at Martha’s home:

Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. John 12:1-3 (NIV)

Martha is serving again, but she’s not complaining about it. Her griping is likely one of the reasons Jesus scolded her. Serving is fine, but serve with a servant’s heart. The “new” Martha goes to Jesus before Mary does and serves without us hearing that she complained about it.

We can’t be sure how much time passed between these episodes, but we do know this: Martha is showing signs of growing in Christ by letting go of certain things and putting Christ first. What about us?

Does our faith walk indicate that we are less of who we were when we accepted Jesus and becoming more like Him each day? I have long felt Martha gets a bum rap because of the emphasis on the first time we meet her. The Martha we meet the next two times is my favorite Martha. May I follow her example every day.