Encore Post: The town of Bethany was a bedroom community for Priests and Levites, just over the Mount of Olives along the road to Bethlehem. Mary, Martha and their brother Lazarus were well off. They owned a home and probably a few slaves. The Scripture does not tell us what they did for a living, but they had enough resources to afford expensive perfume and likely were donors to the ministry of Jesus and his disciples. Outside the small circle of the apostles, they were the closest friends of Jesus during his earthly ministry. It seems likely that Jesus and his entourage stayed with them every time they came to the Holy City.
On one trip to Jerusalem, Martha was preparing a banquet for her favorite Rabbi. Nothing was too good for him. Mary was helping her sister, but when Jesus began to teach, she sat down like a disciple at his feet, listening to him. Martha was angry that her sister was lounging around while there were many things that needed doing. She complained to Jesus, who told her affectionately that she didn’t need to worry so much. What she was doing was good. Hospitality is a form of the loving service God calls us to do. Some in the early church, in fact, looked at the example of Martha as a model for the work of a deaconess. Listening to God’s word was more important than all the details that she was concerned about.
The week before Palm Sunday, the family was grieving. Lazarus had died and was in the tomb four days by the time Jesus got there. Both Martha and Mary expressed strong faith in the Jesus and the resurrection of the dead. Jesus called Lazarus back from the dead.
To celebrate their brother’s resurrection, Mary, Martha and Lazarus held a banquet. Once again, Martha was preparing the feast. This time Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with a perfume worth $24,000. Judas made a scene about how it could be sold to feed the poor. The disciples later questioned his motives, since he was the treasurer of the group and a week later, he would betray Jesus for coins worth $3200. Jesus told him to leave well enough alone. Mary had learned from Jesus well — she was preparing him for his burial. Two weeks later, Jesus would serve them — and us. He suffered for their sins and ours, died to pay their debt and ours and rose again that we might all rise on the last day. Now we can serve like Martha, Mary and Lazarus, showing our love for Jesus by caring for others.
Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana
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