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 Copyright © 2007 The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory. All rights reserved. |
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Women’s Bible Study
October 2007
MARTHA – PRACTICAL LOVE By Gladys DeMichael
Scripture: John 11:1-45; 12:1-3
Focus Text: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. You are my friends if you do what I command”. John 15: 12, 14 NIV
Background: Three stories about Martha and Mary appear in the Gospels; one in Luke (10:38-42), two in John. Luke depicts the sisters as one dimensional – the active Martha, the passive Mary. John develops richer characteristics of Martha, which will be addressed in this study.
Martha – the feminine form of “lord” or “master” means “Lady”. This woman is attentive, eager-hearted, affectionate and a perfectionist around her home. Today we would say she has all the characteristics of a “first born” in a family.
The work expected of a Jewish woman in Bible times was clearly defined. There were things the women did and things the men did. The same was true for female and male children. Martha fulfilled what she thought was expected of her. She had been raised to care for the people in her household as well as give special attention to guests who entered her home. She is best known as the older sister to Mary and Lazarus of Bethany. Her reputation is one of dedication to the managing of her home. Bethany is a quiet little village just two miles from Jerusalem, located on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives beside the Jericho Road. When Bethany is referred to as “the village of Mary and her sister Martha”, the implication is that they were important figures in the community and that their home was the chief one in the village. The hospitality afforded Jesus whenever He was in town, the elegant meals that Martha provided for invited guests, the wealth displayed in the anointing of Jesus (John 12:3), and the many Jews that came from Jerusalem to comfort them in the hour of deep grief, signifies their prominence.
Martha’s great joy was to welcome others into her home, treating them with warmth and generosity. She had “the gift of hospitality”. Jesus and His disciples apparently stayed with Lazarus when they came to the Temple in Jerusalem. He had no real home in His three and a half year ministry. He found in that loving, hospitable home an attentive woman waiting to minister to His weariness and exhaustion. There He found the refreshment He needed. It was a place of friendship and refuge.
Biblical Truth: What a joyous experience when we visit in a home and are welcomed with genuine love. As Christians, this is what we can offer to others in Jesus’ name. People get so busy with rushed schedules, work and home responsibilities, that we forget how to offer hospitality to each other. “Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay” (1 Peter 4:9 NLT). To be cheerfully hospitable is a mark of genuine love.
Martha’s busyness did not mean that she did not think deeply and quietly. She listened to the Lord’s teachings as she came and went. Her practical service on His behalf was inspired by what she heard from His lips and came out of her love for Him.
Active and pragmatic, she often struggled with balance. She could be a whirlwind of activity, busy dealing with many details and anxious that everything go well. Martha could easily lose her focus and spend her efforts doing what she thought was most important, serving. When her focus got clouded she became frustrated and resentful, particularly of her sister, Mary (Luke 10:40). Martha and Mary showed their love and friendship to Jesus in different ways (see September Bible Study: Mary of Bethany – A Heart for Worship). When she was corrected by Jesus, He did not tell Martha that she had no love for Him. He recognized and appreciated all the effort she put into serving, but reminded her that she was allowing her outward activities to hinder her spiritually. Her emphasis was in the wrong place and consequently, the care of her inner life was being hindered. She had such a solid relationship with her Master that she was free to be herself in His presence. She worked out her faith actively and directly, questioning, challenging, asking Jesus to correct whatever had gone wrong.
Biblical Truth: “It always seems that there is something more urgent and more important than prayer” (Henri J. Nouwen). Jesus set the example for pulling away from the “doing” to take care of the “being”. “And when He had sent them (His disciples) away, He departed to the mountain to pray” (Mark 6:46 NKJV).
In the Lazarus story, Martha possesses a mature, well integrated personality that balances activism with spiritual perception. She was absolutely confident of the Lord’s love for her. He knew her weaknesses and still showered her with His love.
Biblical Truth: How marvelous is this promise for us today! “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3 NIV).
She became the recipient of an awesome revelation of her Lord. He would declare to her His true purpose. She leaned on Jesus, knew that He loved Lazarus and assumed that He would save him from death because of that love (11:3). She and her sister knew that Jesus was able to heal Lazarus (11:21). She had faith but that faith was incomplete. She believed that Jesus could ask and receive anything from the Father (11:22), she understood the facts of the resurrection of the saints on the last day (11:24), and she believed Jesus could have saved Lazarus from death (11:32). But she did not understand who Jesus really was. She did not understand His power over death and resurrection; that He was truly God and could intervene at will.
Biblical Truth: Human beings need food, water, air, and shelter to stay alive. But to be truly alive and thriving, we also need love. Lack of love causes physical, emotional, and mental problems. Relationships often wither and die without love and caring. Jesus nurtured His relationship with Mary, Martha and Lazarus with His interest in their lives and His love for them. God works through our human relationship to give us comfort and encouragement. Family and friends are blessings from God. (Soul Note – Soul Care Bible).
Sickness and death shadowed that loving, hospitable Bethany home. Lazarus fell sick and his sister sent word to Jesus. This was a crisis in the family. Lazarus was probably their sole means of support. His serious illness meant not only great sadness, but an unknown, insecure future as well. Jesus did not hurry to Bethany. He remained where He was (11:6). Was He indifferent to the call and grief of His dear friends? No, these were “eternal moments”. Mary, Martha and the disciples had important lessons to learn from this life situation. He wanted them to learn that His delays are not denials. This was all about Divine Timing! Lazarus’ death would result in Him being glorified as the Son of Man (11:4).
Biblical Truth: Oswald Chambers refers to this happening in John 11:6 as “God’s Silences”. If God trusts you with a silence, it is big with meaning. His silence is a sign that He is bringing you into a marvelous understanding of Himself. You will find that God has trusted you in the most intimate way possible, with an absolute silence, not of despair, but of pleasure, because He saw that you could stand a bigger revelation. The manifestation of the answer in time is a matter of God’s sovereignty. His silences are His answers! Personal Journal – October 11, 1998 – Silence is frightening! It is lonesome! It is beautiful! What a contradiction and yet a profound truth. In silence comes exposure, vulnerability, enlightenment, confession – all that takes place before you, Lord. Your silence brings fear, trust, willingness to persevere, obedience and all that enables me to say, “I know God can – I’m sure God will”. (Gladys DeMichael)
Biblical Truth: An important principle in life is that love permits pain. We don’t want it that way. We want to believe that if God really loves us, He will not allow anything painful to attack us. But this is not so. God does promise to be our refuge and strength in the midst of the pain. Love and pain are compatible. “This I declare of the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I am trusting Him” (Psalm 91:2 NLT).
As soon as Martha heard the Comforter Himself was on His way, she dried her tears and ran to meet Him (11:20). Impulsive Martha, upon meeting Him, uttered a rebuke. “Master, if You had been here, my brother would not have died”. She may have been abrupt and hurried, but her heart was right. She believed in Jesus and trusted in His power to heal. Then, uncovering the depths of her soul she quickly went on to say, “Even now, I know that whatever You ask God He will give You” (11:21-22). Martha had unbounded faith and confidence in her Lord’s power and was now on the brink of a most remarkable revelation on the resurrection. Jesus said, “Martha, I don’t have to ask of God, I am God and life is in Me!” (11:25) Immediately Jesus healed her broken heart by assuring her that her brother would rise again. She was not prepared for the revelation that the One before her was the Resurrection and Life. She thought of the resurrection of her brother as an “in the future” event, but Jesus declares positively His claim to be the One in whom the later becomes the present. He led Martha’s thoughts away from her dead brother to Himself. He presents one of the most outstanding statements in the Bible as to His deity, power and authority – I am the Resurrection and the life. How astounded Martha must have been as she listened in awe to this truth from the lips of Jesus. She listened and answered His question, “Can you believe that?” with a remarkable confession of her faith, “Yes, Lord, I do believe You are Christ, the Son of God, the One who has come into the world” (11:27 Phillips). Martha may not have fully understood the depth of her own words, but she did understand in some measure why He came into the world. Leaving Him after such an overwhelming experience, she rushed home to share with Mary.
Biblical Truth: Jesus is the Giver of eternal life which cannot be touched by physical death. This glorious provision is a present privilege for whoever lives and believes in Christ. To believe in Jesus means to accept everything that Jesus said as absolutely true, and to stake our lives upon that in perfect trust. We enter an eternal relationship; with God and His redeeming love and with life – His way is our way. We have eternity in view! “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Corinthians 15:22 NKJV).
At Lazarus tomb, Martha’s practical side reasserts itself. Jesus has arrived and commands that the slab of stone laid against the cave in the hillside be removed. Martha objects, raising the concern on the minds of all who were there mourning. “Master, by this time there’s a stench. He’s been dead four days!” (11:39). Jesus uttered the all commanding word, the miracle happened - Lazarus came forth with a body fresher than it had been in years – and the glory of the Lord was manifested (11:40-44). Thus, Jesus validated His claim to Martha of being “The Resurrection and Life”. He is life – it is in Him we live! “Jesus said, ‘I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from Me” (John 14:6 The Message).
There are important lessons to be learned from the life and character of Martha, far beyond her gift of hospitality. She was a disciple (learner) of her friend, Jesus. She discovered that in serving and learning she would honor God. She trusted her Master with her cares, responsibilities and sorrows, confident that He knew every emotion and situation and deeply loved her. Martha offers a warmly human portrait of what it meant to have Jesus as a friend, allowing Him to stretch her faith, rebuke her small vision, and show her what the power of God could do.
Tradition has it that Martha and her sister Mary, were at Golgotha, the day of Christ’s crucifixion.
Ponder – Praise – Pray:
My Strength Alone Though my days may be dark and long and the black clouds keep out the sun. There is one who will make me so strong, then I’ll know new life has begun. And Jesus, You give me hope! And Jesus, You give me strength to carry on, For Jesus, you’re my one rue friend. Lord Jesus, my strength alone! Wayne & Darren Bartlett Prayer
Lord, life can be touch. Any day can bring pain, loss, sorrow, disappointment. Help me to hear in the midst of that crisis, Your voice saying, “I am the Resurrection and the Live.” Help me to trust Your love and your “divine timing,” even when You may be silent. May my faith and hope be strengthened. May I remember that what I let you do in each situation will make the difference. Through it all, You are my life “Joy”. Amen
November Study Two Widows – Focus of Divine Concern
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