Martha

MARTHA

of Bethany

Scripture References: Luke 10:38-42; John 11:1-46; 12:1-2

ABOUT HER

• She was the sister of Mary and Lazarus.
• She lived in a town called Bethany.
• She was known for being practical.
• She was given to hospitality.
• She is known as a friend of Jesus.
• Martha was known as the head of the household. She was one to take charge!
• Was the only woman in the Bible to have her name repeated by Jesus (others were Simon Peter in Luke 22:31 and Saul in Acts 9:4)

Martha’s name means “mistress” or “bitterness”

“Bethany, where Martha lived, was a small, pleasant village nestled on the eastern slope of Mount Olivet near the Jericho Road, Bethphage, and Bethlehem.” -Frances Vander Velde

HER GIFTS

Read Luke 10:38-42

Martha welcomed Jesus into her own home! What a wonderful gift of hospitality. It was Martha’s initiative that opened the door for the whole household to be blessed! Jesus Himself would sit in their home to receive rest and refreshment.

Martha abounded with practical gifts that allowed her to administrate her home excellently. She was one to go above and beyond the call of duty. She created order out of chaos and structure out of disarray, enabling her to be ready to use her helpful hand willingly when opportunities arose.

I love how the Lord shows us different family personalities in the family dynamic. This is personal sovereign training for us from the Lord in our service to our brothers and sisters in Christ!

HER FOCUS

Was what Martha was doing wrong or bad? NO. The issue for Martha was that she got distracted and lost focus.

When we serve in the flesh we act foolishly and out of order. We create drama.

“Martha was no longer managing her work; her work was managing Martha!” -Frances Vander Velde

We should control our schedules...our schedules should not control us. We are free in Christ! We do not live by the law.

v. 40 -this was inappropriate and out of order. Martha accused Jesus of not caring! Then she told Him what to do!

Jesus responded in love and grace.

When you fail, don’t you want the Lord to respond to you this way? Well, He does! And we should respond the same way to others when they fail or make mistakes.

“Jesus did not tell Martha that she had neither part nor lot in Him, or that she was allowing the cares of this life to choke the seed. He recognized that she was working for Him, but reminded her that she was permitting her outward activities to hinder her spiritually.” -Herbert Lockyer, All the Women of the Bible

H.V. Morton says that in our Lord’s reply to Martha’s complaint there can be traced a play of ideas, and that His words can be interpreted - “Martha, Martha, you are busy with many courses when one dish would be quite sufficient. Mary has chosen the best dish, which shall not be taken away from her.”

(Read excerpt from She Walked With Jesus)

“anxious and troubled” about many things. She let her mind take off. We must have control over our thoughts and not let our thoughts control us.

“much serving” -where is there an excess of something in your life that is causing your to get distracted and lose focus? What is something you are personally placing too much emphasis on?

When you get distracted...you become a distraction.

What does godly-focused serving look like?

• IT LOOKS LIKE LOVE: Galatians 5:13 ESV “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
• IT DOESN’T GRUMBLE: Read 1 Peter 4:7-11 -we use our gifts to serve one another through love without grumbling. (v.11 main giftings categorized) -How you minister and serve is more important than what you are actually doing.
• IT DOESN’T COMPARE: 2 Corinthians 10:12 ESV “Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.” -we are all different and have different gifts and we are to serve as God calls us to without comparing ourselves with others and without a spirit of competition.
• IT DOESN’T COMPETE: Read 1 Corinthians 3:1-15 -All gifts are important and are for the building up of the body of Christ.

Christians who walk in the flesh can find themselves persecuting Christians who walk in the Spirit.

James 4:1 ESV “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”

James 4:11-12 ESV “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

“speak against” means to criticise and the base of the root word “katalalos” has a meaning “to use words in order to declare one's mind and disclose one's thoughts”

Read 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 “From now on we regard no one according to the flesh...”

We are ambassadors of Christ and it is our responsibility to communicate the doctrine of God to those around us. When we start spouting our opinion and criticising everything around us we are in the flesh, regarding things in the flesh and those who walk according to the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:8).

Proverbs 17:27 ESV “Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding.”

Proverbs 29:20 ESV “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

Proverbs 10:19 NKJV “In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise.”

God calls us to be meek. Matthew 5:5 ESV “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”

meek means “mildness of disposition, gentleness of spirit”

Meekness is absolutely beautiful and attractive and it honors God.

Mary didn’t have to defend herself. Jesus defended her!

POEM

Thank you for your service, Martha

We love all that you’ve done

You’ve opened up your heart and home

Unto the Holy One

And now we get to sit with Him

To hear His words of truth

Because of hospitality

Under your own roof

Women of good works we praise

Your example is adored

But take heed, Martha, when you hear

These words from your own Lord

“Martha, Martha, anxious one

Put your finger down

I must correct this foolishness

And defend my daughter, Mary, now

You have become distracted,

Oh Martha, can’t you see?

Mary chose the better thing,

The better thing...is Me”

Martha had an attitude of “You need to learn from me!”

Mary had an attitude of “You need to learn from Jesus.”

Proverbs 27:2 NKJV “Let another man praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips.”

Martha was doing visible service and Mary was not. Jesus honored Mary’s focus and service to Him at His feet. Mary was serving Jesus Himself by listening!

Psalm 81:13 NKJV "Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!”

Isaiah 51:1 NKJV "Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the LORD: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug.”

We do not get to define and pronounce what others should be doing by our own standards.

Read:

• Romans 2:1-6
• Matthew 16:24-28
• 1 Corinthians 5 → Judging immorality (sin) in the church

Mary was not sinning by sitting at the feet of Jesus while Martha was busy (too much so) in the practical serving.

Jesus said Mary chose the better portion.

Psalm 16:5 ESV “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.”

HER RESPONSE

Read John 11:1-7, 17-30, 38-44; 12:1-8

John 11:4 -Here we see Martha’s FAITH.

John 11:39 -Here’s Martha...always thinking practically!

“Later, at a celebration to honor Jesus, Martha helped serve the meal (John 12:2). Martha’s serving provided Mary with another structured environment in which she could focus on Jesus, which she did by anointing Him with a very precious ointment and wiping His feet with her hair (John 12:3-8).” -Brenda Poinsett

Martha...don’t beat yourself up!

Just keep growing!

The kingdom of God is....

Romans 14:17-19 ESV “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.”

“As soon as Martha met Jesus she uttered a rebuke in her usual blunt fashion, ‘Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.’ Then uncovering the real depths of her soul she hurried on to say, ‘But I know, that even now [with my dear brother in the grave] whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it to thee.’” -Herbert Lockyer

Martha was a woman of faith! Martha confessed her faith even though she didn’t completely understand everything.

There was a supper in Martha’s home when Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with her alabaster jar...and here Martha raises no objection! Jesus addressed what he needed to in time past so when this time would come Martha wouldn’t ruin the moment! Someone did have to be rebuked, Judas Iscariot, but Martha had learned and grew in maturity.

“While the service of Martha was the same, her spirit was blessedly changed. She was no longer ‘distracted’ over her tasks, nor mentally anxious and outwardly bustling, but calm, trustful and in full agreement with her sister’s act of love and devotion to the Master.” -Herbert Lockyer

BOTH Martha and Mary are necessary to complete Christian character.

Discussion Questions:

1. How does Martha find her counterpart in modern women?
2. Why did Jesus rebuke Martha?
3. How do we know that Jesus does not want us to worry?
4. How does worry hurt us? Others? Jesus? What reason did Martha have for believing that Jesus could restore Lazarus?