8 THIS WORLD'S LIGHT

8

This World’s Light

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."

His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better."Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.

So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11 :1-21

Jesus and his Disciples have gone away from Judea because he has been stirring up the religious leaders in Jerusalem and they have threatened to kill Him and it isn't yet time. Now they are in Perea. The name means "beyond Jordan" and it lay along the east side of the Jordan River and in what is now the country of Jordan. This was once the territory occupied by the tribes of Reuben, Gad and Manasseh. It was also the land occupied by Moab and Ammon until King David conquered them. During Solomon's reign it was called Gilead and was the homeland of the prophet Elijah. It fell in and out of Israel's hands and in Christ's time was part of the kingdom of the Herods, assigned to Herod by Augustus Caesar. It was within this area that John the Baptist ministered, and according to Josephus, where he was imprisoned and executed.

I don't know exactly where Jesus was staying in Perea at the time Lazarus died, but it certainly wasn't too far to walk in a day or two. The border of Perea is approximately 20 miles east of Bethany and Bethany is two miles from Jerusalem. If Christ was due east of Bethany and could have gotten across the river directly, it may have been a five or six hour walk. If he went by the ford of the river at Jericho it would have been a forty-five mile walk at least. This distance could be walked in 11 to 12 hours if a person could keep a steady pace; or it could have easily been covered in two days. We'll discuss this distance and time a bit further along.

Martha and Mary sent a messenger to Jesus to inform Him that Lazarus was sick. They say, "Lord, the one you love is sick." We are told in the next paragraph that Jesus loved Lazarus and the two sisters. But Jesus acts a bit strange in showing that love. He makes a statement about the sickness not ending in death and that "God's Son may be glorified through it". How does it glorify anyone by Lazarus being sick? And then he doesn't do anything. You'd think, here is someone He loves and He can heal sickness, why doesn't he command the disease to cease or at least hurry to His friend's side. Instead, He stays put for two days.

Then a-sudden he tells everyone, "let's go back to Judea."

The Disciples don't see this as a good idea at all. They just had some nasty business back in Judea, where a bunch of angry religious leaders were about to stone Jesus. Their reasonable advice is to stay where they are.

Jesus replies to this with an odd statement: "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."

Whether the Disciples took any note of this quote or thought about it at all is not recorded. They don't say anything. Jesus just continued to tell them Lazarus had fallen asleep.

In typical, 'we-just-aren't-quite-getting-it' fashion, his Disciples kind of say, "so what. If he's sleeping, he's going to get better." You would think their first question would have been, "how do you know he's sleeping? Did another messenger arrive we didn't see?"

Can't you just see Jesus rolling his eyes in frustration with these guys? He has to spell everything out to them before they get anything, and even then they don't quite get it all. "Lazarus is dead," he tells them, "and for your sake I am glad I was not there..."

Why was he glad he wasn't there? Because if Jesus had been in Bethany when Lazarus got sick, He would have healed the man and what Jesus wanted His Disciples to learn would not have come from a simple healing. Note the reason He was glad He wasn't there, "so that you may believe." See, His Disciples still had some faith problems.

Jesus then says, "let us go to him."

Thomas rallies the troops (surprised it wasn't Peter jumping in with both feet as usual) and says, "let's go die with him."

Well, they knew there were people in Judea willing to kill them and Jesus had started talking about his own death lately, so Thomas probably figured this was it and we might as well all die together.

It wasn't going to happen because while the Light was with them, they wouldn't stumble. But in a short time that Light was going to be snuffed out and then these fellows would have to walk in the night. Can you remember John 8:12? If not, this is what it says:

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

They had nothing to fear yet. Jesus the Light of the World was with them and if they followed Him, they wouldn't stumble. He was going to revel more about the power of the Light, but it had to be certain that Lazarus was "positively, absolutely, undeniably and reliably Dead; not only merely dead, really most sincerely dead".

When they get to Bethany they will find Lazarus is not only dead, but four days dead and buried. His death is beyond doubt. This is why the two-day wait. Consider it, when the messenger left to find Jesus, Lazarus was alive, but sick. If it was a day’s journey to where Jesus was, then Lazarus died while he was traveling. Jews buried their dead on the day of death and burial had to be before sundown. Jesus waited two days, and then a day's journey to the grave, thus four days. If the journey was two days, then it is the same, except Lazarus died sometime in the later part of the messenger's trip. Jesus knew, of course, when His friend died. He had the timing down pat.

And when he did get to Bethany, it got very interesting.

7 IMPORT OF LAZARUS

7

Import of Lazarus

Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."

Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" John 10:22-32

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."

"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" John 11:1-8

As far back as I can remember, I have heard the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead. It has probably been portrayed on flannel boards in every Sunday School or Vacation Bible Class at one time or another. It is a dramatic story, this man wrapped like a mummy coming out of a tomb back to life. Raising Lazarus from the dead has even entered the common vocabulary.

I have always heard it presented as another one of Christ's miracles. Amazing, Jesus had the power to bring back the dead. It seems to stand on it's own, isolated from the narrative of Christ's Passion and death. But it is an integral part of the final culmination of God's plan.

Why Lazarus? This wasn't the first person Jesus raised from the dead. We often forget that fact. Why this time? Is it because Martha and Mary were such good friends and asked Him to? (We'll deal more with Martha and Mary's role in this next time when we will also address why Jesus Wept, as well as who else was raised.) For that matter, did Martha or Mary actually ask Him to do it?

Let's look at some of what came before and after this miracle.

"But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?" This is what his Disciples asked when he announced Lazarus was dead and they were going back to Judea. What were they referring to, because this is part of the important framework around the raising of Lazarus?

Jesus and his Disciples had been in Jerusalem shortly before this to attend the Feast of Dedication. This would be what we know better today as Hanukkah, so they had been there in our month of December. The Jewish religious people surrounded Him at that time and challenged Him to declare if He was the Messiah. Jesus argued a bit with them and then made this statement: "I and the Father are one."

This is one of several places where Jesus declares Himself as God, a declaration many critics of we Christians try to say he never made. Modern unbelievers may choose to parse this statement any way they wish, but it is obvious from the Scripture that the religious teachers and leaders present when Jesus said this knew exactly what it meant. It meant Jesus was calling Himself God and that is why they began picking up stones intending to stone Him to death right there and then.

But Jesus slipped away from them, but now there was a growing danger to His life and it wasn't quite the time yet, so Jesus and His followers left Judea to a safer area. Returning to Bethany in Judea would bring them within a half hour walk of Jerusalem and back in the danger zone. That is why Thomas said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." (John 11:16)

They went to Bethany and found Lazarus four days dead and buried. Jesus told them to removed the stone sealing the tomb (sound familiar), said a short prayer and:

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. 
 Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go." John 11:43-44

Besides Martha and Mary, quite a number of people came out to the tomb to see what Jesus was going to do. They saw Him weep and they saw Him call Lazarus forth and they saw a dead man walking, except he was dead no longer. You would think anyone seeing the dead arise would believe and put their trust in Jesus, wouldn't you? Isn't that what you would do? Well, many did, yet:

Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.

"What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."

Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, "You know nothing at all! You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish." John 11:45-50

Yes, the raising of Lazarus from the grave provided the motivation of the Jewish leaders to plot Jesus' death (and Lazarus' death too). It was not some isolated and neat little miricle at all, but a lynchpin in Jesus fulfilling God's plan of salvation for all men who accept it.

Another event concerning Martha, Mary and Lazarus still lies ahead and it is going to be a motavator in Judas betrayal. before that events happens, Jesus and his disciples are going to again confront the Pharisees and Saducees in Jerusalem, and Jesus is going to give them what for.

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day. They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah

Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; protect me from men of violence who plan to trip my feet. Proud men have hidden a snare for me; they have spread out the cords of their net and have set traps for me along my path. Psalm 140:1-5

Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one calls for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil. They hatch the eggs of vipers and spin a spider's web. Whoever eats their eggs will die, and when one is broken, an adder is hatched. Isaiah 59:1-5

"You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.

"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Matthew 23:33-39

The die is cast. There is no turning back now for time is moving quickly toward the climax. All the Jewish leaders need now is a safe place to arrest Jesus and someone to tell them where this place is. Soon Jesus will go to a dinner honoring Him for raising Lazarus and that will result in exactly what those who would kill Christ need.

Illustration: "The Raising of Lazarus" by Rembrandt van Rijn, 1630 AD

6 LAZARUS, LAZARUS, MARY, MARY -- WHO YOU ALL?

6

Lazarus, Lazarus, Mary, Mary – Who You All?

Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." John 11:1-3

"There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' Luke 16:19-24

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. Mark 14:3

While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. Matthew 26:6-7

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner." Luke 7:36-38

Sometimes it is easy to get confused reading Scripture. Similar circumstances and names can cause us to mix events or feel we have conflicts where there are none. Even the style of a writer can lead us astray if we aren't careful.

In reading the Gospels it is well to remember these are not biographies as we think of biography. Each Gospel writer was presenting a different aspect of Jesus' role as the Christ. What they wrote was to that purpose. Sometimes they presented different happenings in Jesus' life, but even where they shared the same ones, they may have looked at it from a different angle. When you put the four Gospels together they form a whole.

The Gospels appears as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This was the order it was thought they were written. Now it more accepted that Mark's Gospel was first. This is the most accepted dating of the Gospels: Mark (55-65 AD), Matthew (60-65 AD), Luke (60 AD) and John (85-90 AD). It seems obvious that these men were aware of some of what the others wrote, at least the first three. Matthew seems to expand on Mark. Luke set out to pull the facts of Christ's life together and so uses what Mark and Matthew wrote in places. I believe John wrote to fill in the gaps and explaining things the others glossed over or missed. I think we need to note who the Gospel writers were, as well. Mark was probably a teenager at the time Christ was crucified. He was a follower, but had not been with Christ and the Disciples over the whole time. He was an assistant to Paul and to Peter and it is believed he got much of his information from Peter. Matthew was an Apostle, but not among the first or among the inner circle. He was an eyewitness to many of the events, but not necessarily to them all. Luke was another assistant to Paul and was writing his Gospel as a historian, gathering facts and data and putting it as a narrative, not as an eyewitness. John was unique among these. He had been a disciple of John the Baptist and of the earliest of the Apostles. He was also in the inner circle and thus had much more exposure and insight into the events of Christ's life.

Some of this interrelationship between the Gospel writers may add some of the confusion between Mary, Martha's sister and the "sinful woman" because both performed similar acts toward Jesus. It also causes a bit of mix up between two people named Lazarus.

John begins Chapter 11 this way: Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.

As an aside, note he writes Lazarus was from the same village as Mary and Martha, not that he lived with Mary and Martha. This, again, could explain why Lazarus wasn't present on Jesus' earlier visit to Martha's house, because he didn't live in the same house.

Anyway, John says here that Mary was the "one who poured perfume on the Lord". Why would this cause confusion? because it comes before the fact. One could easily think it referred to the "sinful woman" back in Luke 7 who poured perfume on Jesus' feet. After all, it sounds as if he is referring to a past event. But no, instead he is mentioning something which is going to come later in sequence of what he is writing. But why does he state this? Because he is going to fill in some information about what led up to Mary doing this that both Matthew and Mark left out of their narratives, including the name of Mary. You can see why this could be confused with the "sinful woman" described by Luke, but reading both events shows that the circumstances, times and descriptions are really totally different.

John then deals with the death and resurrection of Lazarus, something Mark, Matthew and Luke did not comment upon, yet is actually the impetus for the dinner that is described here by Matthew and Mark.

There is also some confusion about Lazarus. Some people have claimed this Lazarus, this brother of Mary and Martha, is the same Lazarus whom the Rich man ignored. The story of the raising of Lazarus from the tomb was an actual event in the life of Christ, while Lazarus and the Rich Man was a parable to illustrate a point. You can see why some might want to claim they are the same man, though. They are both named Lazarus. They both die. But that is about the only similarity. The Lazarus involved with the rich man was a poor beggar, totally alone with no one to care for him. There is no indication Mary and Martha's Lazarus was poor or alone.

Parables could be about actual people, but not necessarily. They are little short stories with a moral, often one hidden. The story of poor Lazarus the Beggar and the Rich Man is told some time after he raised Lazarus of Bethany from the tomb. It was a known event. Jesus might have chosen the name Lazarus for exactly that reason when he told of the deaths of the Rich man and the Beggar. Think about the end of that parable. The Rich Man begs Abraham to send the Beggar back to his family to warn them and this is what Abraham said:

'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

" 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' " Luke 16:29-31

When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, did the Pharisees and Sadducee believe in Christ? No, this was one of the generators of the plot to kill Jesus.

Illustrations in this section:

"The Raising of Lazarus" by Duccio di Buoninsegna 1319

"Lazarus at the Rich Man's House" by Gustave Dore 1865

"Mary, Lazarus' Sister, Anoints Jesus" by Harold Copping year unknown

"Christ at Simon the Pharisee" by Pieter Pauwel Rubens 1618-20

5 LET'S SPECULATE THEN

5

Let’s Speculate Then

Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

Jesus said, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come." John 7:33-34

Is there anything more to Martha and Mary than a lesson in where our focus should be? We have discussed how many have speculated about these two. We have touched on how some saw each as two sides of the Christian life: service and worship; and others saw this as two sides of church participation: Deacon and Elder. We can accept those views if it helps, but I feel they are forced upon the situation. Why would we say this from what happened in the situation? Does our worship entitle us to ignore service? Should service take precedent over worship? Is an Elder too spiritual to indulge in service? Does a Deacon have a right to complain about the Elder not helping with church maintenance? It would seem if these are the meanings we take from this visit than we have missed something, a gap we have to leap over to such a conclusion.

Well, you may ask, do you think there are other meanings to be found here. Yes, I do and yes I am going to speculate, but if others can speculate, so can I. I see two possibilities; Religion verses Christianity and the failure in faith of Israel.

I know for many, Christianity is considered a religion. I see Christianity as a lifestyle, a worldview, a way of life, in fact, is life, and in earliest times, believers in Christ called it The Way. Religion is a formal set of rituals usually invented by men. (I say usually because there are certain rituals and practices of the Jews that were dictated by God.)

Most Churches have agendas. This helps prevent chaos, but most of the things we think of when we think of the church are merely tradition. You don't have to be baptized by a Minister in a church on a Sunday morning, for instance. You can be baptized anywhere at anytime by anybody. As churches grew and became more formalized, so did the "preparations that had to be made". There are many jobs surrounding the church and it is easy to become very taken up with them. This, as I have mentioned before, happened to me. You find yourself helping with the service, being on committees, cleaning the hallways and mowing the lawn. There was a point where my wife and I were youth ministers and that service to the church required much preparation that often included worry and upset. And much too often trying to get everything ready and make everything perfect took us away from the Lord in ways we needed. Religion and serving religiously can become one's idol. In fact, some people are so busy religiously serving Christianity they never become Christian. Sometimes people do so much for the church they believe they have earned their salvation, but they have never really put their faith in Christ and so miss it.

I'm not judging Martha or claiming she was never saved. I am only saying it is a possibility she might have been working for her salvation and missed the Word of God which was what she needed. She chose works over faith. You see where Jesus says her concerns were and that Mary chose the better.

Lets look at when this visit and then the subsequent events concerning Martha, Mary and Lazarus occur in Christ's ministry. These happen in the last months of his life. He has come to Bethany not long after having a confrontation with the Religious leaders of the times, a time when his life is even threatened. It is in this confrontation he tells them, "I am with you for only a short time, and then I go to the one who sent me. You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come." This could have just as easily been said to Martha when she is so busy she has no time to sit before Him.

But here again we also have a picture of what is happening on both sides of this visit, confrontations with the religious leaders over what he and his followers aren't doing and not hearing what he is saying. Israel is busy practicing and defending their religious practices, which they have perverted with traditions from the original intents of God, and they have no time for their Messiah while he is with them. We can kind of see Israel so busy in preparation for the Messiah that they ignore him, while the Gentiles who have done nothing to prepare are accepting Him by faith.

I think these themes carry through with the raising of Lazarus and the party given in Jesus' honor afterward. And I think we also have to ask the question why did Jesus weep?

Illustrations in this section:

"Marthe et Marie" by Jacques Pilliard, 1844

"Martha and Mary" by Nathan Greene (born 1961) date of painting unknown.

4 DIAKONIA OR DEVOTION?

4

Diakonia or Devotion?

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Luke 10:38-42

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." John 11:20-28

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. While he Jesus was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him... John 12:1-2, Matthew 26:6 and Mark 14:3

The Gustave Dore depiction of Martha and Mary is fairly typical of many of the art works of this event. Christ is seated, Mary lays at his feet and Martha stands above both. In several cases, Christ and Mary are shown in the background or reflected in a mirror, while Martha is foreground and dominant. Almost all representations have Martha holding some food or drink object (as here she holds a large jar) or at a table plucking a chicken or otherwise mixing food for dinner. Ofttimes Martha is depicted as worn or harsh or angry looking, and Mary appears more attractive or prettier.

Well, we don't know what these people looked like. My friend Ron wasn't about to take photos of the scene and the Gospel writers didn't have an illustrator traipsing along to do sketches. We don't know if either woman was pretty or plain. We don't even know the ages of the women. It is probably safe to assume Martha was the eldest. It is her house, so she is the head-of-household. Throughout the various situations where Martha, Mary and Lazarus appear, Martha generally is mentioned first and in each case seems to be the active one. It certainly appears that Martha and Mary live together. (It is not at all given whether Lazarus shares their domicile or has a place of his own.) Still, we can't be sure Martha is the eldest based on this. (I have three children. My two daughters once lived with each other, but their home was owned by the younger of the two, not the eldest.) It doesn't really matter who is the senior. It is the behavior which matters and where they are focused.

Although most artists depict Martha busy with dinner preparations, many commentators have taken a different tact. They like to find other symbolism in Martha and Mary's actions. One idea is this represents two aspects of the Christian life we should be engaging in, one of service and one of worship. Another is that Martha was not busy preparing dinner, but was engaged in some sort of Christian service, evangelistic effort or church matter. They argue that these women represent duties within the church, especially that of Deacon, which they ascribe to Martha. I suppose that leaves Elder to Mary.

Lets think about the aspects of our Christian life, service versus worship. Both of these are aspects of the Christian life, but must be in balance. Actually, service grows out of worship and is itself then a form of worship. And in the end, worship trumps service. We don't see this balance or growth represented here. Why would we see Martha as an example of how we should serve? Where is her concern and focus? It is on Martha. I'm doing all the work. Make Mary come help me. Is Martha feeling sorry for herself? Is she envious of Mary? We can't honestly say, but we can say she is more concerned with herself than with Jesus.

This happens. I've fell into the same trap myself when a "young" Christian, so caught up in serving I was oblivious to everything and everyone else. I see it in churches all the time. People who get involved with all the projects and duties that come along (as I did), ushering, running the audio-visuals, leading a Bible study, visitation, teaching Vacation Bible School, mowing the grass, etc., etc., etc. Soon your focus is on how much time you are serving the church and not on how little time you are spending with Christ.

I really don't feel Martha is the best example of our Christian serving. In fact, I think she is a better example of someone trying to earn her salvation through works rather than faith. I'll come back to that in another post. (Yes, Martha and Mary and Lazarus are going to be with us for a while.)

But what of the ideas that Martha represented the Deaconship within a church and Mary represented the Elders? I've seen it argued that Mary represents religious leadership because she anointed Jesus. It is true the word used was anoint. Anointing was used for several purposes at the time, one of which was in burial preparation, which is what Jesus explains she was doing. We have the same thing said about the women who went to His grave on Resurrection Day that they had come to anoint his body. We do not need make more of this act than what it was.

The idea of Martha being an archetype Deacon is from the use of the Greek "diakonia" in Luke and "diakoneo" in John. (Diakonia is a derivative of diakoneo, as is dikonos.) It is pointed out that "diakonea" and its derivatives mean "the office of Deacon in a church". But that is not the only definition and is a later meaning, not the original. The original meaning is "to be a servant, attendant, domestic, to serve, wait upon" and among several other modifying meanings was 'to wait at a table and offer food and drinks to the guests" and "of women preparing food". It is used throughout the New Testament in this context (John 2:5,9, Luke 4:39; 17:8). Even when we have the situation in Acts 6:1-7, which some consider the founding of Deacons; it is related to "serving tables".

"And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration (diakonia). Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples to them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables (diakoneo) . Wherefore, brethren, look you out among you seven men of honest report, full of the holy spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry (diakonia) of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the holy spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they [the Apostles] had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased . . ."

Deacon seems an office developed in the church after Pentecost. The requirements for the office are laid out in 1 Timothy 3:8-13:

Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

Can you relate the story of Martha to anything in the outline of this church office?

I think struggling to build such ideas around the events concerning Martha, Mary and Lazarus may detract from more basic lessons and concepts which are the reason these stories have been included in the scriptures.

Have you ever been invited by a friend to dinner at their home. You go in anticipation of an evening of pleasant conversation. But when you arrive, your friend is busy preparing the meal and setting the table. You are ushered into the living room to wait. Even at dinner, your friend is distracted with serving, going to get coffee or dessert, but never engaged with what is being discussed because they are too concerned with the dinner being perfect. When dinner ends and you return to the living room, your friend is in the kitchen clearing the table and putting things in the dishwasher. By the time your friend comes to join you, the friend is weary and most of the evening has passed.

This is how I see Martha behaving the day Jesus has come to visit. She is busy making a dinner, making everyone comfortable, and completely ignoring her guest. Her sister, however, has taken this opportunity to hear exactly what Jesus has to say. The literal translation reads this way, "and she had also a sister, called Mary, who also, having seated herself beside the feet of Jesus, was hearing the word." Mary is hearing the Word. Martha is not. Mary's whole attention, her whole focus is on Christ. Martha is not focused on Jesus at all, but on herself. What does she say? "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself?"

What does the Lord tell her? He says she is fretting over a lot of things, but only one thing is needed, and that is the Word of God. "Mary has chosen what is better." In saying that Mary has chosen the better, Jesus is implying that Martha has also made a choice. She has chosen to fuss and fret over things that really aren't needed. This is a lesson we need to take away from this. There are things we must do, services we must perform, but they are of no import if in doing them we forget Our Lord.

Should we add to or make more of this instance than that? Isn't that enough of a message and one that we are all guilty of forgetting to suffice?

Here are some more questions. Does Martha change her ways? Was Martha truly saved? Why did Jesus weep?

3 WHOSE HOUSE IS IT ANYWAY?

3

Whose House Is It Anyway?

And it came to pass, in their going on, that he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman, by name Martha, did receive him into her house, and she had also a sister, called Mary, who also, having seated herself beside the feet of Jesus, was hearing the word, and Martha was distracted about much serving, and having stood by him, she said, `Sir, dost thou not care that my sister left me alone to serve? say then to her, that she may partake along with me.'

And Jesus answering said to her, `Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and disquieted about many things, but of one thing there is need, and Mary the good part did choose, that shall not be taken away from her.' Luke 10:38-42 (Young Literal Translation)

Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. John 12:1

While he, Jesus, was in Bethany reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. A woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. which she broke the jar and she poured the perfume on his head as he was reclining at the table. Then Mary took about a pint 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. Mark 14:1-3 John 12:1-3 and Matthew 26:6-7

We have been talking about what we knew of these people. Here are two instances involving Martha and Mary from which much has been made. It has been speculated by some that Martha was the wife of Simon the Leper, even that her generosity to Christ was because Jesus had cured Simon. Others have claimed Martha was a widow who owned her own home. This has raised some questions and some claims of a discrepancy in the Gospel. Why was it stated it was Martha's house when Jesus made his earlier visit and Simon the Leper's home when he came this later time?

Another question asked is where were Simon the Leper and Lazarus when Jesus stopped by that first time? Some have claimed these people never existed or that the Gospel writers simply recycled names; that is, Martha and Mary the first time may have really been Thelma and Louise and the second time Maryanne and Ginger. The Gospel writers didn't like those real names so named everyone Martha and Mary.

I mean, come on, why all the mental acrobatics. There is no conflict at all except for we reader's imaginations and there are much simpler and commonsense possibilities.

The truth is we know little about these people, but we know this: Martha, Mary and Lazarus are siblings (and this itself isn't an absolute, for some argue they were "sisters" and "brother" in the same sense as we fellow Christians call ourselves "sister" or "brother" today. My opinion is Martha, Mary and Lazarus were blood relatives.) That aside, we don't know the relationship of these to Simon the Leper.

So whose house was it? It could have been both. Why do we assume in both cases it is the same house? The Scripture doesn't say it was the same house. We know that Jesus had no permanent home of His own. Throughout his ministry we see him staying and eating at various folk's homes. In the first instance, he has been traveling and as he goes through Bethany he is invited to the home of Ms Martha.

What do we say even today? I was once a member of a writer's group. One of the members often invited us to a party or a meeting at her home. That was how we put it. We are going to Tracy's house for a get-together. Tracy was married, but we never said we are going to Mike's house, although it was as much his home as Tracy's. But our association with Mike was minor and the invites had come from Tracy, so it was to Tracy's house we went. Later I was with another writer's group and we met regularly at Joe's house. Joe had a wife and it was as much her place as his, but I never even met his wife and if he had ever told us her name I have forgotten it. We always called it simply Joe's place.

The point is, if Martha and Simon lived together and owned the house, it was an invite from Martha the first time and thus she is the reference point, while the second time the party is thrown by Simon and he becomes the reference point.

But there is an even simpler explanation, Martha and Simon were not a married couple at all and we are talking about two different houses. Why take the text any differently? In the first visit, Martha opened her house to Jesus. Women owned property in those times, especially if they had some means. It is quite possible Martha was a widow. Jesus then returns to Bethany some time later, after the raising of Lazarus, and Simon the Leper throws a party at his house for the Lord.

The only reason anyone might assume Martha lived with Simon is the statement "Martha served". The fact that Martha served means only one thing for certain, Martha served. People can put a party together at some one's house and friends come and serve the guests. This would especially be so among a group of believers in Christ at that time.

It says as well that Lazarus reclined at the table among the others. This was a party, a gathering, a bunch of people. It was thrown in honor of Jesus raising Lazarus, so wouldn't it be natural for Lazarus to attend?

This is also why Simon was absence from the scene in the first visit, because he didn't live in Martha's house. The same can be said as to why Lazarus was not present on that first visit. Just because Lazarus was Martha's brother doesn't mean he necessarily lived in her home. He may have had a place of his own. I have three grown children. My one daughter live's nearby in a home of her own. My son lives some distance away also in a home of his own. My other daughter currently lives here with my wife and I. My daughters often get together with my son, sometimes all three, sometimes just one or the other. They entertain friends and each is not always there, but sometimes each could be. Lazarus' absence from the first visit means nothing really. Besides, the brief scene given from that first visit is a small portion of that day and centers on Martha and Mary's behavior at a particular point in time. For all we know, Lazarus could have been there as well, he just wasn't involved with what the gospel writers were inspired to write about.

There is no reason to build great scenarios around these events. We need to focus on what is being shown and taught, not on all the minutia of these people's lives, which is beyond our knowing. There is also no discrepancy, errors or conflicts in the narrative that can't be simply and logically explained.

I know, I know, I didn't get into Martha's complaint about Mary, her distractions or what it means. I will eventually, I promise. Maybe next post, maybe not, but sometime. Please bear with me. Or better yet, consider it yourselves and write me your thoughts on Martha and Mary.

The illustration is of a stained glass window in the south transept the Mawgan-in-Meneage Parish Church at Cornwall, England. It depicts the first visit of Jesus with Martha and Mary in one panel and the later visit where Mary anointed Christ in the other panel. I was unable to find a source for the photo of the window.