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.