Perspectives: Mary and Martha

John 11:20-22 (NIV)
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.”

Today we continue our exploration of different perspectives in John chapter 11 by putting ourselves in the shoes (or sandals) of Martha and Mary, sisters of the recently deceased Lazarus and close friends and followers of Jesus. From where Mary and Martha are standing, John chapter 11 is a picture of intense grief, messy hope and an intimate, raw relationship with Jesus. 

Imagine …your brother is seriously ill. You send for your close friend AND the only person you know that can heal people by divine power (Jesus) and he doesn’t show up. Your brother dies, you bury him, and four days later, Jesus eventually arrives. I wonder how you would feel. Betrayed? Aggrieved? Hopeless? Full of rage? 

We see both Martha and Mary respond with raw, unfiltered grief. They essentially blame Jesus for the death of Lazarus and make it clear that they had been pinning all their hopes on him. They are not afraid to tell Jesus how they feel. I love that these passages give us, you and me, permission to be messy and vulnerable before Jesus. 

But we see another response from Martha and Mary, mixed in with the tears, questions and confusion: HOPE. 

Martha especially stands firm in the hope that Jesus’ power and understanding go above and beyond her own circumstances. 

From Martha and Mary’s perspective, we learn what it looks like to be messy, raw and emotionally intimate in our faith, faith that is underpinned by trust that Jesus knows what he’s doing. And most all, their perspective shows us that Jesus will weep and walk with us as we wait for him to act. 

Prayer - Jesus, I bring to you the messy, unfiltered parts of my life. Thank you for sitting with me in the mess and loving me through it.