MARTHA LISTENED WHILE SHE WORKED!

MARTHA WAS WORKING; MARY WAS WORSHIPING! 

Luke 10:38-42 - Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village (Bethany):  and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard His Word.  But Martha was cumbered about (stressed; distracted by) much serving, and came to Him, and said, Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Bid her therefore that she help me.  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, you are careful (full of care; anxious) and troubled about many things:  but one thing is needful (one thing has priority):  and Mary has chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

MARTHA'S FAITH APPEARS TO BE GREATER THAN MARY'S!

John 11:1-45 - Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair (see Jn. 12:3) whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.  When Jesus heard that, He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.  Now Jesus loved Martha (note she is listed first), and her sister, and Lazarus.  When He had heard therefore that he was sick, He abode two days still in the same place where He was.  Then after that He said to His disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.  His disciples said unto Him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone You; and You still intend to go there?  Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not, because he sees the light of this world.  But if a man walk in the night, he stumbles, because there is no light in him.  These things said He:  and after that He said unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.  Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.  Howbeit Jesus spoke of his death:  but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.  Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent you may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.  Then said Thomas, who is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with Him. 

Then when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already.  Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off (9000 feet; 1.7 miles) and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary (Martha again listed first), to comfort them concerning their brother.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him:  but Mary sat still in the house.  Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know, that even now, whatsoever You will ask of God, God will give it to You (this statement of faith will not be made later by Mary).  Jesus said unto her, Your brother shall rise again.  Martha said unto Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day (a second statement of faith unique to Martha).  Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  and whosoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?  She said unto Him, Yes, Lord:  I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, Who should come into the world (a third unique statement by Martha).

And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calls for you.  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto Him.  Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him.  The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goes unto the grave to weep there.  Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in His Spirit, and was troubled, and said, Where have you laid him?  They said unto Him, Lord, come and see.  Jesus wept (was He grieving that Lazarus had died, or was He grieving because only Martha had understood Who He was?).  Then said the Jews, Behold how He loved him!  And some of them said, Could not this man, Who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?  Jesus therefore again groaning in Himself (note it is the same response he had when He wept) came to the grave.  It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.  Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said unto Him, Lord, by this time he stinks:  for he has been dead four days.  Jesus said unto her, Said I not unto you, that, if you would believe, you should see the glory of God?  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.  And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I knew that You hear Me always:  but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that You have sent Me.  And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.  And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes:  and his face was bound about with a napkin.  Jesus said unto them, Loose him, and let him go.  Then many of the Jews who came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.

MARTHA BELIEVED!

MARY BELIEVED!

LAZARUS BELIEVED!

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION:

DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE SON OF GOD?