July 29 has been known as the feast day of St.
Martha, sister of Mary and Lazarus. This year (2021), Pope Francis added her
siblings, Mary and Lazarus, to celebrate together with their sister, Martha.
These three siblings of Bethany, Martha, Mary, and
Lazarus, represent us.
At times, we are more like Martha, and in other
times, more like Mary. Or while some of us are prone to act like Martha, while
the rest of us tend to be more like Mary.
And we all are to be like Lazarus when Jesus returns
at the end of time, being raised from the dead, as promised by Jesus (John
6:40) and as described by Paul (1 Corinthians 15:12-58).
I think that Martha really understood what the First
Reading (1 John 4:7-16) meant – though it was not yet written when she was
speaking to Jesus. She loves Jesus as she knew his love for her. So, she was
eager to serve him. But, in her passion to serve, she forgot one thing. And
this is what her sister, Mary, plugs in: to be with attentive eyes, ears, and
heart.
Based on the optional Gospel Reading (Luke 10:38-42),
in connection to the First Reading (1 John 4:7-16), Martha and Mary remind us
that there are two ways to serve with love: in action, by hands, and in
attentive, contemplative, presence with fully open eyes, ears, and heart.
By honoring and celebrating Martha, Mary, and
Lazarus, our focus on reflection is the love that connect us with God, as
addressed in the First Reading (1 John 4:7-16). See how Martha, Mary, and
Lazarus fit in this picture, as we reflect how they respond to the love of
Jesus for them.
In health care system, my role with the specialty of
pastoral care is more like Mary, while physicians and nurses are more like
Martha in Luke 10:38-42. This is not to say that patients appreciate pastoral
care than medical surgical care. But, pastoral care is to augment what tend to
be missing as a result of physicians and nurses becoming too busy with tasks
with their hands. And, according to Jesus (Luke 10:42), simply listening to a
patient may be a better option for him or her than performing a certain
medical-surgical procedure. What the health care system really needs is to
ensure that all patients’ are listened by health care providers, not limited to
pastoral care staff, no matter what medical-surgical procedure would be
performed.
We tend to portray Martha as a woman too busy with tasks to listen to Jesus though Jesus prefers the way Mary was to him, listening to him intimately, as in Luke 10:38-42. But, she does listen to him and understands what he says in John 11:19-27.
We also tend to view Martha as a complainer, given
Luke 10:40; John 11:21). But, we also come to appreciate how loving Martha
really was – not only to Jesus for her coming quickly to welcome (Luke 10:38)
and to greet (John 11:20) first, but also to her sister, Mary (John 10:28), as
we go over the proper Gospel Reading option (John 11:19-27).
When Lazarus was sick, Martha and Mary sent a simple
message to notify Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, was sick (John 11:3). They
did not ask Jesus for anything but simply informed him of Lazarus’ sickness.
Perhaps, they thought that they did not have to tell him to come, thinking that
Jesus would understand that they were hoping for his visit.
But, Jesus did not visit immediately. Rather he
stayed where he was for two more days, thus, delaying his response to the
message from Martha and Mary (John 11:6).
Then, Jesus decided to visit Lazarus (John 11:7),
but his disciples objected the idea that they are going back to Judea where
Jesus was attacked (John 11:8).
Jesus responded by saying:
Are
there not twelve hours in a day? If one walks during the day, he does not
stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks at night, he
stumbles, because the light is not in him. Our friend, Lazarus is asleep, but I am
going to awaken him. John 11:9-11
In the above statement, Jesus was saying “twelve
hours” figuratively for his time on earth to do the Father’s work before his
scheduled death on the Cross. He was implying that he would have to raise
Lazarus before the night of the Last Supper and his arrest.
The disciples thought that Lazarus would get better
even Jesus would not visit because he was just sleeping for rest and recovery
(John 11:12), as they did not understand that Jesus was also saying “asleep”
figuratively to imply death.
So, Jesus spoke straightforwardly:
Lazarus
has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let
us go to him.
John 11:14-15
Jesus’ reason to use the figurative expression,
“asleep”, for death was resurrection. Because he had already determined to
raise Lazarus from the death, he used the figurative expression to imply that
being dead is like being asleep. Just as a sleeping person will wake up, a dead
person will be raised by Jesus.
None of his disciples had insight deep enough to
understand this. So, Jesus explained plainly about his intent to resurrect
Lazarus, even though it was dangerous for him to go back to Judea. And this
work had to be done before his entrance into Jerusalem for his passion and
death on the Cross. Also, Jesus was glad that this would give his disciples an
opportunity to witness the power of Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead and
restore his life, though it really saddened Jesus that his dear friend died.
So, Jesus came to Bethany, where Martha, Mary, and
Lazarus lived.
As soon as she learned of Jesus’ arrival, it was
Martha, who rushed to meet him, though Mary stayed in home (John 11:20).
As in the optional Gospel Reading (Luke 10:38-42),
it was Martha to take an immediate action, while Mary remained “contemplative”
with her grief over the death of her brother.
Does this mean that Martha was not grieving as much
as Mary was?
Not necessarily so. Perhaps, it was more of Martha’s
way of coping with her grief, by staying active. On the other hand, given how
she was portrayed in Luke 10:39-42, Mary responds to her grief more
reflectively.
Here is an intriguing question: Why Jesus showed up when
Lazarus had been dead for four days (John 11:17), not even soon after his death?
It was to make sure that a superstitious belief
would not interfere the belief in Jesus’ divine power, as some Jews believed
that the soul a deceased person might linger around where the body is laid and
buried for four days upon death.
This was what Martha did not know. That was why she
was not happy about Jesus’ delayed arrival and said to him that her brother,
Lazarus, could have been still alive, if he had come earlier (John 11:21). But
it is important to know that Martha still believed that Jesus would do
something miraculous, saying:
Even
now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you
(John 11:22).
In other words, Martha was not happy about Jesus’
delayed arrival but glad that he came though he brother, Lazarus, had been dead
for four days, as she firmly believed that the divine power works through and
in him.
And Jesus assured Martha:
Your
brother will rise (John 11:23).
To this, Martha responded affirmatively, saying that
she knew of it (John 11:24).
It was obvious that Martha believed in resurrection.
This tells that Martha had nothing to do with the Sadducees, who did not
believe in resurrection after death, while the Pharisees did. It is not clear
if Martha’s belief in resurrection was influenced by the Pharisaic teaching.
Perhaps, Martha was able to believe by interpreting Psalm 16:10-11 as David’s prophecy
for God’s loving power on those who died, not abandoning them to Sheol. Or, she
came to be convinced of resurrection with the news of Jesus raising Jairus’
daughter from the dead (Matthew 9:23-26//Mark 5:38-43//Luke 8:51-56). And she
believed that Jesus can do something about her brother, Lazarus, though he had
been dead for four days.
So, Jesus said to Martha with these words of
Christological self revelation:
I
am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will
live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe
this? (John 11:25-26).
And, Martha responded:
Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the
Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world (John 11:27).
This is Martha’s affirming statement of faith,
firmly believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Son of God, coming
into the world, echoing John 3:16, affirming that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16).
Then, Martha rushed to the house and secretly called
her sister, Mary, saying, “The teacher is
here and is asking for you” (John 11:28).
And, Mary got up quickly and rushed to where Jesus was, as he was not
yet entered the village (John 11:29-30).
It is important to note that Martha showed a great
care for her sister, Mary. Martha knew that Mary had longed for Jesus’ coming
at least as much as she did. At the same time, by calling her secretly –
keeping the matter from others in the house, Martha wanted to make sure that
Mary would have a time alone with Jesus, before he would enter the village and
come near the house to be exposed to the people, who came to comfort these
grieving sisters.
In John 12:1-8, we see all of these Jesus’ close
friends siblings: Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, with him. These siblings hosted
dinner in honor of Jesus at their home in Bethany, 6 days before the Passover,
after Lazarus was raised by him (John 12:1). It was the day before his
triumphant entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12), 5 days before his death on the
Cross (John 19:42).
In this narrative, Martha was serving dishes,
Lazarus was reclining at the table with Jesus, and Mary was washing Jesus’
feet, drying them with her hair, and applying expensive perfumed oil on his
feet.
Now we see how Martha and Mary love and serve Jesus
out of their love for him, in response to his love for them, reflecting the First Reading (1 John 4:7-16).
Just as he loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, Jesus
loves us all. The question is: Do we also love Jesus? If we love him, how are
we serving him? As Martha did, mainly with our hands? Or as Mary did, mostly,
by being with him closely and listening to him with our open eyes, ears, and
hearts?
And as he did for Lazarus, Jesus will raise us up
from the dead, because he loves us.
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