Memorial of Sts. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus – The Love of God Manifested

An underlining theme in the readings of the Memorial of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, is the love of God. And this is addressed in the First Reading (1 John 4:7-16), and both options for the Gospel Readings (John 11:19-27 or Luke 10:38-42) reflects this.

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are siblings, living in Bethany, and Jesus loved them (John 11:5). On one occasion, Jesus visited them, and Martha opened the house but was not able to pay attention to him as she was distracted with preparation for dinner, while her sister, Mary, was listening to him at his foot (Luke 10:38-39). Martha was frustrated as she was the only one keeping busy with the kitchen tasks but Mary was not helping her at all. So, she interrupted Jesus’ talking to Mary and asked him to tell her to help her (Luke 10:40). But, she was admonished by Jesus for being overburdening herself with preoccupation and unable to give her attention to him, as Mary did by listening to him (Luke 10:41-42).

Jesus may not have come to visit these siblings to just to eat but he definitely sought attentive companionship on his visit. And only Mary provided such companionship to Jesus. But Martha missed, because of her preoccupation with many mundane things, including preparing for dinner.  When he visited them, he brought his love, and he wanted them to receive it by his side. But only Mary received it.

Martha must have thought that preparing dinner and waiting on would mean to serve him. But it was a typical human thinking. It turned out that Martha’s such action did not serve him at all.

Lazarus fell gravely ill, and these sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, ”Lord, the one you love is ill” (John 11:3). Upon receiving the news on Lazarus’ illness, Jesus said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4). And he delayed his visit to Lazarus by two days (John 11:6). Though you may wonder why Jesus did not rush to see Lazarus, delaying his visit must be Father’s will, as whatever Jesus did was commanded by the Father (John 14:31). And it had to do with glorifying Jesus for the glory of God (i.e. John 11:14), namely his death on the Cross (i.e. John 12:23-33; cf. John 3:14-15). Thus, Jesus delayed his visit to Lazarus until he would die so that he would be able to raise him from the death in order to hint his own death and resurrection in light of God’s love. It is because resurrection shows that the power of God’s love makes death powerless (i.e. 1 Corinthians 15:12-58; cf. Romans 6:8-9; Ephesians 2:4-5).

Lazarus died. And Jesus began heading to see him.

When she heard that Jesus was coming, Martha came out of the house to meet him, while Mary sat at home (John 11:20). And Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you”(John 11:21).

Martha was not complaining about Jesus’ delay but expressing her trust in God’s love to Jesus. So, Jesus said to her:

Your brother will rise.    John 11:23

And Martha echoed what Jesus said about the resurrection of Lazarus with her belief in resurrection:

I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day. John 11:24

So Jesus said:

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

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. John11:27

Then, Martha called Mary, and she came to him quickly (John 11:28-29), and said:

Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  John 11:32

Jesus was moved by the extent of the grief and asked where Lazarus was laid and wept (John 11:33-35). And he thanked the Father for hearing him in order to make people believe that he was sent by Him (John 11:41-42) out of His love for them (i.e. John 3:16; 1 John 4:9). Then, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:43-44).

Jesus delayed his visit to Lazarus in order to demonstrate the power of God’s love, out of which he was sent. By raising Lazarus from the dead, he hoped that more people would believe that he was sent out of God’s love. And it had an implication to his own death and resurrection so that our resurrection is made possible to affirm that the power of God’s love overcomes the power of death.

After all, God is love (1 John 4:8, 16), and the First Reading (1 John 4:7-16) not only reminds us of this truth on God, whose love overcomes death through resurrection but calls us to love one another.

Jesus is the resurrection and life, as identified by himself (John 11:26), and the Son of God set by the Father, as Martha identified (John 11:27). And he himself is love, because God is love (1 John 4:8, 16) and he is the Son of God. This truth was demonstrated by its power to raise Lazarus from the dead. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus have their unique parts to let Jesus brings God's love, which makes resurrection possible for the glory of God.