Most of us know the story of Mary and Martha, the one in which Martha got it wrong  while her sister got it right.

But the sisters’ story is more nuanced than it appears. It begins with hospitality.

As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”—Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)

Let’s look at Martha and Mary from a cultural lens. Martha opened her home to Jesus. This would have meant Jesus and His entourage. So after issuing the invite, she stepped into the role that was expected of her. She starting cooking for a crowd. The problem was, she was down one cook. She had a moment. Not to excuse her testiness, but most of us can relate.

Equal Footing

While Martha was in her culturally dictated role, Mary broke protocol. She sat at the feet of Jesus, a posture reserved for the disciples of rabbis—the male disciples of rabbis, that is. 

But notice what Jesus says of her presumptuous perch: “It will not be taken away from her.”

With this simple statement, Jesus gave Mary—and all women—the right not only to be disciples but to go and make disciples, the next  step in discipleship.  Women were allowed to learn and share the gospel. They were given equal value and, pardon the pun, equal footing as Jesus’ followers.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.—Galatians 3:28 (NIV)

Role Reversal

This is not our only encounter with the sisters. We meet them again when Jesus arrives in Bethany after hearing their brother, Lazarus, had died. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus has been in the grave four days. This must have troubled the family knowing that Jesus had been told when Lazarus got sick.

Yet when He arrived, it wasn’t Mary who rushed out to meet Him. It was Martha. Mary chose to stay in the house. Martha did not ignore the elephant in the room but followed it up with a statement of faith.

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 from God, God will give You.”—John 11:21-22 (ESV)

But then Jesus takes the conversation deeper.

Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”—John 11:23b-26 (ESV)

A Bold Declaration

Now pay attention to Martha’s response.

She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”—John 11:27 (ESV)

It was Martha, not Mary, who first proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God. Then after making her declaration of faith, Martha quickly went to the house to alert Mary that it was her turn to look upon the only One who offered them hope.

Jesus did not disappoint. Mary and Martha watched as Jesus raised their brother from the dead. They claimed their places alongside him as faithful disciples of the Savior who had given all of them life and had shown them equal value. Their examples of service, faith and boldness are preserved to inspire us today.

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This is Part 2 in a series about biblical women—some named, some not, some honorable, some less so. But all have earned a place in scripture, and all have important lessons to teach us.