Test Yourself: Who is Mary, sister of Martha?
- Elaine R Kelly
- Oct 21, 2022
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 12
Don't worry - it's an easy test.
Today we are talking about Mary, sister of Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. Jesus honours Mary of Bethany twice:
when he affirms her choice to learn as a disciple rather than do the household chores
when the disciples complain about her wasting money on expensive ointment and anointing Jesus in Bethany in the week before his death
In fact, she may be seen as a devout disciple, one of the first to believe what Jesus said when he predicted his death and rising. She saw Jesus conquer death when he made Lazarus rise from the dead. Mary took the role of a prophet in anointing Jesus as king the week before his death.
This article is about Mary, Sister of Martha, Not Mary Magdalene
I have previously shown there is no evidence that Mary Magdalene is the same person as Mary of Bethany or the sinful woman who washes Jesus's feet in Galilee in Luke 7. In my biblical fiction Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, I use the name Miriam, a variation on Mary, to distinguish Martha's sister from other Marys. Miriam is a separate person from Mary Magdalene and both of them are distinct from the woman in Luke 7 who is forgiven and commended for her faith. This merging of women has diminished and maligned woman disciples. I have also discussed whether Jesus criticizes or commends Martha of Bethany.
The Eastern Church has always recognized three distinct women: Mary, sister of Martha, Mary Magdalene, and an unnamed sinful woman.
Some early Christians thought these three women were the same and Roman Catholic Pope Gregory confirmed this teaching in 591. Over a millennia later, in 1969, the Roman Catholic Church updated its calendar to honour Mary of Bethany separately from Mary Magdalene.
Does the Bible Lift Up or Limit Martha and Mary, sister of Martha?
Jesus's mother prophesied that Jesus would lift up the lowly (Luke 1:52). We can read the Bible as either lifting up or putting down women, limiting women to submissive roles in the kitchen.
Martha may be lifted up and called the head of the house or she may be put down for her excessive worrying, backward priorities, and making demands on her sister. Does the passage put down Martha for her focus on cooking and hostessing? If you think a woman's place is hearing God's word and following it, you may Martha is told to set aside her kitchen duties. If you think a woman's place is in the kitchen, then you would not believe Martha would be criticized for doing her duty. Does the passage put down Martha for worrying? Or does the passage tell us that both women and men should focus on spiritual instead of physical food? Is Martha lifted up as an officiant serving a ritual meal, or limited as a server delivering food to the table?
Mary may be lifted up for acting as a disciple and putting a priority on learning God's ways. But traditional religious art puts her down as a woman who indulged in laziness (from kitchen work), and vanity (to set around at Jesus's knee thinking of her own enjoyment).
Mary may be lifted up as a prophet who heard Jesus predict his death and resurrection, remembered her brother's death and resurrection, believed Jesus's words and anointed him as God's Messiah. Mary may be put down by those who suggest she had no idea who Jesus was, did not hear or believe his predictions, and was simply washing Jesus in the role of a good hostess.
Chart of Biblical References to Mary, Sister of Martha
Below is a chart I created comparing the references to Martha, Miriam, and the women who anointed Jesus: Luke 10:38-42, John 11:1-45, John 12:1-8 Matthew 26:1-13, Mark 14:1-9.
Refer to this chart, along with the interactive chart below, to test yourself and your views of who Mary and Martha are, and what we can learn from them.
Each of the above passages may be viewed either as lifting up women or limiting them to submissive roles in the home and family.
Test Yourself
Below is an excerpt from my upcoming Interactive Study Guide listing alternative ways of viewing the above biblical passages. Beside each phrase or viewpoint, check the column that says whether it limits women or lifts up women.
Reflections
What new viewpoints or surprises did you notice?
How much of your viewpoints were ingrained from traditional readings of Scripture?
How did Jesus treat Martha and Mary, sister of Martha?
How did Jesus lift up the lowly?
Do you think Jesus showed respect to women, listened to their concerns, taught them, equipped them for ministry, and empowered them to speak God's word boldly?
What Happened Next?
After the meal where Martha served and Mary anointed Jesus, the sisters do not reappear in the Bible. They are not named at the crucifixion, the resurrection, or the book of Acts. We know that religious leaders sought to kill Lazarus (John 12:9-11) because of his testimony that Jesus raised him from death.
Tradition tells us that the siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, escaped on a boat and ended up near Marseille, France. Early records tell Martha preached, healed people, and fought off a dragon that was persecuting a community. Mary, sister of Martha, preached the message of love and in her final years lived in prayer and meditation in a cave in the mountains of Saint Baume. Mary's sarcophagus was hidden there in 710, and since that was after Pope Gregory had declared Mary, sister of Martha, the same person as Mary Magdalene, the sarcophagus is labelled Mary Magdalene.
Summary
After many years of hiding this faithful woman, Mary, sister of Martha, by merging her with Mary Magdalene and the sinful woman of Luke 7, the Catholic church has acknowledged that these are separate women. However, most Christians remain confused about whether the unnamed woman in Luke 7 who anoints Jesus's feet in Galilee is the same as the woman named Mary in John who anoints Jesus's head in Bethany, in Judea.
Perhaps this little test will help you work out what you believe about Mary, sister of Martha.
Let us not forget Mary of Bethany, a devoted disciple, and prophet.
Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:
Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1 (2022)
The Sword A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role (2023)
Because She Was Called: from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church, imagines Mary Magdalene's trip to testify before the emperor (2024)
Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience (2024)
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