Martha & Mary

Martha and Mary of Bethany were sisters who were dear friends of Jesus. In the famous scene in Luke 10, Martha busied herself with preparations while Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to His teaching. When Martha complained, Jesus gently said, 'Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.' But Martha's faith shone powerfully when their brother Lazarus died. She went out to meet Jesus and made one of the boldest declarations of faith in the Gospels: 'I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God.' Mary came weeping to Jesus, and He wept with her. Then Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. Together, the sisters show us that devotion to Christ can take many forms — active service and quiet contemplation, bold declaration and tender grief — and all are valued by Him.