April 7, 2017 (Friday)
Next week our blogs will be about Holy Week (also known as Passion Week) and the events that took place each day. On this Friday before Palm Sunday, perhaps it would be good for us to remember that it was on this day that Jesus and His disciples arrived at Bethany and experienced the hospitality of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. This became Jesus’ “headquarters” or “home base” for the week.
Let’s think about each of these extraordinary individuals who loved Jesus very much.
Much is not known for sure about them. But we know they believed in Jesus as the Messiah and wanted to serve Him in whatever ways possible.
Martha is known for her role as leader in the home, always active, always working, preparing meals and supervising the family’s activities. She was certainly a believer, as evidence by her statements to Jesus recorded in John’s gospel. Martha answered, “I know he [her deceased brother Lazarus] will rise again in the resurrection at the last day” (John 11:24). And in John 11:27, “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.” She was conscientious and a hard worker.
Mary’s devotion to Jesus was obvious as she sat at his feet, drinking in His words as he taught. She will always be remembered for her selfless act of devotion in anointing Jesus with an expensive ointment. Judas complained that it was a waste because it could have been sold and the money given to the poor. Jesus declared that she was anointing Him for His burial (which would take place only two days afterwards).
Lazarus was probably the youngest of the three, and he had an experience like no other. He died and Jesus raised him from the dead, after days in the tomb. After that experience, many people came to Bethany just to see the man who was raised from the dead. We are never told in the Bible what Lazarus experienced or what he might have said about the experience. But it was a miracle like no other.
This family was precious to Jesus. Each person in the family was special in his or her own way. That’s the way it is between you and Jesus, if you know Him as your Savior today. You are special to Him, and He knows everything there is to know about you. He knows you better than you know yourself. And He loves you.