If I mention the biblical woman Martha, most people would immediately remember the story of Martha and Mary when the sisters were hosting the Lord at their home. As the story goes, Martha was very busy with all the work while Mary chose to sit at Jesus’ feet and learn from him. Martha was none too happy with Mary’s choice and complained to Jesus about her lack of participation. Jesus however, commends Mary and it seems Martha had to continue working alone. Because of this story, many do not realize that Martha possessed a powerful and pervading faith and is in fact responsible for one of the most profound confessions of faith recorded in the Scripture.
In John 11, the sisters call for Jesus when their brother becomes ill. Jesus though, deliberately delays his journey (he was only 2 miles away) until he receives word that Lazarus is dead. We pick up the story here when Martha hears of Jesus’ entrance into the city and goes to meet him.
"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
Martha’s declaration of faith is profound, significant, and virtually identical to Peter’s confession of faith when Jesus asked him, “Who do you say that I am?”
Peter responds, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
To Peter, Jesus replies, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.”
Both Martha and Peter respond to Jesus’ question with divine accuracy. Both Martha and Peter’s response flow from a mature and knowledgeable awareness of who Jesus is. Both Martha and Peter’s confession of faith are insightful and revelatory. Martha may have had her shortcomings, but her declaration of faith is significant and it is no less profound or revelatory than Peter’s declaration.
The synoptic gospels—Matthew, Mark and Luke record Peter’s confession of faith, but the Gospel of John records only the confession of Martha. Through a very difficult and troubling time in Martha’s life, Jesus challenges her as he did Peter and trusts her to respond in faith and divine accuracy.
Martha sets an example for all of us. She reminds us that even through difficult times we can respond in faith, acknowledging and confessing to the truth of who Jesus is and what he can do in our lives.
