Fruitful Women: The Faith of Mary and Martha
In the ongoing exploration of my Fruitful Women Series, where women from the Bible are connected with a specific fruit of the Spirit that they embody, today’s fruit is faith.Faith resonates deeply with numerous women in scripture, but I have chosen to focus on Mary and Martha, and here is the reason behind that selection.
The narrative begins with the story of Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, who had passed away.
Naturally, they were in deep sorrow over the loss of their beloved sibling.As soon as Martha received the news that Christ was near, she made haste to meet Him.In her conversation with Jesus, one particular statement stands out, recorded in John 11:21-22:
“Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.”
Meanwhile, Mary remained seated within the house, being comforted by the Jews who were also mourning.
However, Martha, in secret, informed Mary that Christ was approaching.Upon hearing this, Mary rushed out, and the Jews assumed she was going to the tomb to mourn and weep for her brother.
When Mary arrived at the place where Jesus was, the Bible tells us:
“Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.”
The scripture then makes clear that Jesus instructed the removal of the stone from the tomb and commanded Lazarus to come forth.
The account continues with a vivid description of Lazarus rising from the dead, still wrapped in the burial cloths.Remarkably, he had been deceased for four days!
It is evident that both sisters, in their respective dialogues with Jesus, expressed their faith by acknowledging that had Christ been present, their brother would not have died.
They genuinely believed in Jesus’ divine power to perform miracles.Their responses did not include complaints like, “You were not here when we needed you,” or “You let us down.” Instead, their faith was reflected in their positive affirmations, such as, “You are all powerful, and this would not have happened if you had been here.”
I find the scripture passage where it describes Jesus’ deep emotional response, as He saw the Jews and Mary weeping at Lazarus’ death, to be particularly moving. It was then that Jesus performed the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.
Reflecting on the example of Mary and Martha’s faith, I consider my own spiritual journey and pose these questions to myself:
Do I display the same faith that Mary and Martha demonstrated when I seek my Father’s will?
Do I become impatient when things do not unfold as I expect, or do I trust that Christ is in control?
Do I feel discouraged when there is a delay in receiving an answer, or do I approach my prayers with faith that Christ is always there and ready to respond?
Have my prayers been fervent and effective, reaching heaven’s throne so that Christ would feel moved to act and bring about the best possible outcome?
There is an abundance of wisdom and encouragement to be drawn from the example of Mary and Martha.
For all these reasons, in my view, they are indeed fruitful women who can serve as inspiring examples of faith.
