Oh, That Mary!!

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Elizabeth Welte in Freedom Fighters

“There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:42 (NLT))

 

“It’s the last miracle Jesus will perform before He enters Jerusalem, Lazarus will be raised from the dead. It’ll be enough to get Caiaphas, the wackiest of those wacky Pharisees, to pronounce Jesus’ death sentence, whether he knew he was doing it or not.” (John 11:49-51).

But it seemed to be of little concern to Lazarus’ sister, Martha, who seemed to be unhappy about quite a few things, like this whole Lazarus sleeping/dying/resurrected thingy.

Even though she and her sister, Mary, had sent word to Jesus to get His earthly presence to Bethany, their message only says one thing, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.” (John 12:3b)

There really isn’t any indication that the two sisters thought Jesus shoulda hopped into the first available Uber from wherever He was roaming about and get Himself to Bethany.

“Lord, if you only had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21b)

It ain’t exactly hello and a hug, but given the fact that Martha’s brother has been dead about 4 days, it would be no problem that she questions Jesus from a place of mourning. It’ll be within this mourning that Jesus will teach one of the most important “I Am’s” on the list and then, as is tradition, it’ll be time for supper.

We’ll also catch a fine display of attitude from Judas Iscariot, because Mary just hadda go and spill that most expensive essence of nard all over the feet of Jesus.

Not for nothing but 300 denarii were 300 denarii back then, but now, according to some rate exchangers, that 300 Macedonian denarii might fetch a cool $5.24 in today’s current currency trends.

Eh, it was only nard right? “Leave her be Judas”

What no one might have been noticing was Martha, in the background, slamming down bowls, throwing cutlery around, huffin’, puffin’, mumblin’, “Oh, That Mary!! Sittin’ down, doin’ nuttin’, sayin’ nuttin’, spillin’ nard all over the place, gettin’ Judas upset, grrrr.

Won’t get off her backside to help me make the supper.

Gotta feed everyone myself.

Probably have to clean it up all by myself too.

Oh, I’ve had just about enough of this.” And ya can’t be too sure if Martha was any good at making a scene either, because with everyone’s focus being on every Word that was being breathed out of the mouth of Jesus, no one noticed her and then suddenly outta nowhere…

“Lord, why don’t You care that my sister is leaving me to do all the work by myself? Tell her to get over here and help me.” (Luke 10:40c)

 

Alrighty Then…yeah, it’s customary for the ladies to get the meal together in this kind of setting, but not everyone has Jesus as a guest, the guy who just raised your brother from the dead?

So, I’m sure there’s much more better things to hear from Him than much more better things to do for Him.

However, I’m guessing that Martha mighta kicked that roasted red pepper hummus up a notch or two (BAM), tossed a mean Caesar salad and for the main course, made a broiled halibut that was most definitely good enough for YHVH.

But, “oh that Mary, won’t help me DO something special for the guy that raised my brother from the dead, and…oh great, she spilled the nard, and there He is just playing along.”

Now, let me stop all this and ask you this, “Have you put devotion to Christ and His word first, or are you concerned about doing good deeds?”

Because the scene you’re familiar with in Scripture and one I took license with all say this one thing, it isn’t in the doing of good that there is a wrong but the attitude in which you’re doing it in is.

Martha may have thought since Jesus didn’t reprimand her for questioning His whereabouts when Lazarus died, she’d be bold enough to scold Him for keeping Mary from all that work to be done.

Now Jesus has to call a timeout and a chill out and tell her the most important thing happening before the hummus gets served.

Truth. His Truth. The Truth that will be having Pilate ask “What is Truth?” That Truth. Jesus kinda Truth.

The Word of God which Mary choose to receive, the very Word she watched raise her brother from the dead, that is what Jesus means when He tells her,

“Oh, Martha, Martha, you are so anxious and concerned about a million details, but really, only one thing matters. Mary has chosen that one thing, and I won’t take it away from her.”(Luke 10:42)

Here’s another question…do you know what that one thing is?

 

Well if you’re a Martha it’s probably in the serving of a kicked up hummus (BAM) and there ain’t nuttin’ wrong with that, and if you’re a Mary, you’re gonna spill the nard all over the place.

Why?

Because the love of Jesus will compel you to.

That’s how folks are gonna know you’re a Christian this Sunday, by your display of your love for Christ.

Also, don’t spare the nard either, at $5.24 everyone can be blessed. Amen?

Think About This: “Trying to be happy without a sense of God’s presence is like trying to have a bright day without the sun.” — Aiden Wilson Tozer

 

Written by Chris Hughes: Chris is a child of El Elyon, a son, a husband, and a father. He has an education in Biblical doctrine and is a graduate of The Colony of Mercy, 11/2003. He has been a Freedom Fighter contributor since 2008. You can email him at cphughes515@verizon.net.

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This Week’s Verse to Memorize: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. ¹³ No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”  (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)