Bible Women: Mary of Bethany

Mary of Bethany

Luke 10, John 11, John 12


Mary of Bethany, and her sister Martha  together with their brother Lazarus,  share an important part in the life of the Lord Jesus Christ on earth.

Mary is presented in scripture as a student, a woman with a meek and quiet spirit which is of great price to God, 1 Peter 3:4 "But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price".  She is also presented as a worshipper.  Mary is contrasted with her sister Martha, who will be covered in another study.

We first read of Mary in the book of Luke,  and it is here that Mary is presented as a woman who puts her desire to learn the words of the Lord Jesus as her first priority, as such going against her sister Martha's wishes.   Luke 10:38-42 "Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word.  But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me.  And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

How can we  reach others before we learn his word and apply it to our own lives?   The Lord Jesus places great importance in  sitting at his feet and learning of him, and says that "Mary hath chosen that good part" .  Learning of the Lord Jesus is uppermost in her life, above the will of others to do lesser things than learn from him.  And he says "which shall not be taken away from her."   Nothing shall be more important that learning of him.  And so should we apply this teaching to our own lives. Matthew 10:36-39 "And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.  He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.  He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. Mark 8:34 "......Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."  Nothing should come before our devotion to the Lord Jesus, and following Him.

The next time we read of Mary, it is upon the sad occasion of the death of her brother Lazarus of Bethany, but even this is to the glory of the Lord.

John 11:1-46 is the account of the sickness, death, burial and resurrection of Lazarus, but it is also the story of the faith of Mary.  Though much of the story deals with Martha and Lazarus, this study will be mainly about Mary's part.  Verse 1-3 tells us that Lazarus lived in Bethany, which was also the town of Mary and Martha, and both sisters sent word to the Lord Jesus of the sickness of their brother,V3 "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick".  such simple words, he whom thou lovest.  Jesus' answer reveals his divinity...that he knew that this sickness was for the ultimate glorification of God - Verse 4 "When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."  and Verse 5 tells us "Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus."  They being human would have to endure pain, and their trust in him would be tested..but we are reassured that he loved them.

V6 the Lord Jesus "abode two days still in the same place where he was"  and after that V14 Jesus said to his disciples "Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevetheless let us go unto him" Verse 19 tells us "many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them".  This is an important verse, because it is those Jews that will be witness of the miracle to come.  And this was part of the reason that the Lord Jesus did not come when Lazarus was sick, but waited until after he was dead and buried, so that many would be witness.  If the Lord Jesus had come and healed Lazarus only Martha and Mary would have been witnesses.    V20 "Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him; but Mary sat still in the house." grieving because her brother has died. During the times that Mary sat at Jesus' feet listening to his words, she grew to greatly trust in him and so waited patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him....."
Next we learn that the Lord Jesus has called for Mary, V28 "..(Martha) went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying "The Master is come, and calleth for thee. As soon as she (Mary) heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him"  No hesitation, Mary arose quickly and went to the Lord Jesus who V30 "was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.".  One glorious day the Lord Jesus Christ will call believers as well.  1 Thess. 4:15-18 "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of th Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.".

In verse 19 we learned that there were many of the Jews with Mary in the house comforting her, V31 "when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there."  How well Mary must have been thought of by her neighbours that they cared enough to comfort her and follow her. They had no knowledge that Jesus had come.

V32 "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."  Mary showed submission, trust and worship, believing that if Jesus had been there, Lazarus would not have died. What a confession of faith. Mary believed that the Lord Jesus had power to heal her brother, something only God could do. And we know that she was weeping because their tears brings us to the shortest verse in the bible - Verse 35 "Jesus wept".. the awesome wonder of deity and man in one.  The God of the universe weeps for those he loves.  We weep for our loved ones who have gone on before, but we do not sorrow as those who have no hope.

Here is the reason why the Lord Jesus waited until Lazarus died. V40-45 "Jesus saith unto her (Martha) Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said Father, I thank thee that thou has heard me.  And I new that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me...And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin.  Jesus saith unto them, Loose him,  and let him go. V45 "Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him."

So the faith of Martha and Mary is rewarded, and Lazarus is raised from the dead, and because of Mary, the woman whom they cared so much about that they followed her to the grave, "many of the Jews  which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him." (Verse 45)

The next time we read of Mary,  it is as a worshipper. Chp 12:1  6 days before the passover, Jesus came to Bethany "where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead." Chapter 12:3 "Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment."  Judas, who was to betray Jesus, thought that this was a great waste, not understanding that there is nothing too precious for the Lord,  there is nothing that we should not give to him.

This is the third time that we have seen Mary at the feet of Jesus...first she was sitting at his feet learning from him, then she was falling at his feet  after coming at his call...now she is worshipping him...

Mary wiped his feet with her hair..a humbling act, an act of absolute love,  and an act which would leave her perfumed with the same ointment with which she anointed the Lord Jesus, her own identification with him, her own personal act of love.

Even though she is belittled by Judas for this act, the Lord Jesus speaks " V7-8 "Let her alone. against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always." Just as he earlier told Martha that it would not be taken away from Mary to sit at his feet and learn of him..that better part.. the Lord Jesus would not allow this act of worship to be spoken against. 

And so what a testimony we have of Mary, a meek and quiet spirit,  one who chose that better part, to put the Lord Jesus uppermost in her life, to put learning of him above her sister's wishes.   Mary who quietly waited when her brother died, but who quickly rushed to the Lord Jesus'  at his call,  who fell at his feet in an act of worship and faith.  And finally Mary, the worshipper, who anointed the Lord against the time of his death, who acted while she had still time to show another act of worship and humility in wiping his feet with her hair.

What a testimony she is..and what lessons we should learn.  Let us also sit at Jesus' feet and learn of him, let us worship him, and while we are still sojourning on this earth, let us daily follow Him and be a witness while there is still time before that great and glorious day when he calls us home.