Most of us know Martha as the woman who was too distracted with housework to sit and listen to Jesus when He visited. But what if there’s more to who she is? In this post, we will be looking at other passages about Martha and learning more about her true character.
As I mentioned earlier, when Jesus visited Martha and her sister Mary, Martha was too focused on other tasks to be attentive to Jesus. (Luke 10:38-42) Although this is true, Martha also demonstrated great faith (in other passages recorded in the Bible). For instance, after Mary and Martha’s brother, Lazarus, had died, Martha greeted Jesus as He came to visit her and Mary once again. At first, she says, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21) I am sure that many of us can relate to Martha’s feelings during this situation. Many times, we may think that it is too late for God to do anything in our lives, when in reality, we must be patient and wait for His timing. Although your situation may seem hopeless, just remember that God is not finished with you yet! To answer Martha, Jesus explained that Lazarus will rise again. In John 11:24, Martha answered saying, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” Through this statement, it is clear that Martha believes in Jesus, as the Gospel itself is based on the fact that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) In addition, Martha also says, “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, Who is to come into the world.” (John 11:27) Just like Martha, we all are tempted to take our focus off of God. This world is filled with distractions, so it can be easy to stray away. Yet God knows that we are not perfect, and He just wants us to love and believe in Him. Hebrews 11: 6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”
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Around eight months ago, as the week before Easter approached, I found myself going to as many church services as possible to prepare my heart for the coming celebration of Christ’s Resurrection. As a result, I began to ask myself why I enjoyed going to church so much. I was not questioning my faith in God, but instead I wanted to take the time to think of my own honest answer. Since I am at an age where I can decide whether or not I want to go to church on Sundays, I can no longer say that my parents are the main reason I attend. (Basically, I always choose to go to church but I am also able to choose a different option if I really wanted to.) After much thought, here is the answer I came up with: I go to church because it fills me with God’s peace, and I feel more connected to Him. Many people try to find that peace in worldly things, but only God can completely satisfy our hearts. For example, some people watch movies to escape reality. It can be a distraction from the stressful things that they may be experiencing. Of course, I am not saying that watching movies is a bad thing! I enjoy watching them myself, but I always have this empty feeling when the movie is over—as if my heart is torn between fantasy and reality. After watching the 2017 version of “Beauty and the Beast” in theaters a while ago, I remember feeling disappointed to go back to my normal, non-extravagant and stressful life after leaving the theater. I was not looking forward to going to school the next day, and thoughts about true love and happy endings swirled around in my mind. On the contrary, when I go to church, God renews His strength and peace within my heart and it lasts longer than just a few hours. When I leave my church after the service is over, I do not feel unsatisfied or disappointed. Instead, I have a refreshed feeling of confidence and strength within my heart. I leave knowing that whatever I may face in the upcoming week, I will have God by my side to help me through it. And honestly, that is one of the best feelings a person could ever experience. Psalm 107:8-9 says, “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.”
1 John 2:15 says, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.” Jeremiah 31:25 says, “I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint.” John 14:27 says, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” |
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