5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
John 11:5, 20-23, and 12:2
As both Scripture and our study guide point out, Martha “had a history of being moved to action by her love for Jesus.” We see this truth in action after Lazarus dies, and Martha hears that Jesus is coming – she immediately goes to meet Him. It is unclear if she even told Mary that He was coming or that she was going out to meet Him. The fact that Mary remained sitting in the house leads one to believe that she may not have known.
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
John 11:21
While Martha’s statement to Jesus can be seen as an accusation, it is also possible and even probable that it was simply a statement of sorrow, coupled with Martha’s strong faith that, had Jesus been there, the outcome could have been different. One commentary explains it like this: In full context, her meaning is something like, “this is not how I hoped things would be.” Which was followed by her next statement: “But I know that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.“1 Can you imagine her delight when, after seeing/hearing her faith, Jesus responded: “Your brother shall rise again.”
So then, dear brothers and sisters, be firm. Do not be moved! Always be outstanding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58
Reflection/Application
What example(s) does Martha set for us in today’s passage?
What could you be doing while you wait for His return?
The More We Know
It is worth noting this piece of trivia from the study guide: “The last time Martha is mentioned she served supper.” – “There they made Him a supper, and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.” John 12:2
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.
39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
40 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.
Luke 10:38-40
My mother was the queen of rummage sales and alley finds, and refurbishing the treasures she found was her gift. Perhaps this explains some of why she loved to entertain. Whether it was her bridge night with her besties from high school, a larger gathering of friends, or dinner for the extended family, some of my fondest childhood memories are of when we had guests over.
However, having guests over often meant chores, like polishing silver, extra dusting, and cleaning throughout the house. It wasn’t that I truly minded the chores that came before the guests, but once the guests arrived, I wanted to be in the midst of them. Even if the company did not include other children, I wanted to hear the conversations and/or simply watch their interaction. Along the way, I learned that while I enjoyed being with the guests, the ‘hosting’ responsibilities were important as well. I also learned that hosting brought its own joy. That being said, I am still very much a ‘Mary” at heart, particularly if the Word is being taught or discussed (I credit this to my dad, who loved to discuss and expound on the Word or sit and talk with others about questions they had or things they had learned). As for Mary and Martha, the good news is that today’s passage of our journey teaches neither is bad/wrong; in fact, both are good. However, it is important to note that while Martha’s concern for and act of hospitality were not wrong, hospitality was not the most important thing. The most important thing was to “sit at His feet”.1 –
Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look clear in his wonderful face – and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/Selah
Today’s study guide points out something that surprised me. Maybe you’ve always known it, but for me it was somehow new. Martha and Mary had both sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His Word (vs 39), but as verse 40 notes, “Martha was distracted“ first, by the preparations that still needed to be done, and then by the fact that Mary wasn’t helping her, and finally (and perhaps most sadly), to the idea that Jesus did not care that she had been left alone to serve. The thing that stands out to me in Martha’s distraction is that once her mind was distracted by the need to serve, more distractions followed.
Reflection/Application:
Martha asked Jesus, “Don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to serve?”
Did He care about Martha?
Does He care for us?
Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:7
How can you serve Him more?
Share your thoughts or comments/questions in the comment section or join me at my FB page, Journey Through the Word, for more discussion.
Our previous day’s journey focused on Lydia and how the Gospel she heard from Paul changed her life. Her life was no longer about a religion or religious acts – instead, it was now about a relationship with God, made possible through the grace of God and the saving work of Jesus Christ, His Son. This change in Lydia’s heart is a prime example that “there is”, as the study guide puts it, “a difference in knowing something, and actually believing, or placing your faith in it” (p 26).
After her heart was opened, she placed her faith in Jesus and never looked back. Scripture tells us that she (and her household)* were baptized … she then provided housing for Paul and those with him on more than one occasion. One commentary describes her as one who is “generous and passes on that generous spirit to the church that started in her home (Phil 4:15-16).
And as you Philippians know, at the beginning of my gospel ministry, when I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in this matter of giving and receiving except you alone. 16 For even in Thessalonica on more than one occasion you sent something for my need.
Philippians 4:15-16
While Lydia’s name doesn’t appear often in Scripture, it is easy to see – from her salvation (believed to be the first in Europe)…to her public profession of faith through baptism…to her willingness to house Paul and the others…to opening her home so others could hear the message and grow in their faith…to laboring with Paul and others in spreading the Gospel … and using her income to help missionaries whom she often hosted in her home – why it is believed that “she had a great impact on the church.”
“She had a great impact on the church.”
She Volume 1, p 27
Lydia was not bashful but bold with her faith. As the writers of our study guide point out, “She must have told all that were in her household what the Lord had done for her” – for they were baptized with her. Lydia was so excited and passionate about her faith that she had to share it with those around her. What a beautiful picture she is of “the effects the Gospel can have on our lives.” Surely she is an inspiration to be active and open in our walk of faith, generous and purposeful in ministry, and ready and willing to share the Gospel, mindful that the person seated beside you week after week in church may need to hear the Gospel message of salvation.
Words of Encouragement: For Faith and Duty
Sharing the Gospel does not come easily for everyone. From our personalities to our understanding of the Gospel, and everything in between, there are many reasons or excuses we allow to hold us back. Perhaps we’re afraid we will say the wrong thing or offend someone – there are a myriad of other reasons we can offer, but there is one reason that should outweigh all of the reasons/excuses we can think of – and it is found in John 3:36: He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.Simply put, it is a choice between life and death. Trust me, I’m not making light of the ‘difficulty’ we have with this all-important commission. I still freeze up sometimes, and/or I make excuses that it’s not the right setting or timing … or I can’t remember what to say … and sometimes those things may be true, but I have found that if I just open my mouth – God will lead the way and the conversation. Sometimes it ends up being an invitation to church; other times it is putting the Gospel information in their hands; still others, it is actually sharing the Gospel, as Paul did with Lydia – and even then the outcome isn’t on us … for only God can open someone’s heart and mind to understand the message of salvation.
Consider this … When Moses was sent by God to speak with Pharaoh, Moses told God: “Please, Lord, I am not a man of words, neither formerly nor since you’ve been speaking to your servant, because my mouth and my tongue are clumsy.” God heard Moses’ response and replied back: And Yahweh said to him:“Who made man’s mouth? Who makes him dumb or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now, go! And I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall speak.” Exodus 4:10-12
Friends, the battle belongs to the Lord! Just as God came down and spoke to Moses – leading Him to set His people free from slavery to Pharaoh – Jesus came down to set sinners free from their bondage to the law of sin and death. Like Moses, we have been commissioned to be the mouthpieces and the lights that lead them out – the hands and feet of Jesus, His love (the very message of the Gospel) in and to a lost and dying world.
Reflection/Application
What does Lydia inspire you to do? – share your answer, question, or comment in the comment section below – or jump over to my Journey Through the Word page
The More We Know
Need help sharing the Gospel? Check out this step-by-step plan of salvation from my church’s website. You can also message me for something to share with those who may need to hear the Gospel message.
“…she was among the group of women who gathered on the Sabbath by a riverside to pray.”
We put out to sea from Troas and sailed a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis,12 and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for some days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began to speak to the women who had assembled there. 14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.
Acts 16:11-14
Friends, this one hit close to home for me. Have you ever heard of or participated in a “cardboard testimony time”? We did one at our church about 10 or 15 years ago. People were given a piece of cardboard, and on one side they wrote what they used to be (an addict…lost…condemned…) and on the other who/what they were now (sober…found….forgiven…). I couldn’t help but think of that event when I was working through the study guide on Lydia(p 25) and saw:
SHE TRADED HER RELIGION FOR A RELATIONSHIP
Adapted from: She, Volume 1, p 25
While there are many ways we could think of that Jesus has changed us, I can picture Lydia, excitedly labeling her cardboard for her family, neighbors, and friends: “I was Religious, but now I am saved!” There was a time in my life when my piece of cardboard would have been very similar to Lydia’s. You see, I was saved somewhere around the age of six, but somehow I never understood what it meant to have a true and active relationship with the Triune God (Father, Son, and Spirit) until much later in life. What a life-changing journey it has been since that day!
I was religious – BUT NOW – I have a relationship with God!
What does that mean exactly?
A pastor/friend helped me understand that while God “so loved the world,” His love is personal. He cares about me (1 Peter 5:7) as an individual, not just as part of a group of believers; after all, He left the 99 to rescue me (Luke 15:3-7). When I draw near to Him, His Word says He will draw near to me (James 4:8). When I confess my sins, He is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins (1 John 1:9). Scripture is filled with passages that reveal His personal love for us, and if we stay alert we will see evidence of it in our lives … the peace He delivers right when we’re about to break… the way He provides for a need right when we are desperate for it… the protection that only He could have provided … the healing that only He could have made possible …and perhaps the most life-changing evidence of His person love – is how He pursued me and pulled me from the pit of sin time after time. Oh, the height, and depth, and width of His personal love and tender care are as vast as the oceans – and once you experience them, your life will never be the same again.
How did things change?
Prayer is more personal…forgiveness replaces guilt…conversation replaces a silent one-sided prayer…awe replaces fear…outward vision replaces an inward one…legalism has been replaced by freedom…obedience is a response to my love of/for God and no longer simply a habit or ritual. I expect this story of transformation will continue to grow as I live and grow in Him, for He isn’t finished with me yet.
Friends, please hear me when I say – these changes are not perfected, and they certainly don’t make me perfect – but because of the changes, my walk with God is no longer centered around the expectations of man but rather on my relationship with God. I no longer turn away from Him when I sin; instead, I turn toward Him with a repentant heart, broken that I have fallen short and brought Him grief. I no longer try to make myself look or seem better than I really am because I know that He knows me from the inside out. He has seen me at my worst and yet still LOVES me. There was a season of my life when I had Him in a “box” for Wednesdays and Sundays, but now – He walks with me and I with Him – 24:7:365. He is God of the mountains in my life just as surely as He is of the valleys. He is bigger than I ever understood – and His LOVE is richer than I ever imagined; and the more He shows me of Himself, the deeper and fuller our relationship grows.
Reflection/Application:
What example have you seen of religion rather than a relationship?
What is essential to having a relationship with God?
What keeps those who are saved stuck in religion, but having no personal relationship with God?
“But beye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”
James 1:22
Friend, do you know Him today, truly know Him? If not or if you’re unsure, I would love to introduce Him to you or chat with you about Him. Comment “Know Him” below or message me questions or concerns at mryelnb@aol.com (subject line: “Know Him”).
God’s Word tells us that Deborah was a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, and that she judged Israel.
Which of those things surprises you the most and why?
For me, it is that she (a woman) “judged Israel,” and that she judged for forty years (5:31), and during that time: “the land had rest.” Please understand, for me – this isn’t said with an attitude of, “look what a woman can do”, but rather it is about remembering that God chooses and appoints those He wants to use and empowers them to accomplish the thing which He has purposed for them to do. We only have to be ready and surrender to His call.
It is helpful to know that not all prophets, or in this case prophetesses, were judges; nor were all judges prophets. However, here in Judges 4:4, Deborah is recognized as both. Which the “She” study guide points out, p 21:
The fact that she was a prophetess means that “the Lord had gifted her with the ability to discern the purposes of God and declare it to others.”
As for the fact that she was a judge, according to Judges 17:6… “She judged in a time when men did that which was right in their own eyes.”
It may surprise you to know that while Deborah was the only woman Judge over Israel recorded in the Bible, she was not the only prophetess. The Bible lists many others, including:
Some traditions also include Hannah (mother of Samuel) or Abigail (wife of David) as prophetesses, though not always explicitly titled as such in Scripture.
I share this not to distract from Deborah, but to remind us that God is not bound by cultural norms … but can raise up who He chooses – and does so always with a purpose. Why is this important? Because, as women, we must understand that God calls not just men, but women, to lead. We must be surrendered and ready to serve where and how He leads us. I particularly appreciate this quote from the study guide: “She led by faithfully doing as she said she would do.” Friends, wherever God has called you and whatever He has called you to do, may we do so, determined to give Him all the glory. May we also, like Deborah, “faithfully fix our heart upon the LORD, rejoicing and singing praise to the LORD among the people, making known through our celebration the greatness of our God and of His works and provisions on our behalf.
“For thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for thy name’s sake lead me, and guide me.”
Psalm 31:3
Reflection and Application:
What is most interesting to you about Deborah?
What can we learn from her and apply to our own lives?
How can you be/are you a leader?
I invite you to leave a reply below or attoday’s Journey Through the Word FB post.
The More We Know
Deborah was one of the judges of Israel during a time of oppression. …The Lord spoke through her as she held court under a tree called “the Palm of Deborah” in Ephraim. …Deborah was Israel’s only female judge. Some scholars have suggested that her position as judge was itself a judgment on the weak-willed men of Israel. Because Israel’s men were unfit to judge, God chose a woman for the job, partly to shame the men who should have taken the leadership. Other commentators believe that Deborah’s role as judge was a sign of God’s comforting presence in the midst of His oppressed and downtrodden people. …We can see that God’s power is what matters, regardless of the instrument He chooses to use. Man or woman, strong or weak, confident or hesitant – all are strong when they are moved by God’s Spirit and filled with His strength. We can also see in Deborah a picture of God’s tender care for His people. As a mother cares for her children, so Deborah led and nurtured Israel (Judges 5:7). – For more on Debora, visit https://www.gotquestions.org/life-Deborah.html
I also found it interesting and worth noting that Deborah wasn’t listed only as a prophetess and judge but as the “wife of Lapidoth”. This means that she not only had the demands of judging Israel and making known the purposes of God to the people, but she also bore the responsibility of caring for her husband and home. It is also worth noting that nothing else is said about Lapidoth in the Bible, but as one commentary pointed out, we do know he married a godly wife and can only imagine that, with the demands of God’s calling on her life, he was a supportive husband. 🦋
I invite you to scroll down and leave a comment … or join the discussion at Journey through the Word
“…she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon…”
Oh, how I love the hope from this passage of our journey:
Repentance makes a difference. (1 Jn 1:9)
“Our mistakes do not have to ruin our entire life.”
We can instead use the lessons we learn to encourage others to refrain from the same faults.
Bathsheba’s story, through David’s prayer of repentance in Psalm 51, confessing his sin concerning Bathsheba and Uriah, serves as a beautiful picture that God offers us true forgiveness when we repent of our sins. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9
According to God’s mercy and loving kindness, He “blots out” our transgressions. The words of Isaiah confirm this in Isaiah 43:25
I, I am the one who blots out your rebellious deeds for my sake; your sins I do not remember.
Bathsheba is included in Matthew’s account of the genealogy. Note: She is referenced not by her name but as being the wife of Uriah. (Matthew 1:6)
It is said by some commentators that Bathsheba is the mother of King Lemuel, and therefore, perhaps the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. I find joy in contemplating the very idea of this, but nowhere is this confirmed in the Scriptures. See: https://www.gotquestions.org/King-Lemuel.html
In the account of David and Bathsheba, we find many lessons.
Secret sin will be found out.
God will forgive anyone who repents.
The consequences of our sin remain even when the sin is forgiven.
God can work even in difficult situations.
In fact, David and Bathsheba’s next son, Solomon, became the heir to the throne. Even in bad situations, God has a plan that serves His sovereign purpose.
“Bathsheba’s story reminds me that God has a plan, and that He can and does work even through difficult situations with imperfect people to bring about something good. Queen Bathsheba, despite the unsavory events surrounding her coming to the palace, became the mother of the wisest and most successful king ever to grace the throne.” (https://www.gotquestions.org/Bathsheba-in-the-Bible.html)
Reflection and Application:
How important is repentance in your life? Are you quick to confess your sins, or do you let them pile up until the end of the day, week, or month…? What is/are the benefit(s) of confessing our sins to God?
Me From the Inside Out 