After a full year of holy anticipation, Lent Madness returns for another season of saintly thrills and spills! Whether this is your tenth year engaging in the annual saintly smackdown or your first, we're delighted you'll be spending a portion of your Lenten journey among us. Along the way there will be debates, ire, angst, rejoicing, laughter, and holy trash talking. Just remember, it’s all in the spirit of this holy season specifically set aside to grow closer to God through our relationship with Jesus Christ.
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But mostly, we encourage you to read about the 32 saintly souls participating in this year's edition of Lent Madness, faithfully cast your (single!) vote on the weekdays of Lent, and add your comments to the great cloud of participating witnesses that gathers as the online Lent Madness community each year.
Lent Madness 2019, or Lent Madness X as we've been calling it, kicks off with a battle between two Biblical heavyweights as we settle, once and for all, the age old question: Mary vs. Martha. And before you say it, of course it's not fair! It's not called Lent Madness for nothing.
So, hang onto your halos, friends, and prepare yourselves for another wild ride of saintly action. Away we go!
Mary of Bethany
Mary of Bethany lived in first-century Bethany with her sister, Martha, and her brother, Lazarus, as we are told in the Gospel of Luke. Along with her siblings, she was among the very first to believe in Jesus.
Luke recounts the famous story of Jesus having supper at the sisters’ house, where Martha, concerned with getting the food on the table, asks Jesus to scold Mary for her apparent lack of concern. It’s notable that Mary is described as sitting at Jesus’ feet while Martha serves; usually only the male students of rabbis sat at the feet of their teachers. For Mary to do so is highly unusual for an unmarried woman—possibly why Martha gets antsy about it. But Jesus declines to chide Mary for what she has done, declaring that in her discipleship, she has “chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”
The Gospel of John also gives us a few more glimpses of Mary of Bethany. John explicitly links Mary with the woman who washes Jesus’ feet with her hair. At Lazarus’s death, both Mary and Martha race out into the street to greet Jesus when he finally comes, and Mary chastises him, echoing her sister’s words, saying “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” At her declaration, Jesus is moved to tears.
It is clear that Jesus is quite close with this family. Through contextual clues, we can tell that the family must have been fairly well-to-do, given the sisters’ independent status and ability to support Jesus’ ministry. They seem to own their house and are able to provide a separate burial site for their brother (somewhat rare—and not cheap.). We also have John’s story of Mary spending more than 300 denarii (equivalent to 300 days of wage for a laborer) on pure spikenard to anoint Jesus.
Later church tradition treated Mary as it treated many of the other women of the gospel; it elided her story into that of an Everywoman who is remarkable mostly in her blandness. The few stories that survive in the West often conflate her with Mary Magdalene. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, her uniqueness survives, and with her sister and Mary Magdalene, Mary of Bethany is remembered on the third Sunday of Easter as one of the Myrrh-Bearing Women—the first to recognize the risen Christ.
Collect for Mary of Bethany
O God, heavenly Father, your Son Jesus Christ enjoyed rest and refreshment in the home of Mary and Martha of Bethany: Give us the will to love you, open our hearts to hear you, and strengthen our hands to serve you in others for his sake; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Martha of Bethany
The iconic Martha of Bethany is the hero of faithful pragmatics and doers, though she gets a bad rap for being less contemplative than her sister. When Jesus visits her house, Mary sits at his feet, but Martha feels the burdens of her role as hostess and works in the kitchen, resentful that Mary isn’t helping. When she complains, the Lord answers, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted about many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.” Because of this anecdote, Martha is seen to symbolize worldly concerns while her sister Mary focuses on the spiritual. When Jesus asks someone to open the tomb of her days-dead brother Lazarus, the heartbroken Martha stays true to her practical nature, responding, “Lord, already there is a stench.”
Although not expressly mentioned in the gospels, the Orthodox tradition honors both Martha and Mary as among the followers of Jesus who stood at Golgotha to witness the crucifixion, and later carried myrrh to his tomb to anoint the body. Thus they are counted among the first witnesses of the resurrection. This tradition also holds that Martha fled persecution in Judea with Lazarus, joining him as a missionary abroad until he became a bishop in Cyprus, where all three siblings eventually died.
According to the Golden Legend, a medieval hagiography (writing about the lives of the saints), the siblings were of noble birth. Martha put her aristocratic hostess skills to use for Jesus because, “She thought that all the world was not sufficient to serve such a guest.” The same legend holds that the family arrived in France miraculously via a ship without oars or sails to preach the gospel. The eminently practical Martha tamed a Galician dragon, “half beast and half fish, greater than an ox, longer than a horse, having teeth sharp as a sword, and horned on either side, head like a lion, tail like a serpent.” Afterward Martha lived a life of daily devotion in France until she died. A tomb in the Collegiate Church of Tarascon purportedly contains her relics.
Martha’s feast day is July 29, and she is patron saint of cooks, dietitians, domestic help, housekeepers, servants, and waitpersons. And of course, she is admired by pragmatics, doers, and practitioners of common sense.
Collect for Martha of Bethany
O God, heavenly Father, your Son Jesus Christ enjoyed rest and refreshment in the home of Mary and Martha of Bethany: Give us the will to love you, open our hearts to hear you, and strengthen our hands to serve you in others for his sake; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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537 comments on “Mary of Bethany vs. Martha of Bethany”
Let’s go
I voted for Martha because I figured Mary would win.
But Martha won
Martha gets my vote because, despite my best efforts, the kitchen remains my domain. My nickname for myself is “Demelza.”
What evil genius came up with this pairing as our first Lent Madness challenge? Oh, the pain of sibling rivalry! Team Martha for the Golden Halo!
Oooo, this is too much fun to be a Lenten “discipline.” My first year - sorry to have been so slow getting here. The comments add much to the narratives. The sisters and their relationship to Jesus helped rebuild my relationship to the church as the sixties revolution made the patriarchal church in which I was reared obsolete. My “church” in my twenties was solo backpacking trips into the mountains. Mary, Martha, and the rabbi who eliminated the cultural barriers of male-female interactions brought me back when, as a mother of an infant in a small Texas community, I was invited to a Baptist Bible Study as the curiously dressed stranger in town. I went as a “sociological observer” and was unexpectedly returned to the childhood joy of meeting Christ face-to-face. But definitely NOT as a Baptist, for their sake.
Enjoyed your story!
I voted for Mary, because she reminded me of being the younger sister following her passion and Martha reminds me of the older sister trying to get her way. Martha's ministry was the gift of hospitality. Mary's was the gift of discipleship. Tough choice today.
Mary got my vote, though i'm a bit more of a Martha. Lazarus wasn't asked to go and help only Mary. She had the courage to choose not to simply follow the role that was expected of a woman. if she was around today she would be suggesting that Lazarus do his share of the housework so that all 3 would have time to sit at Jesus feet 🙂
I have a lot of respect for Martha and do think she gets a bad rap, but I had to go with Mary. There is so much busy-ness in our lives that, in my context, attention to the contemplative is kicked aside as wholly unattainable. I think Lent is a time to sort that out and to refocus on resting in the presence of Jesus. Ultimately, I think I (and our culture) at this time, needs the challenge that Mary's witness provides more than the affirmation that Martha's provides. Both are essential to a whole faith, and may the each inspire to go deeper in our life and Christ and service to Christ in this world.
What a start-up pairing this was! Truly a cruel choice to have to make on the very first go! I have been agonizing over it ever since the brackets came out... and have finally settled on Martha, who I feel was rather put-upon.
Mary Mary. Mary opened the doors for us to be seminary students, deacons, priests, bishops, presiding bishops to say nothing of doctors, lawyers, engineers, whatever we want to be.
International Women's Day is tomorrow, so this is a great match-up to start Lent Madness.
On the one hand, don't most women just want to be able to sit for a few minutes and take in a good lesson? One can always do the dishes later.
On the other hand, someone needs to prepare the meal and set the table or no one will get to eat.
I appreciate the earlier comment about how if some of the men had lent a hand - dare I say Jesus, himself - then Martha wouldn't have been put in the position of choosing between providing hospitality and enjoying the lesson. How would this story have played out if Jesus, himself, had lent a hand? Imagine all three of them washing, rinsing, and drying dishes all the while discussing theological themes.
My vote goes to Martha.
I like that thought. So true!
"Lord, there is a stench" almost swayed me, but slaying a dragon won me over. Way to go, Martha!
I'm a total Martha (and I voted for her) who would really really like to be a Mary but feel guilty when I'm not "doing." I guess I voted for Martha because I understand her.
Loved John Cabot's poem and say good to see you to Oliver.
I feel like a natural Mary, but am in reality an actual Martha. My vote goes to Martha.
After viewing the vote count thus far, it seems to me that the modern view of those that participate in Lent Madness reflects the views of modern American pragmatists. "Hey you who meditate, contemplate, and pray, good for you. Now get up off your dead arse and do something! We approve of the former but the latter is what we value.
Good point, Don. I think our society needs to learn to value the contemplative as well as the "doing." It shouldn't have to be either/or.
As as I once read somewhere, "and yet, presumably He ate the food." Here's to everyone who does unglamorous but necessary day-to-day tasks--Martha for the Golden Halo!
Thank you for that quote. Martha voter here, who has always been annoyed that she got so little credit.
How can you not vote for a practical, loyal follower who made sure people got fed and killed dragons. And her feast day is my son’s birthday. No contest here.
I am a task oriented person (not to mention the home cook!) with contemplative aspirations that I struggle to make realities. I'm casting a hopeful vote for Mary. Martha has already got my back, but I need a little more help from her sister.
Love the dragon angle! So torn - as a feminist and a lifelong learner and bookworm, I have liked Jesus' teaching that it was OK for women as well as men to sit at his feet and listen to his teaching. But as an older sibling whose brother always skipped out on dishes and other chores, I identify most with Martha. Plus my great Aunt Martha was a gem, always watching out for her parents, her ten siblings and all their kids. And she was a short-order cook, too!
I’ve been dreading this match-up since Lent Madness began. I identify with Martha, but she's such a whiner. I imagine her slamming those clay pots or wooden bowls or whatever on the counter in a passive aggressive attempt to make Jesus and Mary feel sorry for her until she finally calls out to Jesus. BUT, Mary hanging out on the floor without helping us just a bit unacceptable, and, to tell the truth, I don’t thing Jesus was a very gracious guest.
Yes, it’s Martha, exonerated by none other than John (11:20-27), whose firm belief in Jesus guided her actions; she got stuff done!
Let’s not forget that Martha had to provide food for the disciples as well as for Jesus.
Having had to cook for unexpected guests on an evening when I had a commitment at church, I can say that Martha has all my sympathy.
Several others have assumed that all 12 apostles were in that house in Bethany with Jesus, yet there is really no evidence for that. I doubt that Jesus had those guys with him all the time. It would have been stressful even for a man with a divine nature as well as a human one! I have always believed that these three siblings were Jesus' special friends that he could visit and relax and not be in the spotlight, surrounded by clamoring crowds or even the chosen twelve. So I doubt Martha had to serve 13 guests, just one very important guest. I also believe that the interaction between Jesus and Martha was quite a bit more gentle than some seem to imagine. I don't think Jesus "scolded" Martha.
Xavier Middle School fifth graders are happy that Lent Madness has FINALLY begun! May the best Saint win!
Hi, this is Elizabeth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Too bad we can’t vote for Mary-Martha, as they’re pretty equal to us. We’re going with Martha today. Our church group of ladies who prepare funeral meals for families is called Martha’s Hands, so Martha it is.
I'm definitely more of a Mary myself, but since I've directed an Altar Guild, and because "women's work" is so often belittled, I'm going for Martha.
Where is the email daily notification sign up?
I have a lot of sympathy for Martha, and sometimes I am that way. More often however, I am true to my name. Is it shirking responsibility or living in the moment? Mary it is!
I voted for Mary- there are two elements to entertaining - up front & in the kitchen. If Martha had recognized and affirmed that her duties were less 'fun' but no loess important I might have voted for her.
But then there wouldn't have been this story for us to ponder.
You have truly started off with the most difficult matchup! Worth remembering that Aramaic (and Hebrew) do not have comparative forms -- so Jesus could not have exactly said that Mary had chosen the better part. More like, Mary has chosen the/a good thing, or Mary has chosen well. The Confucianist, Martha, holds that "to do is to be." Mary is in the Lao Tzu camp: "To be is to do." Like most folks in this earthly pilgrimage, I find myself in a daily dance/struggle between the two. So I'm off to another full day guided by the Sinatra Synthesis: "do be do be do." I'll make the hard choice between Mary and Martha toward the end of the day -- knowing me, probably going for the underdog in the race.
You made me chuckle! Thanks!
Fascinating; how does one have a language without comparative forms? (Is there a superlative form?) or are these languages utterly nominalist: everything simply is in its own form? Reminds me of Jonathan Swift: the man who has to carry everything in a bag on his back, because each object is unique and can only be held to show others what one means (in other words, language is impossible)!
Celia I love that Swift snippet! If I remember correctly the semitic languages do have superlatives, just not comparatives -- but seminary was a long, long time ago. Maybe someone else will know for sure.
Meanwhile, I indeed voted for Mary, who is still the underdog at 9:20 EST. I don't care which one wins really, as long as they quit fighting over my every minute!
After a morning of meditation on Martha and Mary, I became more than a little annoyed with Martha asking their honored guest to chide her sister. Not cool. Without that, it would have been Martha all the way (because I have a pretty devoted inner "doer") but that morning of meditation has tipped my vote to Mary!