Martha – A Woman Who Saw the Glory of God!

Introduction

Faith, that gives sight beyond natural sight, beyond imagination, beyond intellectual capacity, beyond the tangible and beyond all expression save that which is enabled by the Holy Spirit increases in value in times of darkness.  Praise the Lord God that His Light – Yeshua, the Son of God – has, does and will overcome the darkness!  As we consider a few thoughts on Martha, may it serve as an opportune moment for us to ponder the greatness, the power and the purpose of the gift of faith in Yeshua, from God our Father, through His Holy Spirit – that we may see afresh through the eyes of faith His glory and be encouraged.

 

Overview on Martha

Please take the time to read our primary reading for this discussion, John 11:1-46 and also consider Luke 10:38-42 and John 12:1-2.

Here are a few points we can pick up on Martha from the above readings:

• she lived in Bethany, a town about two miles from Jerusalem (John 11:1; 18);
• she was sister to Lazarus and Mary (John 11:2) – you get the feeling of there being a close bond between the siblings, especially between Martha and Mary, even if they do appear to be different;
• together with her brother and sister, she had a close friendship with Yeshua (John 11:6);
• it appears that her family had some acquaintance with some of the Jewish religious leaders – we learn of their presence at the dinner given for Yeshua (John 12:1-3) although from John 11:19, the acquaintance may also have come through others;
• most of the time when Martha is considered, what comes readily to mind is perhaps a picture of a woman overly concerned about things being done – and done well – and, willing to be in the forefront of getting a job done.  It would seem that Martha was a “do-er” (see Luke 10:38-42; John 12:2);
• she was a woman of faith in God and in Yeshua (John 11:21-270;
• she was a woman who saw the glory of God (John 11:40-44).

Martha’s Vision Adjusted.

From our primary reading above, there can be no doubt that Martha is a woman of faith.  In her confession of faith at John 11:27 we see the echo of Peter’s confession of Messiah Yeshua as the Son of God, which also brings to mind Lord Yeshua’s response: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.” (see Matthew 16:13-17).   Many others had been around Yeshua, had seen and heard about the miraculous things He did, yet they did not believe in Him.  Authentic faith comes from God alone, given to all who genuinely seek Him (no matter how faltering their attempts) and Martha had it, as mentioned below.  The passage in the later verses suggest that what Yeshua desired to do, whilst bringing the unbelievers around Lazarus’ tomb to faith (see John 11:45), was to increase Martha’s faith that she might really see His glory.  Martha thus had her “vision” of the eyes of her faith adjusted to enable her to see more clearly.  How interesting that it should be in a context of seemingly no hope – for it seems a common means of bringing many of us to the same place!

Let’s consider for a moment a few points in what the experience of her brother’s illness, death and being raised alive and well from death meant for Martha before we turn to her “legacy” for us.

The Situation: John 11:1 tells us that Martha’s brother was ill – seriously ill.

The Petition: At John 11:3 we learn that Yeshua is not with the family at the time the situation arises.  Lazarus their brother was gravely ill and so desperate was the situation that his sisters send a message to Yeshua.  There was in the message a petition with the expectation and hope that the Lord would be able to do something, that Yeshua could and would heal Lazarus, because of His love for them all.  Both Martha and Mary said to the Lord that had He been there, Lazarus would not have died (John 11: 21, 32) – the sisters hoped He would come and prevent that.  It is also likely that Lazarus himself as he experienced the sickness and neared death, in normal human response, cried out to God for deliverance.  It is also interesting that they knew where He would be in order to get that message to Him – this is perhaps indicative of the closeness of their relationship with Yeshua.  It is possible that Yeshua’s statement at John 11:4 was the reply back to Martha and her sister and if so, this would undoubtedly have given them some hope for their brother’s recovery.

The Delay: Let us consider what went on between the time of the message by the sisters and the answering of it by the Lord.

The first thing we are told after Lord Yeshua receives the message from the women is that the outcome is determined (verse 4).  The answer to that petition had already been granted although the manifestation of it to Martha and her sister was to be delayed.  Note that they are unaware of this – although they may have received the Lord’s statement at verse 4 as His reply through their messengers, the sisters were completely unaware of the details of Yeshua’s conversation with His disciples concerning Lazarus (John11:11-15).

We know from the account that having sent to Yeshua, Martha and her sister then experienced what it was to lose their brother to death from the illness.  Martha would have lost hope for the situation and who could blame her!  Lazarus was dead and Yeshua had not come.  They would not have known at this point the reason for the delay or that Yeshua was indeed coming to them and to the situation.  When Lord Yeshua arrived the sisters’, hope was dead and buried along with Lazarus (verse 17).  It has been said that their experience was something of an echo of Job’s experience of the loss of hope in the delay period between, being struck with overwhelming disaster and the response and remedy of God.  Perhaps – though Job we must admit was an extreme case.  We too often find ourselves very low on hope or even losing it altogether in prolonged difficulties and testing circumstances, yet, as we see with Martha, it does not mean that we lose our faith in God.  That is, unless that faith was based not on what God has already done for us though the death and resurrection of Yeshua, but solely on what is hoped that God will do – usually closely associated to a desired improvement of personal circumstances.  There may be some who need to ponder on that point a little longer – may the Chief Shepherd of your soul guide your thoughts into His will.

Martha’s Faith:  Consider Martha’s words at John 11:22, see her faith underneath a tendency to anxiety which perhaps more readily comes to mind when we consider Martha.  This is an opportune reminder to us perhaps, that it is not always the case that those who seem always to be ‘at the feet of Yeshua’ and in prayer  have the strongest faith – at times it may be the recognition of a weakness in faith that leads them to the Throne so often.  We ought not to judge from the outward view concerning this – no matter what we see or don’t see – the Excellency of God is in ‘jars of earthen clay’ and the fragility of those ‘jars’ come in many forms.  The Bible teaches that the Body of Christ is made up of different members of the same Body and just because some appear to be “do-ers”, it does not mean that the “sitters” do nothing.  Many among those who outwardly seem unable to do much or even anything at all may being doing the most: for example, they may be reaching far flung countries, walking through the corridors of power, bringing comfort to those in need and breaking bondages of the hopeless through prayer – believing prayer – through faith in the God of the Bible upon which they have time to feed daily.

They may say little or even pray little, but that timely hand of comfort extended towards someone in pain, the gentle smile of acknowledgement and the patient listening ear is so often of very great in value to many a recipient.  Similarly, it is not necessarily the case that those who appear to be given to anxiety and fretfulness about e.g., whether things get done or will be done or will work out are without faith.

At John 11:20-24; 26 we see Martha’s vindication!  We see Martha’s confidence expressed in God at verse 24.  At verses 25-26, in this conversation between Martha and the Lord we see a timely revelation of who Yeshua is in the now, in the present situation to Martha.  Lord Yeshua brings further revelation of Himself in His words:

“I am the resurrection and the life,
He who believes in Me though he may die,
he shall live.
And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.
Do you believe this?”

Martha believed – she knows who Yeshua is (John 11:27) but she does not yet see clearly as John 11:39-40 later suggests.  It is as though there was a hazy film over what she knew to be true.

Death – the Last Enemy of Man:  In the picture of grief and sorrow at John 11:28-37, one of the things which comes through quite strongly is the hopeless of those who have no faith in Yeshua and do not know who He is.  Yeshua had given the above revelation to Martha, possibly alone as we saw from verse 20 that she went to Yeshua before His arrival, leaving the others in the house with Mary (verse 31).  We read of those who were comforting the sisters weeping with them but nevertheless giving what are, in fact, hope-less words in all their sympathy: “See how He loved him!” (verse 36); “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (verses 36-37).  One is reminded of funerals of unbelievers where Scriptures are read to comfort the bereaved, words of sympathy are shared, but what does it really mean?  Comfort is not necessarily the same as certain hope – in the face of death without having believed upon Yeshua the Messiah, Son of the Living God,  it is no hope at all. The Scripture warns all who will not accept the gift of salvation through faith in Yeshua’s sacrificial, substitutionary atoning death, His sinless blood shed for the remission of sin and His resurrection on the third day.  Since this by God’s grace alone, through faith alone brings pardon from the penalty and guilt on sin and deliverance from bondage to sin into the obedience to God through faith in His Son, they do not just remain dead but have no hope against everlasting judgment against sin.

He who said, “I am the resurrection and the life” also said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).  John (the Baptizer) puts it in these stark terms – echoed elsewhere throughout the Scriptures (see e.g., Revelation 21:1-8): John 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

At the tomb of Lazarus Yeshua was – and is still – the only One that could bring hope in the face of death, known as ‘the last enemy ’, that is to be destroyed (1 Corinthians 1:26).  At the time it seemed to Martha as though death had won. Like a terrible monster that seems never to be satisfied it appeared to have claim another victim.  But Yeshua came.

In John 11:33, 35,38 we see something of what the prophet Isaiah was referring to when he prophesied of the Suffering Servant, Yeshua, being a ‘Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief and that ‘He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows’ (Isaiah 53:3-4).  Even though He knew that Lazarus was going to be raised up, nevertheless Lord Yeshua was touched with the feeling of infirmity of humanity that He had created to live and yet in their fallen-ness held in bondage to sin and thus death.  He was – and is – their Saviour, the One before whom no power can stand and through whom the power of sin is broken through His own sinless shed blood. Yet ‘Jesus wept’ (John 11:35).   Is there not a reminder here of what the writer of Hebrews exhorts us to consider concerning Yeshua at Hebrews 4:15 (KJV):

‘For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities..’

Not only is Yeshua able to sympathise with us, but He also tasted death for everyone (Hebrews 2:9), ‘abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel’ (2 Timothy 1:10) and holds the keys of Death (Revelation 1:18).  He doesn’t just give us sympathy and comfort – He gives life from death through faith in Him (John 5:24).

Martha ‘sees’ the Glory of God

The scenes painted at John 11:31-37 contrasts sharply with the hope we have as Spirit-born believers in Yeshua, bringing to mind the reality of the grace already given to us.   The Bible teaches that before God we all – naturally/by nature – were dead in sins and trespasses.  In Yeshua, we are raised up from death by the Holy Spirit of God making up alive through saving faith in Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of God (see Ephesians 2:1-9).  Martha sees something of this as John 11:27 reveals.  She sees and yet does not see Yeshua as He truly is (v.39-40).  Very presently, the “hazy film” over the eyes of her faith would be removed and she would see as clearly as would be possible then – that is, before the Cross.   She would see the glory of God in a way that I am certain would never leave her all the days of her life on earth.  All those who were there also saw His glory (verse 45) but sadly, some still refused to accept what was clearly displayed before their eyes (verse 46-48).  In some ways it is hard to understanding the refusal of many to accept God and His Son despite the glory of God revealed through Scripture or even through the natural world around us and the workings of the human body.  It shows how strong the stronghold and how terrible the power of sin is.

For Martha, this was a personal revelation to her – remember the words Yeshua addressed to her in their conversation at John 11:25 (see verses 21-27) and v.40 (see verses 39-40, note especially  the words “Did I not say to you…”).  There was Lazarus who she had watched go from health to sickness and from sickness to death and from death to burial – four days dead!  Then, at John 11:44 we are told the glorious truth:

‘And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus (Yeshua) said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

Outside of the death and resurrection Yeshua, this is among the greatest manifestation of His glory – of who He is and the power of His word.  His anointed word appointed for purpose is so powerful that it goes forth, past the natural into the unseen realm to call forth a man four days dead back to the realm of the living.  That is power!  That is Yeshua!  He is the glory of God revealed for us!

So great is the glory of the Father which He revealed in His Son Yeshua and this glory is partly revealed, in the works of God through Him, that we might believe (consider what Yeshua said at John 9:3).

This is the glory of God that Martha saw in the power of God that raises the dead to life in Yeshua the Messiah, Son of the Living God.

 

Martha’s Legacy

The Scriptures reveals something of the glory of God in many different ways and even then it must be but a glimpse into something which even all eternity at Home with God our Saviour cannot exhaust!  Martha’s experience concerning the glory of God was very much grounded in seeing Yeshua in the light of the awesome power and authority of God in Him through His works.

Question: Can we honestly say that in every area of our life whether concerning things of the past, present or future
there is no consciousness within us of a struggle between faith and sight? 

Martha knew this struggle in a situation where few would have dared to say to her, “just trust in God”.  As noted above, her brother was dead and buried and hope of recovery was altogether gone.  Despite the hopelessness of the circumstances and in the midst of it (death, mourning and having come to Yeshua from a house full of mourners) she confessed faith and trust in Him (John 11:21-22). Yet, it was as though, as you read the Scripture, that Yeshua wanted Martha to come further.

This was not about raising Lazarus up just because he was a close friend of Yeshua.  It was not about easing the suffering of Martha and Mary, whom He loved and all the other mourners who grieved with them.  It wasn’t even about what the Lord wanted: one cannot help but wonder how difficult it must have been for Yeshua in His humanness to remain where He was for two days in obedience to His Father (see e.g., John 5:30; 8:28-29), knowing that ‘the one whom He loved was sick’ (John 11:3–6) – suffering – dying – dead.  It was for God’s glory and to reveal further who Yeshua is.   This is a reminder to us that though the Father loves each one of us, He will allow us to go through difficult and painful lessons if need be that His glory be revealed –  and it is always revealed for our benefit, not His.

There are times when we pass through difficulties we conclude that if it were not within the will of the Lord, this or that situation would not have happened.  Perhaps true.  However, is there not a danger at times that stopping there is to stop short of the fullness of that which God would have us receive?  This is not a salvation issue or even about God’s grace-gifts to us whom He has saved, rather something akin to a closer walk with God even before we are called Home.  It could be described as seeing maturing faith toward God being outworked in increasing sanctification and loving obedience the context of every-day life with increasing grace and power from God in Messiah Yeshua in steadfast faithfulness.

Through the account of her conversations with Yeshua, Martha’s “legacy” for us is the invitation to share in/consider the words Yeshua spoke to her as though He were to say them to us today:

“Did I not say to you that if you would believe
you would see the glory of God?”

 We ought to keep these words, for whenever and wherever we find ourselves in a struggle between faith and sight.  It is especially precious when – and it is when and not if, so we may as well accept it –  we experience God’s delays, particularly extended delays.

Are you in a delay?  Consider that even in a delay, one of God’s promises to His children is that ‘all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose’ (Romans 8:28).  Even delays!

Let’s briefly consider again the delay between the message Martha and her sister sent and Yeshua’s actions.  We see that:

• Delay has a reason:

There may be many reasons for delay  in the manifestation of God’s will to us concerning a petition, but the Scriptures teach that ultimately it is that the glory of God would be reveal to us, for us and through us.  As we read through the Bible, it is impossible to do so without being drawn, whether explicitly or implicitly, to the issue of the glory of God.  Everything ultimately concerns the glory of God, even all that we do is to be done, as Paul exhorts us ‘to the glory of God’ (1 Corinthians 10:31).  It should also be noted that it is one of the most frequent prayer requests we make as believers – that God would be glorified.

• Delay has a purpose:

There is a purpose for us it – always, whether we can accept it easily or not.  Similar to the reason for it, whatever the interim purposes, ultimately it is that we may see the glory of God.  Sometimes delay may be to bring us to the point where we can recognise that we are just not near enough to see it, that is:

not near enough in faith/trust;

not near enough in hope;

not near enough in expectation- that good will still come  as promised; or

not near enough in conduct – i.e. we are in the flesh.

Whenever we sense we are not near enough, rather than despair, may we be enabled to view it as God’s call to us and be thankful that the Holy Spirit has enabled us to see this.  Now is the time to draw near through prayer, even with stumbling bumbling lips and heart – as so often is the case with me –  to seek help for this time of need (Hebrews 4:16), to pour out our hearts (Psalm 62:8) and to come with the truth of what we are really feeling since the Lord knows anyway (Psalm 139).

Another point for consideration is that delay may not only have purposes for us but also may involve other people who are perhaps being prepared and/or ‘placed’ by God that His glory is revealed more widely.

• Delay may be due to non-physical cause:

There is also a further point which may not often be considered as perhaps it ought – that we do not exist in a material world alone, that is, the one around us that we can see.  The Bible teaches that there is a spirit realm in which the principalities and powers of darkness of Satan’s kingdom are very active (Ephesians 6:11-12). Although they cannot overcome us as Spirit-born believers in Yeshua (1 John 4:4, also consider John 17:6-15; 20) they certainly can and do seek to oppose us (also consider 2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and hinder (although not thwart) God’s will for us.  We are given an example of an occasion of such opposition in Daniel 10:1-14 in the account of an angel of God being sent with an answer to Daniel’s prayer and fasting.  We see that this angel was opposed by an entity called ‘the prince of the kingdom of Persia’ (verse 14) for 21 days.  May we not forget that we are in a spiritual battle and consider seriously, amongst other things:

• the need to stand in faith and in the power and amour of God (see Ephesians 6:10-17);
• the need for persistence prayer in faith (see Ephesians 6:18)
• the need to persevere in faith and prayer (see Luke 18:1-8)
• the need to recall that we have power in Yeshua’s name and through faith in Him for the above (consider Paul’s prayer at Ephesians 1:17-21, especially 19-21); and
• that there is grace to uphold us. We have grace – no matter what things seem to be during the twists and turns in the delay, until God’s will for that situation is revealed.

There will be times when, to natural eyes, hopes we have for a particular situation working out a certain way will be taken away and Scripture gives several examples of this.  We must settle it in our hearts that it may be God’s answer and if we do find that it is God’s will, then there will be grace for us to find our place of rest within His will.  True faith is able to see the reality of awful situations as they truly are, not as we would wish things to be and see through them to who Yeshua is and our position in Him, as ‘beloved’ (see e.g., Colossians 1:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 1 John 3:2).  That ‘settling within ourselves’ may also include being brought to the point during the delay,  when an outcome is yet unknown, being enabled to quieten our hearts to say, for example, ‘Heavenly Father, if I have to suffer this until Your glory is revealed in me (or to me, or through this situation, or in this person’s life, or whatever it may be), and it is not going to be removed, though it was my petition that You remove it, then I surrender to Your will being done in Your way.’  Undoubtedly this will be accompanied with many prayers for grace to stand since it is only by a work of grace in us that we are enabled to be brought to this point.  We will find rest in this: that God’s grace is and will be sufficient even as Lord Yeshua told Paul (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Further, we can know during seasons where we are called to walk on difficult ground, that we can petition our heavenly Father every step of the way for the help rather than remain anxious and, find His peace to guard our hearts and minds in Yeshua (Philippians 4: 6-7).

 

Conclusion

In these times in which the world is unravelling around us at what seems an alarming rate, it is easy to find ourselves losing sight of the glory of God.  It seems all around us is wickedness and evil in full display, the deceitfulness of an increasingly “self-orientated” world with all its philosophies and ever-growing consequences we personally experience of living in a fallen world.

In an increasingly anti-Christian world as these last days unfold, so clarity increases concerning the  spiritual battlefield and the missiles aimed directly at true Spirit-born believers in Yeshua and the covenant people of God.  While we are trying to dodge the missiles of the enemy, the world system is always trying to get us to stumble.  As we try to keep ourselves from the pollutions of the world, the old flesh nature rises up to hinder!  It is not easy and that we know too well!  But, God has given us the might of His Holy Spirit to strengthen us in our inner man that through faith in Christ and in Him we overcome.   However dark this world becomes for us; we are kept by God Almighty our Heavenly Father through faith Messiah Yeshua, and He reigns in power and authority of God and His works still go forth in today’s world.   May our eyes therefore be ever opened to see His glory, ‘the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14), Yeshua, as He truly is and that those in darkness also see His glory as we proclaim that glad tidings of sure and certain hope of salvation through Yeshua the Messiah our Lord.

God bless you.

 

If you have read this and have not yet put your faith in Lord Yeshua the Messiah and therefore have no assurance of salvation, please see the post entitled “The Gift” and get in touch.