MARY OF BETHANY

(Taken from John 11-12:1-11)

The Lord appears in our midst many times and in many ways throughout our lives. He longs to be invited into our life to make His home in and with us and to dwell with us in our dwelling place. From generation to generation it is always the same. He waits for us to choose, he longs for us to say yes.

Some 2,000 years ago when Jesus of Nazareth walked the earth, in the time of his ministry there was known to him a family in Bethany, a suburb of Jerusalem, lying about two miles to the east of the city. The family consisted of a brother, Lazarus, and his two sisters, Martha and Mary. We glean from the scriptures that Jesus loved them, and that they loved him and their home became a home for him.

Mary, was the sister who sat at Jesus’ feet. Her sister Martha complained to Jesus that Mary left her with all the work to do. Jesus defended Mary, telling Martha that Mary had ‘chosen the better part and that it would not be taken from her’. Mary appears to tell her story, in her words how she witnesses Jesus raise her brother Lazarus from the dead and how she anointed the feet of Jesus with oil and wiped them with her hair.