The eleventh chapter of John tells the familiar story of Jesus learning about the illness and then death of his friend Lazarus, his encounter with the sisters of Lazarus, and then the raising of Lazarus from the dead. It’s a grand chapter in the Bible, one that gives hope and encouragement to those of us who have lost loved ones.
Jesus obviously had a close relationship with this group of siblings. Luke’s gospel has a story about Jesus being in their home one day (LK 10.38-42) and saying something about priorities. In that story, you get the clear understanding that the two sisters were wired differently: Martha was a “do-er;” Mary was a “be-er”.
I believe it is safe to say that when the two sisters approached Jesus after their brother’s death, despite the fact that the gospel says they said exactly the same words, their tones were different. I believe that Martha, who was seemingly one who focused on action and making things happen, expressed her grief in anger. I think she scalded Jesus’ face with her tone of voice.
Mary, on the other hand, was a softer soul and more of a feeler. I think when she spoke to Jesus, it was through heartbroken tears of grief.
Most preachers—in fact, most followers of Jesus—read this passage with a monotone in their voice or mind. That is an injustice, I think. Let’s let Mary and Martha be real people, not one-dimensional characters.
What’s the “so what” of this? Easy. Slow down when you read the Bible. Listen to the tones of voice. Read the Bible out loud, and play with different emotions as you do so. Think about the emotions and feelings of the people (Jesus included)!
And let the Bible teach you that it’s OK to be mad at God; it’s OK to be sad in the Lord’s presence. God knows what you are feeling and thinking—so be honest!