Mary & Martha of Bethany
Basic Info
Luke 10:36–42; John 11:1–44, 12:1–8
Mary and Martha of Bethany, followers of Jesus and sisters to his friend Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead, are found in the Gospels of Luke and John. Throughout much of Roman Catholic history, Mary of Bethany was considered to be the same person as Mary Magdalene. This was not the case in the Orthodox and Protestant Traditions, and in recent years the Catholic Church has recognized the error of conflating the two women.
In Luke’s Gospel, Martha and Mary are set up as two examples of how to live a faithful life, the active and the contemplative. Martha busies herself with taking care of the physical needs of Jesus and the disciples, preparing food and making sure they are comfortable. Mary would rather sit at Jesus’ feet listening to him than help her sister cook or clean. At one point, Martha complains about Mary’s behavior; Jesus chastises Martha for being worried and anxious and says Mary’s way is better. Some say that Jesus meant that the contemplative life is better than the active; others say that Jesus was criticizing only Martha’s worry and anxiety, that both the contemplative and active paths are valid ways to God.
John’s Gospel carries the story of Lazarus’ death and Jesus’ bringing him back to life, a story that was very important in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th centuries, as it was a foreshadowing of the power by which Jesus was resurrected. Then, Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus with oil at a dinner party just before he enters Jerusalem a few days before his arrest. Judas complains of the expense of the oil, but Jesus just makes an oblique reference to his impending death.
Because Mary of Bethany was assumed to be the same person as Mary Magdalene for so long in the Roman Catholic Church, a lot of artwork depicts Mary Magdalene with her sister Martha. We are aware now that this is incorrect, but the artworks still exist.
What to Look For
- Physical similarities and differences between Mary and Martha (beauty, clothes, gaze, hands, etc.)
- Emotional similarities and differences between Mary and Martha
- Their relationship to Jesus, if he is depicted
Questions to Focus a General Interpretation
Does the artist cast a distinction between the ways Martha (active) and Mary (contemplative) of Bethany exercise their discipleship?
Does the artwork seem to depict either Martha or Mary as better than the other?
Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation
Do you find either Martha or Mary as they are depicted here to be someone you would like to imitate?
Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation
What might this artwork say about the roles of women in the artist’s time and place?
