There are hundreds of Bible characters, both good and bad, both prominent and minor. Sometimes, though, the ones mentioned the least teach the most important lessons. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, is only mentioned at a few brief moments throughout the New Testament. Mary was a woman who had her life the way it needed to be in the eyes of God. From her, I have learned several of the best life lessons: humility, how to keep my priorities in line, patience, and genuine love.
Imagine walking down dirt roads to go wherever you need to go. There are no cars, no bikes, and no paved paths. The shoes you wear are sandals; that is all you own. Just think what your feet would look and feel like after walking around all day in those conditions. This describes the normal scene of a day in Israel in Jesus’ time. The feet and shoes of every person were grimy and foul, which is why it is considered an insult in Israel, even today, to show the sole of a shoe to someone. That is the reason, also, why foot washing is a part of being hospitable and kind. In the town of Bethany, when Jesus ate with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, Mary was the one to wash His feet. Mary not only washed Jesus’ feet, but she used very valuable “oil of spikenard” (John 12:3) and then wiped them with her own hair! Mary of Bethany was a very humble woman; she knew her place in the presence of the Son of God. From Mary, I have learned that it is better to have humility than to be too proud. For this characteristic of Mary’s, Jesus spoke well of her. She never boasted about her own accomplishments or good works like the Pharisees. She never thought herself too good to wash the feet of her guest. I cannot picture a Pharisee getting down on their knees to wash Jesus’ feet, much less using expensive oil on them or letting their hair even touch the feet. Mary was a deeply obsequious woman, and I have attained the understanding that I should try to be the same.
Mary cared more about others than she ever could about herself; she was a selfless human being, and it would behoove any person to apply that lesson to their life. A person will have a miserable life if they cannot stop thinking about self. In Luke 10, when Mary and Martha invited Jesus into their home, Mary sat attentively at Jesus’ feet, listening, not trying to speak up for herself. When Martha complained that Mary was not helping her with the food, Jesus told Martha that “Mary ha[d] chosen the good part” (Luke 10: 42). Sometimes it is hard for me to just sit and listen without interrupting, but this story has shown me that sometimes, it is more important to just listen than to do anything. It also tells me that Mary had her priorities in the right order; Jesus was first in line. During the scene in which Mary anointed the feet of Jesus, using costly oil and her hair as a cloth, one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, reprimanded Mary for using such expensive oil when it could have been sold for money. On Judas’ list, money was obviously a higher priority than Jesus; that is a growing problem in today’s society, too. Jesus spoke up on Mary’s behalf because she had chosen the right path once again. Mary, through example, has informed me that my number one concern in life has to be getting to Heaven or I will not get there at all. No material items matter in the least to my eternal life. She has made me realize that it would be sinful to skip Church services for something like a party or a sports competition because that would be putting worldly concerns before God. After my physical body dies, it is not going to matter that I didn’t go to a friend’s 16th birthday party or didn’t win a fencing tournament. My goal in life is to go to Heaven and bring as many people with me as I can.
A third time Mary is mentioned is in Luke Chapter 11 at the death of her brother, Lazarus. Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that their brother was sick and, after staying two more days in the town where he was, Jesus departed for Judea where they were. Jesus already knew that Lazarus had died before he got there, and when He arrived, Lazarus had been dead for four days. Martha ran out to him before he got into the city, crying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21). Mary, on the other hand, waited inside the house until she was called for by Jesus. She was patient until called, and then she arose and went to Him, saying the same as Martha. Both women displayed their faith that Jesus could have saved Lazarus, but Mary was more patient about approaching Jesus than her sister. Both, this story and the story in which Mary sat and listened to Jesus, show her patience and show me that patience is a needed virtue in life. Patience can be very valuable to my spiritual life and to my happiness. If I am always awaiting the next physical thing to come and do not appreciate or acknowledge what I already have, I will have a miserable life. If I do not understand and attain the virtue of patience, then I can never understand God either. Prayers are not always answered instantaneously. Sometimes, God tells us we must wait to get what we pray for; now is not the right time. I must be patient and wait for it to come without living in misery until that time. Patience is essential while on earth to gain eternal life in Heaven after this world.
Mary is a great example of genuine love. I Corinthians 13 explains love, and love is not just a feeling. The Greek language has several different words for different types of love, whereas there is only one in the English language. The one used here is agape, or God-like, love. I Corinthians 13:4 states that “love does not parade itself [and] is not puffed up,” and that is exactly what Mary displays through her behavior recorded in the Bible. It also says that “love…is kind,” and kindness is doing little things just because it will help someone or make them happy, such as washing their dirt-covered feet. According to the Bible, “love does not behave itself rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked” (I Corinthians 13:5). There is never a record of Mary acting rudely; she is always portrayed as a woman who is kind and carries herself well. She is never seeking her own, never looking out for her own interests only but, rather, the interests of others. Mary, also, does not seem to be easily provoked - she does not anger quickly and does not have a bad temper. When Martha complained that Mary was not helping her with the food, Mary could have come back with some hurtful, witty, surly comment, but she did not. Her temper was under control, which ties in to verse 7 – love “bears all things,…endures all things.” An example of genuine love is what I see in Mary – each thing in the I Corinthians 13 list of what love is or is not matches Mary of Bethany perfectly.
Mary, the sister of Martha has demonstrated to me humility, prioritizing, patience, and love, all of which are absolutely vital to attain a home in Heaven eternally. Even though Mary is not mentioned as often as characters like Moses, Joshua, and David, there are some very important lessons to be learned from her. Mary would have been a wonderful friend if I had been living in her time. I would have wanted and liked being around and with her. Mary was a Godly woman and spoken well of by Jesus on more than one occasion. It is my wish that I will be praised by the Lord as well.
