Mary of Bethany
By Jaclyn Binnewies, Class of 2025 – Biblical Studies
Woman, made in the image of God, alongside the man, is a necessary element of the
design God established in the beginning account. Purposed for communion with Him, both
woman and man were created equal, displaying the glory of God in ways that compliment one
another. While quite the messy topic in the world of religion, I am tempted to think that it is as
simple as it is written in Genesis 1:27—
So God created humans in his image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
In Scripture, there are many examples of women acting in exemplary ways in their faith, thus putting forth a role model for believers throughout the ages. It is a discussion that can and must continue for the ages to come and is gaining more traction as time goes on. Mary of Bethany is one of these women, faithful and fixed on Jesus, grasping the weight of his presence in a capacity often times greater than that of the disciples (this is said not to compare, but rather recognize what has been disregarded for far too long). Walking through several scenes that include Mary of Bethany, the fruit of her character is explored and detailed for the benefit of the reader.
Mary + Martha
A particularly popular yet confused scene in the Gospels, Luke 10:38–42 is one that
carries a common interpretation that I argue is far off course from the true intention of the
scripture. A short yet significant passage, these few sentences have been applied to women and
their roles for years.
Jesus is invited into a home at Bethany by Martha, sister of Lazarus and Mary. While
Jesus spoke, Mary sat at his feet as Martha made preparations for their guest (v. 39). Quite
understandably frustrated by what feels like her sister’s ignorance (as I believe all of us have
been in the shoes of Martha in one way or another), Martha asks Jesus why he doesn’t care about
all her work, and then proceeds to tell him to command Mary to work alongside her (v. 40).
There have been various reactions to this moment in the account, but it would be amiss to claim
that this is not a known frustration for many. While her outburst may have ultimately been a poor
choice, it is an understandable one, as we are beings that value teamwork and integrity.
In v. 41, Jesus responds to Martha, explaining that she is “worried and distracted by many
things,” an admittedly hard thing to hear while preparing comforts for a guest. Jesus continues on
in v. 42, confronting Martha’s worry with the reality that very little is needed to be focused on,
and “indeed only one.”
How tangible is this moment for many throughout time? I, myself, have fallen into the
perception that I cannot keep up with all that is to be completed, losing myself in details that I
have created for myself. While there are times that life is legitimately overrun with much to be
done, there are many times that moments become events because of how we’d like them to turn
out. Halfway through my final semester of college (I actually am struggling to comprehend this),
my to-do list is packed but doable, yet appears overwhelming because of the pressure I have
placed upon it to be just so. In reality, I just need to work with integrity and quality to graduate.
We as humans have been given the gift of creativity and handcraft, but in these we can
often lose sight of the goal. I’d argue that Martha may have found herself in this place. It is
important to note and understand that both Mary and Martha were being faithful in this scene—
Mary through listening and Martha through service. The account took a turn when Martha placed
her act of faith over Mary’s, insisting that it was of higher importance and must be participated
in. In this scene, Jesus does not fault Martha’s service but rather her distress and distraction over
the matter. Therefore, Mary has chosen the “better part,” which is her gaze upon the LORD (v.
42).
Mary Anoints Jesus
John 12:1–8 tells of the scene of Mary anointing the feet of Jesus during a meal, weeping as she
did so. While all Gospels retell this account, only in the book of John is it accredited to Mary.
Having poured expensive perfume upon Jesus, Mary is met with an outcry from Judas, a thief
(this outburst is accredited to different disciples in the other Gospels). He claims that this gift
could have been sold for money to give to the poor, unsuccessfully disguising his selfish motive
in the eyes of Jesus (vv. 3-5).
Amidst Judas’ verbal disapproval of Mary, Jesus reestablishes her in the scene as
honorable, as she has grasped the weight of the impending sacrifice of his body. He responds to
Judas, “‘Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You
will always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me’” (vv. 7–8). Moving with
confidence and reverence, Mary is fixed upon the LORD before her, whereas the many around
her are blinded by momentary distractions.
Mary’s Gaze
Particularly in a society of hurry, distractions, and self-dependence, focus is a concept that is
regularly challenged throughout the day of the individual. It is unfortunately easy to focus on the
swarming, fleeting matters that act as a distraction from what is key. As seen above, the
misplacement of gaze was a difficulty well known many generations ago. Mary of Bethany
illustrates for both the ancient and modern believer what it is to institute a mind that is
preoccupied on the eternal and unshaking presence and character of the LORD. She and
numerous women represented in the Scriptures commendably teach faithfulness for the many
generations of believers.
