Martha (11 page)

Lazarus went toward the village to see a neighbor about repairing a wall, and Mary returned to the house to finish carding the wool from their sheep. Later she would spin it into thread, then tomorrow she and Martha would dye the thread for the loom.

Martha remained at the gate, looking down the road and wondering what Jesus had meant. Who was she watc
hing for?

 15 

In the month of Adar, the main rains were over. It was early spring. The fields of flax were ready for the harvest and the almond trees were in blossom. The sun shone warmly on the village as Martha returned from the shop of the potter. She needed a new cooking pot, for the old one had cracked beyond repair. She stopped at the garden and gathered some herbs. As she reached her gate, she set the pot down to open the gate and, hearing voices, looked up to see two men coming down the road. They were some distance away. She smiled to herself. It was hard to miss the size and build of Nathan the blacksmith. He was returning to Bethany after a long absence. Men had needed his skills and were forced to go to the next village to have tools repaired. He would be welcomed back. She was glad to see their family friend again. She couldn't make out the identity of the other man and stood shading her eyes from the sun to see him better. There was also something familiar about him, the way he walked . . . she couldn't put her finger on why, but she felt she knew him.

As the men approached, Nathan stopped and greeted her with a puzzled look on his face. “Good morning.” He seemed surprised to see her. Then she remembered the day he left and his warning. He'd known about her liaison with Thaddeus. Nathan had been gone. He didn't know. She smiled at him and answered, “Good morning, Nathan. The men of the village will be glad you have returned.”

Then she turned to his companion, and as he flung back the hood of his cloak, the basket of herbs slipped from her fingers and scattered on the ground.

Simon!

For once Martha had no words. He was not wearing the veil over his face nor was there any sign of his illness. He looked hale and hardy—his old self—yet instinctively she took a step backward.

“No need to fear me, Martha. I no longer have leprosy. I found Jesus in Galilee.” He shook his head. “He seemed almost to be expecting me. He touched me and the leprosy was gone.”

Martha's eyes widened at his words as she realized it was true. There was no sign of the leprosy. His skin was normal and his face and arms brown from the sun but without spots or lesions.

“Oh Simon, how wonderful for you!” she cried. Her heart nearly burst with joy, realizing what this would mean to his family and to her dear friend, Esther. She turned back to Nathan as he spoke, and his voice was softer.

“I am glad you are still here. You made the right choice then, didn't you?” he said.

She lifted her chin. “There was no choice to make, Nathan. My friend died in battle.” She could say it matter-of-factly now, without the deep pain. Thaddeus was with God.

His eyes widened with surprise but only for a moment, then he nodded sagely. There was no judgment on his countenance.

She turned to Simon. “How did you and Nathan meet?”

“He was heading for Jerusalem and home. I recognized him and called out. When he heard my story, he welcomed me as a brother and bought me some food. He also bought me some clothes so I would be presentable to my family. Nathan has walked the rest of the journey with me.”

Martha had not missed the word “brother.” She turned to their old friend. “Are you a believer, Nathan?”

His eyes shone, the fierceness of his former countenance gone. “I saw Jesus in Bethsaida and watched miracle after miracle. I believe he is the Messiah. The one we have looked for so long. Yes, I am a believer.”

She put a hand on his arm. “We are also believers, Nathan. Jesus and his disciples have stayed at our home. We too believe he is the Messiah.”

Nathan nodded his head vigorously. “That is good news. Many changes have occurred since I left.”

Simon moved restlessly, impatient to be off, and she knew he was anxious to see his wife and family again.

Martha nodded. “There is joy in our village today. God has done a wondrous thing. Hurry to your family, Simon.”

As the two men continued down the street, there were voices calling out as neighbors recognized Simon. People came out of their homes and crowded around him. Martha hurried into the courtyard and found Mary. When she told her who she'd been speaking with, Mary could hardly contain her joy. She was almost dancing as she followed Martha out to the road where people swarmed behind Simon as he neared his house. They didn't want to miss this.

Judith stepped out into the street to see what was happening. When she saw Simon, she clasped a hand to her mouth, staring at him as though he were a ghost.

“I am healed, wife. There is no more leprosy.”

When she finally found her voice, Judith could only cry out, “Simon!” before falling into his arms. The women of the village, including Martha and Mary, wept openly, and even burly Nathan had tears in his eyes. Chloe came out to the gate, and when she realized who it was, hung back, not sure what to do.

Mary hurried to her side. “Your father-in-law has returned to his family. He is healed.”

Judith, through her tears, murmured, “Tobias is in the fields.”

“I will go and find him,” someone called out. The crowd parted as the runner sprinted toward the fields of flax that were ripening in warm sun.

The men came in from the fields all around, and in a few moments, Tobias was striding down the street. When he saw his father, he broke into a run and was clasped to his father's chest.

“Father, oh Father. You are home at last,” Tobias cried with tears streaming down his face.

Neighbors crowded around, clapping Simon on the back and praising God for his goodness and mercy.

“Tell us what happened,” Shaul asked.

The villagers quieted down and looked at Simon expectantly. They didn't want to miss a word.

Simon stood with his arms around his wife and his son. “I was near the Sea of Galilee and heard about this rabbi, Jesus, who was performing miracles and healing people of all kinds of diseases and infirmities. When I learned he was coming near where I was, I went and without thinking of my status as a leper, flung myself down at his feet. He asked me what I wanted him to do. I said, ‘I want to be healed so I can return to my family.' He asked me if I believed he could heal me.”

Martha remembered the same words Jesus had spoken to others before he healed them. Believing played a great part in healing, she determined.

Simon continued. “He reached out and touched me. He had no qualms about touching a leper. He just smiled and touched me. Instantly I felt heat go through my body and I looked at my hands that were whole again. The flesh was as if I'd never had leprosy. I knew I was healed totally and fell down at his feet. He lifted me up and said, ‘Return to Bethany, to your family, Simon.' He knew who I was. Is this not the Son of God? The Messiah?” Simon looked around at his neighbors, who were nodding their heads and murmuring assent. How could they not believe when this marvelous miracle had been done? Were they not witnesses to the day Simon had left them and sadly walked away? Now here he was, restored to health and returned to his family.

“Have you been declared healed, Simon?” This from one of the village elders.

“Yes, I have been to the priest in Jerusalem, and he has declared me whole again and given permission to return to my home and family.” He waved his arm at his friends. “Let us celebrate and rejoice at God's goodness.”

The women hurried home to gather food and the festivities began. They sang, ate, and danced until nearly dark. Even Nathan joined the men as arm in arm they moved in a line to the music. Martha was amazed at the change in Nathan. He laughed and danced, and Martha was surprised. Nathan was almost handsome.

As the people dispersed to their homes at last, Tobias and Simon saw them out the gate and thanked them for sharing in their joy.

Lazarus had joined them when he heard the news and embraced his friend Tobias. “God has seen his affliction, and rendered his mercy.”

Martha, Mary, and Lazarus finally started home. Lazarus carried an oil lamp he'd borrowed from Tobias. When at last they reached their home, Martha picked up the basket and the wilted herbs from the stone step in front of the gate and Lazarus brought in her new cooking pot. It had been a day to remember.

Mary unrolled her pallet, her face still shining with the excitement. She turned to Martha for a moment. “I'm not sure I can handle any more miracles. It takes one's energy.” She gave her sister a wry smile and wished her good night.

It was only when she settled herself to sleep that night that Martha remembered the words of Jesus. “Keep watching the road, I am sending someone who will bring you great joy.”

It had indeed been a day of great joy. Suddenly she sat up. Esther! She and Micah were in Bethlehem. She had not seen them since the Passover nearly two months before when they had come with their small baby son they had named Zeri.

Martha smiled at the memory. How Judith had rejoiced in the pleasure of having a grandson.

Tobias had chortled. “I'm an uncle, and soon I'll be a father myself.” His wife Chloe was expecting a child in a few months. Everyone took turns holding the baby. As Mary held the baby, she told Esther and Micah about Jesus's visits to their home and shared stories of the miracles he had wrought.

Micah stroked his beard. “I would hear this man. Surely a man who can do such things is sent from God.”

“He was here, Micah, at the home of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. We heard him ourselves. When he comes again, we will try to send you word.”

Martha, watching her sister cuddle the baby and coo to him, suddenly realized again that Mary was eligible for marriage. Then another thought occurred to her. Mary could have children. There were eligible young men in their village. Yet another thought inserted itself. Mary was in love with Thomas. Her face lit up like a menorah whenever she saw him. It was hopeless, but what could she say? Mary would have to come to that conclusion herself.

Esther placed the baby in Martha's arms, and as she looked down, the child seemed to study her intently. Then he smiled and her heart overflowed. How good it felt to hold a child in her arms. For a moment she saw the earnest face of Thaddeus in her mind, telling her about the villa in Cyprus and what a good place it was to raise a family. She clasped the small bundle to her heart and willed the thoughts away. He was gone and with him the dream of children of her own. She looked up and saw Esther watching her with a sad, sweet smile of understanding. Martha smiled back. She kissed little Zeri and handed him reluctantly to Judith, who waited anxiously to hold her grandson again.

Micah beamed with pride, overjoyed to have a son at last. He and Tobias laughed and celebrated as Tobias clapped him on the back, congratulating him. Martha rolled her eyes. You'd think Micah had produced this baby all by himself.

When Micah and Esther had to return home, Martha felt the loneliness sweep over her heart again. Then she looked over at Chloe. She'd almost forgotten. Soon there would be another child to hold and cuddle.

Now as she lay on her pallet and thought of her friend, Martha realized someone must send Esther and Micah word at once. Esther's father was healed and had returned home. The whole village had celebrated Simon's healing, but Esther didn't know. She looked over at Lazarus. “Brother, someone must go to Bethlehem and bring Esther.”

He yawned and with a voice heavy with sleep, murmured, “Someone has already gone. They will reach Bethlehem tomorrow.”

She lay back down but looked at the ceiling for a long time. So much had happened. What would tomorrow hold, and when would they see Jesus again?

 16 

In the month of Tishri, at the beginning of the first fall rains, Martha learned Jesus had come quietly to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. Yom Kippur had ended and at the beginning of the Feast, five days later, her family had obeyed the Word of the Lord and lived in a shelter made of palm branches and woven coverings for seven days. She loved the joyous celebration in Jerusalem and knew it spread to all the towns and villages as God's people observed this sacred holiday. Lazarus returned from Jerusalem and told Martha that over seventy oxen had been sacrificed in the Temple.

Now, as Martha folded the coverings and Lazarus took the booth apart for another year, Mary came back from the village well. “Word is spreading through the village. Now that the Feast of Tabernacles has ended, Jesus will be teaching again at the Temple.”

Martha sighed. “That will mean more crowds to hear his teaching.” She'd observed that while many came for enlightenment or healing, most came out of curiosity.

Mary agreed. “They hope to see one of his miracles.”

Martha and Lazarus made plans to travel into Jerusalem to hear the Master. This time Mary would accompany them.

It was a two-mile walk to the city with Lazarus striding out eagerly, causing Martha and Mary to hurry to keep up with him. By the time they reached the steps to the Temple and found a place to stand to hear Jesus, Martha was out of breath. She glared at her brother, to no avail.

Jesus was in the middle of teaching on forgiveness when there was an interruption and the people parted, murmuring to themselves as a group of scribes and Pharisees strode up to Jesus, dragging a young woman with torn clothing. The girl was weeping and trying to cover herself with her arms when they threw her down in front of Jesus. She slowly, painfully struggled to rise and ended up on her knees before Jesus.

One of the Pharisees stepped forward, a sneer on his face. Martha was startled by their angry mood. The faces of the men with him were hard, and there was something else, a sense of anticipation. They were almost licking their lips, their eyes intensely focused on Jesus.

“Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of adultery.”

Martha was irate and looked around. “Where is the man who committed this act with her?”

Lazarus gave her a sharp look that suggested silence.

The Pharisee went on. “Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. What do you say?”

The crowd seemed to Martha to wait with almost palpable silence for his answer. Yet he said not a word; he merely stooped down and wrote on the ground as if he hadn't heard them.

When they continued pressing their question, he raised himself up and looked at the group of men, his expression one of pity.

“He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” He then stooped down and again wrote on the ground.

The group of scribes and Pharisees reacted as though they had been struck. They turned to each other with startled looks on their faces.

“What kind of an answer was that?” one of the scribes whispered.

Someone in the crowd began to chuckle and a titter spread through the courtyard. The scribes on the outside of the group turned and walked hastily away. One by one the other men in their group followed them until the one Pharisee who had led the delegation flung up one hand in exasperation and stalked out of the courtyard.

Then all eyes turned to Jesus and the young woman who knelt with her head down in front of him.

Jesus raised himself and looked after the retreating scribes and Pharisees. “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”

The woman answered fearfully, “No one, Lord.”

Jesus reached out and lifted her chin so that she could look into his eyes.

“Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” He scanned the crowd as if looking for something, and finally a young woman stepped forward, offering her cloak to the trembling woman who stood before Jesus. He thanked her and covered the girl's bare shoulders.

“Thank you,” the girl whispered. She slowly stood up and straightened herself and with her eyes never leaving Jesus's face, nodded slowly. Then she turned and with her head up, and a light in her eyes, walked through the crowd that parted almost respectfully as she passed by.

Jesus resumed his teaching but was interrupted again by another Pharisee. “You bear witness of yourself, your witness is not true.”

He looked at the man for a moment. “Even if I bear witness of myself, my witness is true, for I know where I came from and where I am going; but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one. And yet, if I do judge, my judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I am with the Father who sent me. It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. I am One who bears witness of myself, and the Father who sent me bears witness of me.”

Another Pharisee scoffed. “Where is your Father?”

“You know neither me nor my Father. If you had known me, you would have known the Father also.”

Mary turned to Lazarus. “They heckle him. Will they try to arrest him?”

He shook his head. “They are just testing him. I don't think they will do anything with all the people present.”

After another session of words with the Pharisees, Jesus shook his head. “I am going away, and you will seek me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.”

The leaders standing near Martha murmured to themselves. “Will he kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I go you cannot come'?”

Jesus answered their thoughts. “You are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

“Who are you?” someone in the crowd called out.

“Just what I have been saying to you from the beginning. I have many things to say and to judge concerning you, but he who sent me is true, and I speak to the world those things which I heard from him.”

People were shaking their heads. Martha listened along with her brother and sister and tried to understand what he was saying.

Jesus spoke again. “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father taught me, I speak these things. And he who sent me is with me. The Father has not left me alone, for I always do those things that please him.”

Thinking of all the miracles he'd done, and listening to him, not only in their home but here, Martha affirmed to herself,
He is the Messiah. The One we have waited for all these many years.

As another of the religious leaders began to question Jesus, he leaned over to Thomas and whispered something. Thomas smiled, nodded, and slipped through the crowd to where Martha, Mary, and Lazarus stood.

Thomas reached Mary's side. “The Master requests me to tell you he wishes to come to your house tonight.”

The two young people stood for a moment looking at each other before Mary found her voice. “Thank you, Thomas, we will be glad to have him . . . and all of you too.”

Thomas reluctantly left Mary's side to return to be near Jesus. The disciples were grouped around, not enough to keep him from the people, but to observe the crowd with watchful eyes, ever protective of their Master.

Martha and her family needed to return home, for there was work to be done. She was already planning the meal in her head. At Lazarus's signal, the three slipped through the crowd and were soon out of the city on the road to Bethany.

The two sisters worked feverishly to make sure the house was ready. Lazarus returned to the fields to check the barley planting, but when he came to the house at the end of the day, he was nearly ready to return to the fields.

“Martha, Jesus is coming to see us as a friend. He is not going to inspect our house for dust.”

She made a face at him and went on vigorously sweeping the courtyard and sent Mary to take inventory of their storeroom, to see what they had on hand.

Lazarus tried to stay out of the way of his sister's zealous efforts, and it was almost with relief when he responded to a familiar voice at the gate and welcomed the Master into the courtyard.

Not wanting to attract a crowd, Jesus wore a dark cloak and brought only three of his disciples, Thomas, Matthew, and Judas Iscariot. Martha learned the others were again with their families in Jerusalem. The small band greeted the family warmly—with the exception of Judas Iscariot. His smile did not reach his eyes as he dipped his head in acknowledgment and then slipped past them to sit in a quiet corner again. Martha looked after him a moment, but with so much to do she returned to her tasks. Over Mary's whispered protests, Martha sent her again to check the storeroom.

Simon, his wife Judith, Tobias, and Chloe, as well as their friend Nathan, were quietly summoned, and they slipped into the courtyard after darkness had fallen. Martha's small courtyard could not contain all the villagers who would crowd in to see and hear Jesus if they knew he was there.

Martha brought fresh-baked bread out of the oven with the wooden paddles and slid it onto the table to cool. A bowl of fresh fava beans, simmered to tenderness, was poured into a bowl with onions, olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and cumin. She added a dash of salt and placed it on the table along with a bowl of brine-cured olives. Millet had been cooked with dried almonds, raisins, and small green onions. She had added chicken to their usual lentil stew and the aroma of the various dishes filled the courtyard. Just then, she looked for Mary to have her put the wooden platters on the table, but her sister was nowhere in sight.

Martha frowned. Where could she have gone? With the group of men gathered around Jesus, Martha had to look twice before spotting Mary sitting at the Master's feet, listening intently to his words. Indignation rose up in her breast.
Am I to feed these men all by myself?
She strode over to the group gathered in the shady side of the courtyard and, without thinking, interrupted Jesus as he was talking on prayer.

“Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Please, tell her to help me.”

Jesus paused and looked up, his dark eyes taking in her expression as she stood with her hands on her hips. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he looked from Martha to her sister.

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away.”

She took a step backward, feeling the rebuke, and struggled to retain her composure. Tears of frustration threatened to escape her eyes, and she held them back by sheer willpower. Slowly she sank down on a nearby bench, unsure of what to do.

Mary looked at her sister with a gentle smile. “Jesus was telling us about prayer and the prayer he's taught his disciples.”

Martha took a deep breath and, seeing no condemnation in the eyes of Jesus, ventured, “I . . . I would like to hear that prayer.”

Jesus seemed pleased with her request. “The prayer I've taught them is this: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”

Martha contemplated the words. “That is a good prayer, Lord. I will remember it.” She rose almost timidly and spread one hand toward the table. “I pray you, come and partake of the meal, refresh yourselves.”

Mary rose quickly then and brought the bowls of water so they could all wash their hands.

Once again, talk flowed around the table of the places they had been and the miracles Jesus had done.

Matthew spoke up. “We thought there would be retaliation by the Sanhedrin when the Master healed a blind man the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. It was the Sabbath and the man had been born blind.”