The Maturity of Betania

"And they made him a supper there; Martha was serving, and Lazarus was one of those who sat at table with him. Then Mary took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped them with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment" (John 12:2-3).

Bethany was a village located about 3 kilometers from Jerusalem, where Martha, her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus lived. In spite of Jerusalem being the city of the Lord, where the temple was, which spoke of him in everything, it was in Bethany where Jesus met his friends. The name Bethany means "House of figs". In Jerusalem, represented by the fig tree (Matt. 21:19), the Lord did not find fruit, but in Bethany he did.

Bethany also clearly shows us the growth of the Lord's church. The first time Jesus was received in the house of Martha, Mary and Lazarus, he found his friends there, but still in various needs and very immature (Luke 10:38-42).

Jesus loved them, so he taught them. First of all Martha. She was very helpful, but in her immaturity she wanted Jesus and those with him to recognize her work. We need those who serve in the church, but at first we are very childish, and we want attention and recognition for our work.

In Luke 10, Lazarus is not mentioned. Why? In the Lord's church, only those who have resurrection life are counted. In John 11, we see how Jesus let his friend die, and then resurrected him. We also have to go through death. Without death there is no life in the church: "Thou fool, that which thou sowest shall not come to life, except it die first" (1 Cor. 15:36); "And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, He that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars, saith this, I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead" (Rev. 3:1).

The third character is Mary. Mary was sitting at Jesus' feet listening to his word. It is true that Mary's position was better than that of her two brothers, but the Lord teaches us something very important here as well. He teaches us here that we cannot be in the church only sitting at his feet listening to his word. It is also necessary to practice it. Many hear and hear, but do not put it into practice: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves" (James 1:22).

In Luke 10 we have the immature church of the Lord, but in John 12 we can see it mature. Martha continued to serve, but now doing it heartily for the Lord. Lazarus was now sitting with him at table, and Mary not only heard his word, but poured out her life at the feet of Jesus. May the Lord make us grow in grace and in the knowledge of him, so that he may find in us a mature Bethany.

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