Martha: a woman of faith who worked hard and often lost sight of what's more important

Everyone knows Martha. She often gets a bad rep as the active and pragmatic woman who was all work, work, work and never at a loss for words. There is a popular book called Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World which focuses on the busyness of Martha. As the oldest sibling, Martha was used to being in charge. She actively questioned, challenged and asked Jesus to rectify what she felt had gone wrong. Like Jacob, she wrestled with her faith. Like Job, she questioned Jesus in her suffering. Like Peter, she stumbled forward in faith despite her mistakes. Martha’s story points to what is really important in life. She learns that there is a proper time to listen to Jesus and a proper time to work for him. What is her story? Why would she focus on her work and not her guests? 

Martha lived with her brother, Lazarus, and her sister, Mary, in her home in Bethany, a village a few miles from Jerusalem. The siblings were close and intimate friends with Jesus. During one of his frequent visits, Martha becomes upset with Mary as her sister sits with Jesus and the men while Martha struggles to provide for the guests. Feeling ignored and unappreciated, Martha demanded that Jesus tell Mary to help her. She probably felt that Jesus was the only person who could get Mary on her feet and help Martha with the necessary preparations. However, Jesus did not do that. Instead, he gently rebukes Martha for her worry and focusing on the wrong things. While her properties were good, they were not the best at the time. The personal attention to her guests should be more important than the comfort she provides. Martha may have become embarrassed and startled as she did not realize that Jesus would turn the tables on her. Distracted by the need to serve, as was the custom of the day, Martha forgot to enjoy her time with her guest.

The work of women was clearly defined in Martha’s day. Women of the time kept busy with a variety of tasks from sunup and sundown. Their tasks probably included:

• Grinding grain for the daily bread, then mixing, kneading, and baking the bread

• Purchasing the meats or preparing meats from the household’s flocks for the day’s meals

• Carding, spinning and weaving threads for cloth (i.e. clothing, bedding and other uses)

• Sewing

• Drawing the day’s water

• Washing the dishes and laundry

• Teaching and disciplining the children

The list is not so different from today’s women and their responsibilities as wives and mothers. Tasks that become tedious, exhausting and overwhelming but are never not unimportant. Jesus’ words to Martha was not to mean that “women’s work” was unimportant and be left undone. However, these tasks should not take the place of daily and intimate contact with our families and the Lord. For example, when your child wants to color with you but you tell him no because there is laundry to fold. The laundry can wait for twenty minutes while you color a page with your child. I know from experience, it is easier said than done. It takes an active push to ignore certain tasks for the unplanned. 

Another interaction with Jesus, Martha greeted him with a mix of disappointment, grief and hope. After the illness and death of her brother, Martha ran to Jesus when she learned that he was approaching the village. She greets him with a complaint but faith as well. In John 11:21 says Martha greeted Jesus with “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” This statement shows that Martha deeply believed in Jesus and trusted that he came to do God’s will. What she didn’t understand is that Jesus has power over death, not just against death but over it. Through Jesus, death no longer has any power over us. We do not need to fear death any longer. Jesus responds to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25-26). She replies that she believes and her statement reveals a woman of deep faith. 

In conclusion, the more we delve into Martha’s story, the more she looks familiar. A woman who focuses on her own activity and not openly sitting with Jesus. She pleads for fairness without realizing that her vision of fairness was in fact, unfair. Her approach made life and faith too difficult. However, she loved Jesus and was confident in his love for her. How else could she find the courage to keep pressing him for answers? As her friend, Jesus helped her stretch her faith, refocus her vision and see the power of what God can do. Jesus meets us where we are and shows us where we should be. Like Martha, we can take our complaints, our questions and our doubts directly to Jesus. We can tell him what is bothering us and ask for his guidance to deal with or respond to any situation. 

Maiden Voyages: the amazing stories of the women who traveled aboard the magnificent ocean liners

Maiden Voyages: Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them by Siân Evans explores the women whose lives were transformed by the Golden Age of ocean liner travel between Europe and North America. During the early 20th century as transatlantic travel was dominated by the great ocean liners, many women undertook the journey. Some traveled for leisure, some traveled for work. Some traveled to reinvent themselves and find new opportunities. They were celebrities, migrants, refugees, aristocrats and crew members. The ocean liner was a snapshot of contemporary society, divided by class. From the A-listers of the day like Marlene Dietrich and Josephine Baker, to the steerage who sought to escape poverty. Ms. Evans sets out to bring their untold stories to light, to honor their trailblazing courage. 

Maiden Voyages is an engaging and informative book filled with the anecdotal social history of the women who crossed the Atlantic. Ms. Evans presents their stories in an engaging and fascinating portrait of these women’s amazing stories. Stories of women who went to work to support families, to escape pressures from society and seek adventure. I particularly enjoyed the story of Violet Jessop who survived several sinkings, including the Titanic, to be nicknamed “The Unsinkable Stewardess.” As well as the countless stewardesses who dared cross the Atlantic in war time, even after the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915  and became nurses on hospital ships in World War II. Ms. Evans also features the stories of the war brides who were brought to America on ships like the Queen Mary. I highly recommend Maiden Voyages. 

Maiden Voyages: 

Magnificent Ocean Liners and the Women Who Traveled and Worked Aboard Them 

will be available August 10, 2021 in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook.

If She Saw: a quick read but decent thriller

If She Saw by Blake Pierce is the second book in the Kate Wise series. Semi-retired and legendary FBI agent Kate Wise is enjoying life. She is spending time with her granddaughter and the blossoming relationship with her boyfriend when she is asked to take on another case when two couples are found brutally murdered in their homes with no motive. The only clue is a piece of a child’s blanket that is found at each crime scene. As Kate and her partner, Special Agent DeMarco, follow the clues, they realize they are on a race against time as the killer may strike again at any time. Are the victims chosen at random? Are they connected somehow? What is the meaning of the piece of cloth left behind?

If She Saw is a fast-paced thriller which will leave readers on the edge of their seats. Although I found the “false” suspects to be a bit too obvious, I enjoyed reading as Kate and DeMarco take every road that opens with each new clue and suspect. Kate does make one decision that I didn’t like and thought why she didn’t just say “I’ll start in the morning?” It is a decision she later regrets and wishes she did say just that. But I feel this makes Kate human. How many times have we made decisions in a split second only to realize it could have waited?  I look forward to reading the next titles in this series. There are currently seven books in this series. If you haven’t read the first book, If She Knew, I highly recommend picking it up. If you enjoy mystery thrillers, I recommend If She Saw.

If She Saw

is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Angels: what are they in the Bible and what purpose they serve in our lives today

Angels are supernatural heavenly beings created by God. While Scripture does not give a time of creation, but Job 38:7 implies they were created before the creation of man as they “shouted for joy” at God’s work. There are only two angels specifically named in the Bible. Gabriel, the messenger, and Michael, the archangel. While Scripture as a whole is silent regarding details of the time and cause of a rebellion leading to fallen angels, there are a few verses which reference it. 2 Peter 2:4 says that God sent the fallen angels to be bound up in hell. There is so much information about angels out there. I will try to be as concise and clear as I can. I will discuss what the Bible says about the angels’ descriptions, their work in heaven as well on earth, and their appearances in the Old and New Testaments. Lastly, I will cover evil angels and their purpose.

First, the descriptions of angels are limited; however, Scripture does give some details. There are a vast multitude of angels (Revelation 5:11). They are without a bodily organism; they often appear as men on multiple occasions. Jesus said they do not marry or die (Luke 20:34-36). They constitute a company rather than a race developed from an original pair. They possess superhuman intelligence; however, they are not omniscient. In Matthew 24:36, Jesus says that angels do not know the day or hour of his return and 1 Peter 1:12 says that the angels long to see what believers experience through Christ. They are stronger than man but not omnipotent. In 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Paul writes that powerful angels will appear with Christ at his second coming. 2 Peter 2:11 describes the angels are stronger and more powerful than man. Angels are distinct beings and are not glorified human beings. Hebrews 1:14 says that angels are ministering angels who will serve those who inherit salvation.

Second, angels work toward believers include a variety of tasks. They guide as described in Genesis 24:7 as an angel guided Abraham’s servant to find Isaac’s wife. They provide as described in 1 Kings 19:5-8 as angels provided Elijah food and drink as he fled from King Ahab and his queen, Jezebel, plot to kill him. They deliver men from harm. As in Daniel 6:22 as an angel protected Daniel from harm in the lion’s den. In Acts 12:7-10, an angel helped Peter escape from prison. They direct. In Acts 8:26, an angel sent Philip into the desert where he encountered the Ethiopian who needed help understand Scripture. They comfort. In Acts 24:23-24, an angel is sent to give Paul comfort as he sailed for Rome and trial before Caesar.  Angels work toward non-believers as well. Angels were sent to destroy Sodom for their sins (Genesis 19:13). When the Lord sent a plague on Israel and an angel stretched his hand out to destroy Jerusalem, the Lord told him to stop (2 Samuel 24:15-17). An angel struck down Herod Agrippa I when he did not praise God (Acts 12:23).

Third, angels had an important role in Jesus’ life too. An angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and announced Jesus’ conception (Matthew 1:20-21). Angels heralded his birth to shepherds in the field (Luke 2:8-15). Angels attended to Jesus after his temptation in the desert (Matthew 4:11). Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 3:16 that the angels witnesses his resurrection. In Matthew 28:1-7, an angel appeared to Mary Magdalene and Mary to proclaim his resurrection and show the women the empty tomb. Lastly, angels accompanied Jesus on his ascension to heaven (Acts 1: 9-11). Angels will play an important role in Jesus’ return to earth. Jesus said that angels will help “weed out everything that causes sin and all who do evil (Matthew 13:41) when he gave the explanation for his parable of the weeds. In doing so, angels will separate the wicked from the righteous (Matthew 13:49). An angel will be instrumental in binding Satan for a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-3).

Angels appeared to people many times in the Old Testament. Including the Old Testament instances I mentioned previous paragraphs, there are many stories of angels appear to individuals. Three angels came to Abraham and proclaimed that the same time the following year, his wife, Sarah, will have a son in her old age (Genesis 18:1-15). An angel appeared to Hagar, the maidservant, when she ran away from Sarah’s mistreatment (Genesis 16:7-8). Angels appeared to Lot at the Sodom city gate (Genesis 19:1) and hurried Lot and his family out of the city before its destruction (Genesis 19:15). Jacob has a dream of stairway of heaven which angels were ascending and descending on it (Genesis 28:12). An angel appeared to Moses in the flames of the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). An angel came to Joshua to give him God’s instruction to attack the city of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15). An angel appeared to all Israelites to remind them of God’s deliverance and his covenant (Judges 2:1-4). Gideon was given a special message from God by an angel (Judges 6:11-13). An angel appeared to the wife of Manoah to proclaim the coming of their son, Samson, after years of childlessness (Judges 13:2-5). Angels were active in the New Testament as well. Luke 1:26-38 states that the angel, Gabriel, appeared to Mary to deliver the message that she will give birth to a son. In Acts 5:19-20, an angel appeared during the night and opened the jail, freeing the apostles to continue to spread Jesus’ message. An angel appeared to a Roman centurion named Cornelius and told him to seek out Peter (Acts 10:3-8). The apostle John writes that the vision documented in Revelation was given to him by God through the angels he sent (Revelation 1:1).

Evil angels or demons are spirits whose purpose is to oppose God and try to defeat his will and frustrate his plans. Romans 8:38-39 states that nothing, not even demons, can separate believers from the love of God. The book of Job is a perfect example of demons hindering man physical and eternal welfare by a limited control over natural phenomena. In Job 1:12 states that the Lord allowed Satan to take everything from Job, but he was not allowed to physical touch him. His cattle was carried off by attackers (Job 1:13). Then the house where his children were feasting was destroyed by a mighty wind, killing everyone (Job 1:18-19). Demons often will inflict disease on believers. In Luke 13:11, 16 tells the story of Jesus healing a woman who had been “inflicted with a spirit for eighteen years (verse 11) and Jesus states it was Satan who bound her (verse 16). Demons will often be sent to tempt man to sin. In Matthew 4:3-10, Satan attempts to tempt Jesus to use his power to make bread from rocks. Whatever power demons have is limited by the permissive will of God.

In conclusion, angels are mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. Both good and bad angels, they serve a purpose in the will of God. You may be asking “well that’s great but does angels have to do with me?” Do you think God would stop using angels as his messengers? I don’t think so. Hebrews 13:2 says “do not forget to entertain strangers; for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” As I discussed above, many from the Bible entertained angels without realizing it until it was revealed to them. Entertaining or being hospitable is simply helping others feel comfortable and at home. With people coming in and out of our lives, never to be seen again, you never know if one of them was really an angel.  A customer, someone you pass on the street may be an angel passing through with a message, a reminder.

References

Zondervan New International Bible Dictionary

Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible