Mary and Martha - Friends of Jesus
I think sometimes we get so caught up in whether we’re Mary or Martha, that we forget one of the things that further tied these two sisters together and included them in the historical accounts of our Lord Jesus before he was crucified and then resurrected.
They were his friends, along with their brother Lazarus. Both Luke and John corroborate this in their accounts in the bible. Martha was reported as being the head of the household so the natural assumption is that Mary was a younger sister. The family positioning alone would have contributed to their different personalities, i.e. the older and younger siblings. It is common for an older sibling to take control and run things and for the younger one to help or find something else to do. It’s also common for younger siblings to seek out something different to do so they’re not seen to be like the older one. At least in modern times that seems to be the case.
It is important that whoever we are, whatever we’re doing, we must remember our position in Christ and that He is also our friend. He has an interest in who we are, what we do, where we go, and what makes us happy and what worries us. And that the people around us are the ones we’re meant to be serving and helping. Because, after all, He is also within us and we represent Christ through our daily lives - whether we’re a Mary or a Martha. KMT