Lent 2025 Day 8

Martha of Bethany, Hostess and Proclaimer
John 11 | Job 1

Martha of Bethany is often remembered as the woman who busied herself with hospitality while her sister Mary sat at Jesus' feet. But in John 11, we see another side of Martha—a woman of deep faith, resilience, and boldness in the face of grief. When her brother Lazarus dies, Martha meets Jesus on the road, carrying both her sorrow and her conviction. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died," she says. It is not just an expression of loss; it is a statement of trust—trust that Jesus has power over life and death. And when Jesus asks if she believes in the resurrection, Martha responds with one of the strongest declarations of faith in the Gospels: "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God."

Her faith echoes that of Job, who, after losing everything—his children, his wealth, his health—still declares, "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Job’s faith is not naive; it is raw, shaped by suffering and deep wrestling with God. Like Job, Martha does not deny her pain, but she refuses to let it define her relationship with God. She grieves, she questions, she hopes—and in doing so, she models a faith that is honest, unshaken, and deeply relational.

What makes Martha’s faith so remarkable is that it is not passive. She does not simply accept suffering without seeking Jesus. She runs to meet Him. She does not sit idly in her grief—she engages with it, bringing her pain directly to Christ, asking hard questions while still believing. This kind of faith—one that holds space for both lament and trust—is what sustains us in times of trial. It is not about blind submission, but about the willingness to stay in relationship with God even when life feels uncertain.

In many ways, Martha’s story is a story of resurrection before the resurrection. She declares her belief in Jesus as the Messiah before she sees Lazarus raised. She trusts in the promise of new life even while standing in the shadow of death. And when Jesus does call Lazarus out of the tomb, it is a confirmation of what Martha already knew deep in her soul—God is faithful, even in the face of loss.

Lent is a season where we, too, bring our grief, questions, and trust before God. Martha reminds us that faith is not about having all the answers—it is about showing up, even in the midst of sorrow, and declaring, "Yes, Lord, I believe." She challenges us to meet Jesus in our deepest losses and to trust that even in death, resurrection is possible.

Reflection:

• How do you relate to Martha’s faith in times of grief or disappointment? 
• What does it mean for you to say, "Yes, Lord, I believe," even when life feels uncertain? 
• Where do you see the promise of resurrection—hope beyond despair—at work in your life? 
• How can you practice bringing your struggles directly to Jesus, as Martha did? 

Breath Prayer: Inhale: Yes, Lord, I believe… Exhale: …Even in my sorrow.

May this Lenten season deepen our faith, like Martha’s—a faith that grieves, wrestles, and still declares the hope of resurrection.
Amen.