Daily Word: John 11:19-27 – I Am the Resurrection and the Life | Wednesday, July 29 (Sts. Martha, Mary & Lazarus)
Martha's profession of faith in the face of death reveals the heart of the Gospel. A 4-minute reflection on the Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.
DAILY WORD
spwworship
7/29/20264 min read
Scripture Reference: John 11:19-27 (Memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus)
“Martha said to him, ‘I know that he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?’ She said to him, ‘Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.’” (John 11:24-27)
Bethany was a village of sorrow that day. The tomb was still fresh. Four days had passed since Lazarus, the beloved brother of Martha and Mary, had been laid to rest. Mourners filled the house, offering the hollow comfort of ritual. And Martha, the woman of action, the one who could not sit still when there was work to be done, heard that Jesus was approaching.
She did not wait for Him to come to her. She went out to meet Him. Her first words were not a greeting; they were a gentle, grief-stricken reproach: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
But she did not stop there. She added: “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
In the shadow of death, Martha made the most extraordinary profession of faith in the entire Gospel. And Jesus responded with the most extraordinary revelation: “I am the resurrection and the life.”
The Family of Bethany: A School of Discipleship
The household of Bethany occupies a unique place in the memory of the Church. As the Vatican decree of 2021 affirms, “In the home of Bethany, the Lord Jesus experienced the family spirit and friendship of Martha, Mary and Lazarus; for this reason, the Gospel of St. John states that He loved them”. It was in this humble home, a short walk from Jerusalem, that Jesus found rest, friendship, and a love that was not seeking anything from Him.
For centuries, the Latin Church commemorated only Martha on July 29. But in 2021, Pope Francis, recognizing the “important evangelical witness” of all three siblings, established the joint memorial of Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus in the General Roman Calendar. Together, they reveal the three dimensions of discipleship:
Martha: generous hospitality and active service
Mary: attentive listening and contemplative love
Lazarus: the one who emerged from the tomb, a living sign of Christ's power over death
They are the Church in miniature: the one who serves, the one who listens, and the one who is raised from the dead.
Martha: The Disciple Who Professed Her Faith
In today's Gospel, Martha is not the anxious, distracted woman of Luke's account (Luke 10:38-42). She is a woman of unshakable faith. When Jesus tells her that her brother will rise, she responds with a theological confession: “I know that he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” She believed in the promise. She trusted in the future.
But Jesus does not leave her in the future. He pulls her into the present: “I am the resurrection and the life.” Not “I will bring resurrection” or “I will give life.” He is the resurrection. He is the life. The power of the resurrection is not something that will happen at the end of time; it is a Person standing before her, in the dust of Bethany.
And then He asks the question that He asks every soul: “Do you believe this?”
Martha does not hesitate. She responds with one of the most complete professions of faith in Scripture: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”
This is the faith of the Church. It is not a vague hope; it is a personal encounter with the One who has conquered death.
The Three Dimensions of Discipleship
The three siblings of Bethany each offer a unique gift to the Church:
1. Martha: The Active Life
Martha is the model of those who serve Christ in the concrete needs of others. “Martha generously offered him hospitality,” as the liturgical texts remind us. She teaches us that faith without works is dead, and that love for God must express itself in love for neighbor.
2. Mary: The Contemplative Life
Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus, teaches us the priority of listening. She chose the “better part,” as Jesus Himself affirmed (Luke 10:42). Her contemplation is not an escape from the world but the source from which all fruitful action flows.
3. Lazarus: The Sign of the Resurrection
Lazarus, who “promptly emerged from the tomb at the command of the One who humiliated death”, is a living testimony that Jesus is the Lord of life. His resurrection is a sign and a promise of our own.
Together, they show us that the Christian life is not a choice between action and contemplation, but a harmonious integration of both.
What This Means for Your Wednesday
Today, Jesus asks you the same question He asked Martha: “Do you believe this?”
In the face of death — the death of a loved one, the death of a dream, the death of a relationship — do you believe that He is the resurrection?
In the face of grief — when the tomb seems sealed and hope seems distant — do you trust that He is the life?
In the face of uncertainty — when the future is dark and the present is painful — do you confess with Martha: “You are the Christ, the Son of God”?
And how are you living your discipleship?
Are you like Martha, serving Christ in the needs of others, offering hospitality and care?
Are you like Mary, sitting at His feet, listening to His word, choosing the better part?
Are you like Lazarus, emerging from the tomb, bearing witness to the One who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light?
The family of Bethany is your family. They are not distant saints; they are companions on the journey. And they invite you, today, to make your own profession of faith: “Lord, I believe that You are the resurrection and the life.”
"To inspire your day, listen to the following song:"
A Short Prayer
Lord Jesus, You are the resurrection and the life. With Martha, I confess that You are the Christ, the Son of God. With Mary, I choose to sit at Your feet and listen to Your word. With Lazarus, I rise from the tomb of my sin and follow You. Let the family of Bethany inspire my life — active service, contemplative love, and unshakable faith in the One who has conquered death. Amen.
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