Martha was a follower of Jesus and the sister of Mary and Lazarus of Bethany. The Gospel of Luke tells a story of Martha welcoming Jesus into her home (Luke 10:38-42). While Martha distracted herself with work, Mary sat and listened to Jesus’s teachings. For this reason, in later times, Martha became the symbol of the active life and Mary became the symbol of the thoughtful life. The Gospel of John tells the story of Jesus raising Martha and Mary’s brother Lazarus from the dead. Then, while Martha served Jesus dinner, Mary anointed his feet with oil (John 11-12).
