Martha, Mary, and Lazarus: Friends of Jesus

On July 29, the memory of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany is celebrated. Here’s why these saints were among Jesus’ dearest friends.

In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared July 30 as the International Day of Friendship.

The goal of this observance is to promote friendship not only among individuals but also between countries and peoples, through cultural exchanges and the sharing of values and behaviours that can lead to lasting and fruitful peace for all.

On July 29, Pope Francis established that the General Roman Calendar should commemorate Saints Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. Previously, this date marked the memory of Saint Martha alone, but the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments strongly advocated for this change, which the Pope ensured was implemented.

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The reason behind this decision was the evangelical significance attributed to the three siblings for hosting Jesus in their home, welcoming Him as a friend, and trusting His words with full faith and loyalty.

But who were these three siblings living in the village of Bethany near Jerusalem?

Martha of Bethany (Tamar) mainly took care of household chores: While they were on their way, (Jesus) entered a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. (Luke 10:38-40)

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Martha complained to Jesus because she was working while her sister Mary (Miryām) had stopped to listen to Him, but Jesus answered her: “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Of Lazarus (Eleazar or Eliezer), we know well the story of his death and resurrection by the will of Jesus in the Gospel according to John (11:1-44): Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, pleaded for Jesus’s help, who went to the tomb and brought the man back from the dead.

Martha and Mary: Two Faces of Hospitality

In the Gospel of Luke, we already see a distinction between the two sisters. Both express two ways of loving and following Jesus Christ: Martha does so with care, hosting and attending to Him as a family member, while Mary sits at His feet and listens to Him. Both approaches are valid, both are ways to show love and friendship to the Lord.

Martha with her attentiveness, Mary with her listening and reverence, and Lazarus with his silent affection and trust in Jesus’ words embody three ways of loving and following Him. Their faith is both contemplative and active, demonstrated through gestures. According to the Golden Legend, after Jesus’ death, the three siblings of Bethany went to France to preach His word, with Lazarus becoming the first bishop of Marseille. Another tradition holds that Lazarus was condemned to death by the priests because his resurrection had made him a living proof of Jesus’ power.

It is precisely this blend of hospitality—offering food, warmth, and tranquility—and absolute devotion that led Pope Francis to recognize all three siblings of Bethany as worthy of being remembered and celebrated as friends of Jesus.

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The Doubts About the Sinner

To understand why this recognition took so long, we must also consider the confusion about the identity of the sinner, the prostitute who washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. For centuries, this figure was conflated with Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, preventing the latter from being accorded equal dignity with her sister Martha. Recent studies have shown that although Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, also anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive oil and wiped them with her hair, angering Judas (John 12:1-8), she was not the presumed sinner.

Ultimately, true friendship should be characterized by affection and sharing, by the understanding that we can find in someone who is not family a home, a refuge, a place where we feel accepted. Friendship is unconditional love, a precious asset that should be present in everyone’s life. Jesus understood this well, and that’s why He tenderly loved His friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus of Bethany.

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