sister. To the man, Jesus said to go and do; to the woman, Jesus said to sit down, listen, and learn. Only Luke relates this episode, but John joins him in knowing Martha and Mary. John knows them as sisters of Lazarus and locates their home in Bethany near Jerusalem (John 11:1; 12:1–3). In both stories that John tells, the behavior of the two corresponds to Luke’s description: Martha goes out to meet Jesus, while Mary sits in the house (John 11:20), and at dinner Martha serves and Mary anoints the
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