Shadows

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him while Mary stayed home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask..."

When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
John 11:20-22, 32

Martha,
The impatient sister
Wondering why her sister
Won't help in the kitchen -
A meal must be made
For their friend.
Practical.

Mary,
The sister held captive
At the feet of Jesus
Bending on every word
That he might say
Has no time for making meals
For now, she lives in this moment.
Seeker.

But watch how the tables turn
When their brother dies!

It is Martha who seeks, believes
Proclaims, confesses:
You are the Messiah,
The Son of God.

It is Mary who is angry this time
Doubting and hurt:
My brother is dead.
If only you had been here.

We are shadows of ourselves:
Sometimes faithful;
Sometimes doubting.
The one constant
Is the presence of Jesus.