Martha was the sister of Lazarus whom Jesus told she was worried and troubled about many things. The episode appears in Luke 10, when Jesus visits the home of Martha and her sister Mary.
Martha is described as busy with hospitality and serving while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet listening to him. Martha asks Jesus to tell Mary to help, but he replies that Martha is anxious about many things while Mary has chosen what is better. The passage contrasts practical service with attentive discipleship rather than simply condemning household work.
Martha and Mary appear together again in John 11, where their brother Lazarus dies and Jesus later raises him. This is why readers sometimes confuse the sisters’ roles: Mary is the sister associated with sitting at Jesus’ feet in Luke 10, while Martha is the one who voices her frustration. The Gospel of John also portrays Martha making a strong declaration of faith in Jesus before Lazarus is raised.