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This is an ancient medieval legend, found in various versions, here
translated by John Wijngaards from the original Dutch.
Four versions of the text are on this website:
There was a noble man of royal descent in Jerusalem called Lazarus. He
had two sisters: Martha who was spiritual in life style and morals, but also
Mary a worldly girl, who was immersed in the vanity of the world.
When Martha saw that Lazarus spent all his time on knightly military
pursuits and Mary wasted her property without limit, she decided wisely to look
after the income of the estate, and like an old trusted mother she managed the
common property with diligent foresight. She prudently governed the Magdalon
Castle that belonged to her sister, Bethany and a part of the city of
Jerusalem.
Martha had the custom of preserving words of Jesus Christ in her heart.
Often she would admonish her sister, either with pleas or with warnings. She
hoped that one day, when her sister was serious, she would bring her to Our
Lord the good shepherd. Among the many things she said, were words like
this:
“My dear sister, the nobility of your human descent and the
perfection of your face trasncend the beauty of all women on earth. From whom
does the body get all this beauty? And you decorate the body that will be
consumed by worms with gold and precious jewels, but your soul, which is purer
than the brilliant sun and more wonderful than all stars, you rob of its purity
through worldly morals and a material style of living.”
This is the kind of thing Martha kept telling her sister. And Mary
said:
“My dear sister, since you agree that I am beautiful, I will,
surrounded by the flowers of the world and young knights, mit a happy heart
spend the inheritance of my father, and live my life in
luxury!”
After this kind of conversation, it happened one day that she returned
to her sister from Jerusalem. Since she had spent the previous days in the
vanities of this world, and had led the dance without stop, she entered the
house jumping and dancing and met her sister with these words:
“Today I have given joy to all people of Jerusalem, and I have
enjoyed myself more than I ever did in all my life. I don't believe there can
be greater happiness than to spend your life in fun and
pleasure.”
Then Martha said:
“My dear sister, and did you, in all your enjoyment today, meet
the happiest and most beautiful king, who makes every human heart
happy?”
Mary said:
“No. There was no king among us.”
Martha replied:
“So you don’t know your king, whose beautiful face lights up
everyone who looks at him? Whose beauty makes all creatures with reason wonder
with astonishment? If you’d only see his face, he would give you the
greatest happiness!”
Then Mary said:
“Who is this man who is so perfect and beautiful? You don’t
mean Emperor Tiberius, do you?”
Mary replied:
“No, it’s not Emperor Tiberius who is a pagan king, but it
is the king of kings and the ruler of all who rule, the redeemer of the
children of Israel, strong in what he does. He was born of noble parents. His
father is God in heaven, who does not have a wife on earth. His mother is a
virgin from David’s family. From this birth God has brought forth the
person who can heal the world.”
Then Mary desired very much, in a worldly way, to meet the man who was
so noble and beautiful, and she said:
“My dear sister, show me where I can find the man who will give
such satisfaction. When I have sought him out and found him, I want to embrace
him and draw him to my love more than any other man in the world, so that I may
profit from his wealth and his luxury.”
Martha replied:
“He is my Lord, Jesus Christ.”
“You mean Jesus, the son of the smith, son of Mary and Joseph?
Why do you think he is God’s son and the son of a
virgin?”
Mary replied:
“Jospeh was his foster father, not his natural
father.”
And Martha tried to fill her sister’s heart with teaching. Mary
wept, and see: the gift of the Holy Spirit fell on Mary, touching her with
God’s right finger. Mary stood next to her sister with her neck uncovered,
with shining face, as lost in ecstacy. And when she returned to her normal
self, as someone who was out of her senses, she said:
“Oh, oh, why was I so keen to live who have deserved eternal
death! What pleasure will all worldly pleasures give to me, once I will be
handed over to the pains of hell? What use my jumping as the deer and camels
when I will soon and suddenly be cast into the flames of the fire? O,
miserable, yesy most misterable life that has robbed me of all self respect?
Why did I love you when you were my ugly seducer? See, you have destroyed the
honour of my virginity, and instead of being a virgin you are cause that I am
being called a public sinner!”
And she turned to her sister and said:
“Where is my salvation and the redemption of Israel, the Lord
Jesus Christ? I have been wounded by his love. Oh, impure world, whoever loves
you will always remain impure. Here on earth there is plenty of evil and little
wisdom, all things here are impure and dirty and covered in darkness, keeping
in its clutches the souls who live in fear. And bodies are being tortured in
you. Oh, my most sweet Jesus, where shall I look for you, where shall I find
you?”
Martha replied:
“The Lord is close to all who call on him in sincerity. My
sister, wait for him. He will surely come, without
delay.”
And see, while she was still speaking Jesus arrived with Lazarus. On
that day Lazarus came from a company of knights and on the way he saw a huge
crowd follow Jesus, listening to his words and teachings. Lazarus too followed
Jesus and talked intimately with him. Lazarus was so pleased with Jesus’
words that he left the crowd and brought Jesus into his home.
Martha stood there with Mary. When they saw Jesus, both wept with
happiness. Martha gave Jesus an honourable welcome. Mary reckoned she was not
worthy to meet Jesus because of her sins, and she wanted to turn her face away.
But before she could turn her face, Jesus looked at her with his human eyes,
but also with the yes of his goodness and mercy.
Jesus’ face was very beautiful and charming. No one could see him
without feeling extremely much attracted to him. Because of his gracious look
at her, Mary received an outpouring of grace and an abundance of repentance.
And because she considered herself a leper, out of deep shame she withdrew from
the presence of her healer. She went to her room, and closed the door, and
wept. Her soul longed to be comforted.
O sinful woman, if you had seen at that time the remorse and the
outpouring of tears of that woman, you too would have been converted with her.
And even if you had a heart as hard as unbreakable rock, it would have become
soft as wax!
So she spent the whole night, wringing her hands, pulling out her hair,
weeping, beating on her cheeks and grinding her teeth.
At that same hour, Simon the Pharisee asked Jesus to have ameal with him
on the following day. Therefore Jesus went to the house of the Pharisee next
day - the house stood next to the home of Lazarus and his sisters - to eat
there with all the other noblemen who had been invited.
When Martha saw that Jesus had come, she approached her sister to
console her. Mary had been on the floor with remorse and anxiety, and when she
lifted up her head, Martha said:
“The Lord and Master is close. He will eat in Symon’s
house.”