Frankly, our world tends to reward extroverts with admiration and recognition. Yet
remember that Jesus was the master at upending the world’s expectations. Just look at Mary of Bethany, Martha’s little sister, whom Jesus prophetically declared would be remembered for her actions, not her words, throughout the annals of history. If you see yourself as an introvert, then, you are in excellent company with a woman who chose to speak sparingly and softly, and let her actions speak for themselves.

Mary, Martha’s Sister
In the Bible, Mary of Bethany rarely speaks, uttering a mere twelve out of 770,430
written words in the Bible. She is a quiet, unmarried introvert who humbly sits at Jesus’s feet, studiously soaking in His teachings while ignoring worldly distractions. Christ commends her actions as “that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42, NKJV), further allowing Mary to become the first woman student of a rabbi. Mary certainly is not idle even though she stops moving; she calmly focuses on her Savior. She models complete deference to His lordship by simply loving Christ to the exclusion of everything and everyone around her. Most importantly, she doesn’t argue or defend herself when she is shamed and embarrassed by Martha who tries, unsuccessfully, to elicit Jesus’s help in getting her to chip in with the household chores. Instead, Mary carefully directs her attention to Christ while ignoringthe obvious strife her behavior causes her family. In doing so, she allows Jesus to be her defenderand protector to her family and to His apostles.
And she never says a word.
Mary is publicly berated again by Judas as she anoints Jesus’s feet with precious perfume
worth a year’s wages. She worships Him with her money at the risk of impossible poverty. The apostle misconstrues her intentions, falsely accusing her of appalling waste in front of Christ’s entire entourage. However, Mary keeps silent yet again and allows Jesus to defend her: “Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always.” (John 12:7-8, NKJV) He sees that she has acted with pure and utter devotion, and rewards her openly for everyone to hear.
When Mary’s brother Lazarus dies, her grief is overwhelming. Understandably, she
questions why the Lord delayed his arrival, not fully comprehending the reason behind His
absence. Yet though she repeats Martha’s words, they have an entirely different tone as she utters her only recorded sentence in the Bible:
“Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32 (NKJV)
Notice Mary does not accuse Jesus of being irresponsible, nor does she unfairly challenge His love for her or her family. Instead, Mary’s gently poignant words of sorrow elicit empathy from Jesus who, in His anguish, compassionately weeps with her. We are privileged to witness firsthand the intimate relationship Christ has with a woman of calm strength as He shares in her suffering. We also see that Mary’s growing faith, while powerful, is not yet complete as she—and we—are challenged to trust in God amidst our own suffering and grief.
Jesus celebrates and elevates the introverts. He is not concerned about the volume of
words that you speak, nor how eloquently you speak them. He is not worried about what the world thinks is important, for He is focused on your heart towards Him. Subtle actions can be
bold and powerful. Sparse words can be effective. Your trust, faith, and belief in Him is what
matters, for as Psalm 139 relays, you have been fearfully and wonderfully made in His image.
He loves you because He formed you to be…exactly you.

Ideas to Ponder
– Do you see yourself as an introvert, or know someone who is? How does Mary of
Bethany’s story help you reevaluate the significance of introverts?
– Describe a time when you completely misinterpreted someone’s motives based on what
they said or did.
– In Psalm 35, King David implores the Lord to fight against those who fight against us.
Do you fully trust Christ to defend you? Name a time when this has been difficult for
you.

Challenge – Write Your Own (Short) Psalm
God has uniquely and lovingly endowed you with traits He has considered exceptional,
even if the world doesn’t. Name the special qualities of your character given to you by God as
you write a psalm of praise and gratitude to Him.