Window 12 :: Mary & Martha

Panel 3 - Jesus Blesses the Little Children

This panel shows Jesus wreathed in a halo, surrounded by little children. This story occurs in Matthew 19:13-15. Due to their childlike faith, these children know that the true joy and purpose of their lives comes from Christ, so they come to Him with enthusiasm. 

Panel 5 - Parable of the House Built Upon a Rock

Developing the theme of the window, this panel shows us a house built upon a rock, such as is described in Matthew 7:24-27. Putting the words of Christ into action is like building a house on a sturdy foundation. Christ and his teaching is the sure rock of our lives.

Panel 6 - Parable of the Lost Piece of Silver

This panel illustrates the parable of the lost piece of silver in Luke 15:8-10, where a woman searches her whole house over to find a single piece of silver that had been misplaced. 

Panel 8 - Martha of Bethany: Pots, Pans, and Brooms 

This panel shows pots, pans, and a broom to represent Martha of Bethany. Specifically, these images represent the story in Luke 10:40, where Martha focuses on cleaning instead of listening to the words of Jesus. 

Panel 9 - Mary of Bethany - Flower and Pot of Oil

The theme of the preceding image is continued with a flower and pot of oil, which are symbols of Mary of Bethany. The pot of oil is a symbol of the anointing of Jesus before he entered Jerusalem before the Crucifixion as seen in John 8. The flowers are made to resemble the red annonme flowers that traditionally appeared on Golgotha. Unlike Martha, Mary had chosen to spend time with Jesus, whether or not she knew that his time was coming to a close.