Jane Austen and the Bible

For the last month I’ve been working on some teaching for the church I go to on the characters of Mary and Martha in the bible. These are the sisters of Lazarus, who is more famously known for being raised from the dead by Jesus. These lovely ladies take up just three short chapters of the Bible (Luke 10, John 11-12) but I have totally fallen in love with them and wish I could skip back in time and have a good natter with them over a cup of tea.

I have also decided that Mary and Martha are the Elinor and Marianne of the Bible.

Martha is Elinor – responsible, sometimes burdened by her sense of duty and cultural appropriateness, supporting her family, warm and welcoming in her home, feeling responsible for her sister’s behaviour, a deep loyalty and love for Jesus, a surity in her beliefs.

Mary is Marianne – passionate, emotional, extravangant in her expression of love for Jesus, less concerned with breaking social norms and roles, eager to learn and experience new things.

Anyone else see it, or is it just me?!