I recently read "Sisters of Lazarus - Beauty Unveiled" by Paula K. Parker. I've written twice about Martha this year (here and here), so I was curious what this fictionalized account would have to say. The book description said this:
Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus, couldn't be more different.
Martha, the elder, is plain and self-conscious; Mary, the younger, is beautiful. One sees her value only in serving, while the other believes her outward appearance is her only asset. Their worlds are turned upside down when Lazarus offers hospitality to an intriguing new teacher named Jesus
The author gave some very interesting insight to the customs of the day. She added family members (an uncle in particular) that gave the story a different dimension. She also included Nicodemus and Simon the leper, making them friends of the family.
I really struggled with how much emphasis was placed on Martha and Mary's outward appearance. Why couldn't the hard working sister also have been beautiful? Why couldn't it have been the plain sister who sat at Jesus' feet? We don't know what the sisters looked like, but they could have been very similar in appearance. I think the story would have been more interesting if outward appearance played a smaller role (or no role at all.) The character of Mary, one so focused on her outward beauty, didn't line up with the Mary I've read about in the Bible. There was no transformation from the selfish girl to the one who sat at His feet. The sisters bickered constantly - I find it hard to imagine this was a home Jesus would have visited on a regular basis.
This book got very high reviews but it was disappointing to me. We live in a society that is overly focused on outward appearance when it's really what is on the inside that counts. I think the author tried to weave that into the story, but it just wasn't enough for me!
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