This is perhaps one of the most profound truths of Scripture: moving the heart of God.
We start out with the 2 sisters: Mary, who sat at Jesus's feet and heard His Word, and Martha, the one whom the Lord said," Martha, Martha, you are careful and troubled about many things. One thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that GOOD PART, which shall not be taken away from her." This is after she said to Jesus,"Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she may help me." In John 11:2, this is the same Mary who "annointed the Lord('s feet) with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair."
It is important to know who this 'Mary' was: we find this account of her in Luke 7:37-38,
"And behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisees's house, brought an alabaster box full of ointment, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping, and began to wash His feet with tears, and wipe His feet with the hairs of her head, and kissed His feet, and anointed them with the ointment".
(Vs 39*)"Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, 'This man, IF He were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this that touched Him: for she IS a sinner."*
This of course refers to the 'type' of sin Mary was guilty of, which was most likely fornication, perhaps prostitution considering the 'ointment' and it's value.
But how Jesus responds to her is indicative of the future miracle He will perform in her life: (vs 47)"Wherefore I say unto thee(Simon the Pharisee), her sins, which are many, are forgiven: for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And then He said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven."
Mary 'poured out' her life on the feet of the Lord, not just expressing sorrow for the life she lived but evoking the response of tenderness and mercy of the Lord, to whom she 'owed' her life. She 'supplicated', letting the Lord 'feel' her contrition and showing Him it was worth the risk of forgiving her. This is a High Priest who can be 'touched' with the feelings of our infirmities(Heb. 5:15) and was in all points tempted like we are, without sin.
So then we get to John 11, and what we must 1st point out is that Jesus LOVED Martha, Mary, and Lazarus(vs 5) He was not indifferent towards them, as some 'impersonal' force in the universe, but was disposed to act on their behalf. He knows what is going to happen(vs 11), but what is important is how it happens.
In vs 21, Martha meets Him and tells Him,"Lord, if you would have been here, my brother would not have died."
Then the dialogue continues and Jesus reassures her faith, telling her, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believe thou this?"
"Yea Lord, I believe that you are the Christ of God; which should come into the world".
Instead of a miracle, it seems Martha got an altar call, based on her confession of faith, but when Mary came and fell down at His feet saying the same thing her sister Martha said(vs 32), seeing her weeping, He "groaned in the Spirit" and was troubled"(vs 33)
Then we have the shortest verse in the bible "Jesus wept".(vs 35)
Both sisters said the same thing, what was the difference?
The Good Part.
Jesus loved them both, and was disposed to act on their behalf. But what Martha received was an affirmation of her faith, Mary 'moved Him to tears' with her supplication, falling at His feet(again). The 'groanings' are the same groanings of Rom. 8:26, which the Spirit making intercession does on our behalf.
But Jesus once more needs to remind Martha to "believe",(vs 40) before He prays to the Father, then declares,"Lazarus, come forth!"
All this is recorded for us, not only to know the power of Jesus over death, and that we can have faith for the seemingly impossible, but to know how to prevail on God. Mary's great sin was cancelled by His great love for her; her response was to sit at His feet and choose the "Good Part", waiting until His Presense arrived and then implored Him, which caused Him to weep. But unlike people who weep without consolation, the Lord moved Heaven to return Lazarus and likewise today, "nothing is impossible for them who believe".