Walking With Christ

John 11:32 Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”(ESV)

Lazarus, who had just died, had two sisters, Mary and Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the feet of Jesus with oil and used her hair as a towel. She was praised for her faith at that time. Look at where she is now. She is mourning the loss of her brother and essentially saying “Lord, where were you when we needed you?”

Most of us know the pain of losing a family member. Martha, when Jesus said that Lazarus would rise again in verse 23, said “yeah, I’ll see him at the resurrection”. At the time of the loss, hearing “don’t worry, you’ll see them again” is little comfort. Those words don’t fill in the hole or undo what was done. The mourning process is more about getting used to the changes, the differences, and dealing with the withdrawal from the way things used to be than it is about any promises for the future. Christians recognize that death is only the beginning and we will all spend eternity together. The uneven trail between here and there when some of the stones that we were expecting to support us along the way get removed forces us to slow down and think. The pain of the loss of Lazarus is probably the only thing that either sister can see at this time. Every breath may still seem like they are under water or somebody is sitting on their chest.

Back in verse six we were given some important information about where Jesus was. He heard that Lazarus was sick and chose to stay where He was for two more days. We don’t know who the messenger was between the sisters and Jesus. We just know that Jesus said that this illness would not lead to death. This sad story does take a funny turn when Jesus tells the disciples that He needed to go to wake Lazarus up. The disciples said that if he was asleep that he would get better. I can just imagine the look in Jesus’ face as He was shaking His head before He told them, “No, Lazarus is dead”. Call me morbid, but I still find the humor in situations like this.

Let’s put this all together. Jesus knew that Lazarus was sick. He was intentional about staying away. He knew that Lazarus was going to die. He knew that He could have prevented this death. He knew that Mary and Martha would go through this horrible pain. Still, He stayed away and let this happen. Why? Why did Jesus let this illness and suffering lead to the death of Lazarus?

This was the moment that Jesus proved His power over life and death. This was the moment that He pushed beyond the limits of what people thought God could do. Martha said she still believed but she didn’t ask Jesus to bring Lazarus back. The many people who came to show their support for the sisters and respect for Lazarus were questioning Jesus’ power. They were asking why Jesus couldn’t prevent Lazarus from dying if He could open the eyes of the blind? He did all of these other miracles and cured so many other people of fatal diseases but He couldn’t prevent Lazarus from dying?

Lazarus died. Jesus wept. Jesus knew that He was about to bring Lazarus back to life. The problem is that nobody else knew what He was about to do. Nobody else understood that God created life and therefore has power to give it or take it. Darkness is the absence of light. Sin is the absence of God. Death is the absence of life.

Through suffering we find out more truth about who we are and the things we hold strong to. It’s easy to praise God when times are good and nothing bad is on the horizon. In those moments when all hope seems lost and we don’t know where our next breath is coming from, like with the loss of a loved one, then we are truly tested. We are stripped away and all of our facades are torn away. The world can see the very foundation of what makes us who we are. Those small fires that remove the pretense we build up to handle this world prepare us for the true fire of judgement.

Father,
Thank You for showing us our true faces through adversity. Thank You for giving the pain a purpose. We know that faith must be tested or it remains as simple belief. We have faith in Your and Your son who gave us life and promises to give us life everlasting. We know that every sorrow has a purpose in Your plan. We don’t need to see the reason even though it does help. We also know that not knowing is, at times, the only thing that can truly be said to test faith. We know, Lord, that this testing brings growth that is always for the benefit of the kingdom and for Your glory because we grow closer to You. We know that growth brings deeper roots that support bigger fruits. Such is the sweet reward in this life until we finally come home to see You face to face. Thank You for giving comfort to the brokenhearted. Thank You for giving strength to the weak. Thank You for making a way when there was no way. We believe and know that this is all a part of Your grand plan that we won’t fully understand until that day when we all stand together before the great white throne and behold Your glory in full. Until that day, Father, be with us and watch over us.

In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

How can we pray for you today?