April 6

Lazarus

        When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home.  Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”

John 11:17-27

           

            Jesus could have stopped this.  He received word in plenty of time.  He loved the family and they did everything right.  They went to Jesus with their sickness, having complete faith in His ability to heal.  It was not even a requirement that he walk to Bethany; He could have just said the word and Lazarus would have been healed.  Instead, Jesus waited…and waited.  He did not even start travelling towards Bethany until after His friend had died, arriving four days after death had claimed Lazarus.

            Everyone knew that Jesus could have saved him.  Jesus knew.  The disciples knew.  Mary and Martha knew.  There is barely contained accusation in the words of the two sisters.   “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  “You could have saved him, but you didn’t,” is very close to “You killed him.”  They are devastated and heartbroken and bewildered as to why Jesus would have let something like this happen to those that He loved.

            Jesus grieves with them…to a point.  He knows the story is not finished, but He sees the depth of despair of His friends and He weeps with them.  He is then taken to the tomb and shows the truth behind His claim that He is the Resurrection and the Life.  Lazarus is brought back.  Despair is replaced by Joy.  Anger is replaced by Wonder.  The disciples had known that they followed a man sent from God, now they wondered whether this was God in the form of man.

            The stories of Jesus have been preserved and passed on not only to provide a historical record, but also to give us windows into who He is, what He does and how He interacts with people.  We are invited to imagine ourselves in the story in order to help us hear what God has to say to us.  Where do we see ourselves in the story?

·         Is it the family first finding out that a member of their family is severely ill and, in desperation, calling out to Jesus?

·         Is it the with the family as they watch their brother slowly fade, wondering where God is in the midst of this tragedy?

·         Is it with Mary and Martha as they accuse Jesus of letting their brother die?

·         Is it Martha’s resignation that everything will be better in Eternity, but here and now we must suffer and grieve?

·         Is it the Joy and Awe that came from seeing a miracle?

            Many people who study this passage leave it with a profound sense of God’s power and love.  Those of us who have lost someone precious to us or who have loved ones that need healing have a more complicated reaction…a mix of hope and sorrow, expectation and apprehension.  God is able to heal; He is even Lord over the grave.  And sometimes His timing and His plans lead to healing and sometimes they don’t.  Sometimes they lead to resurrection and new life and sometimes they don’t. 

            What is consistent is that Jesus shows up, offering comfort and hope…grieving with those who grieve and celebrating with those who celebrate.  He has a better view of Eternity than we do, more perspective.  But He does not come to talk us out of our feelings; He comes to stand with us and support us…to bring us closer to Him…which is the best place to be as the story of this broken and fallen world plays out around us.

A moment to reflect:

Where do you see yourself in the story of Lazarus?