March 29, John
JOHN 11:1-45
Today we continue to face a situation that is threatening the very fabric of the world as we know it. It is a trial of endurance and change for each one of us. It is a time where we wonder why? It is a time of waiting upon the Lord knowing that He never forsakes or leaves His children.
Not many of us like waiting, but nevertheless we find ourselves doing it an awful lot of the time. We wait for traffic lights; we wait in grocery lines, we wait for phone calls, and on and on. Afterall, we are people that have grown up to expect instant gratification. We want things and we want them now. So, we can hardly fault Mary and Martha for wanting and expecting Jesus to come right away when they sent for Him telling Him that Lazarus was very sick. Afterall, Jesus was their friend and had spent time at their home. They were sure He would come right away.
Interestingly, the Hebrew word for “to wait” means to “bind together like a cord” as in twisting and weaving small strings together to make a rope. The more strands in the rope, the stronger it is. The literal meaning of the Hebrew is “hope.” So, to wait means “to hope.” Mary and Martha hoped that Jesus would come and that He would come in time to save Lazarus.
We can imagine the sisters kneeling by Lazarus’s mat, bathing his head with cool water, but nothing seemed to help Lazarus’s condition. All they could do was wait for Jesus to come and heal Lazarus. Then, however, it was too late. Lazarus drew his last breath and was gone.
We all know that Jesus did not come right away. In fact, we are told that He delayed, and when He finally arrived in Bethany, Lazarus was dead and already in the tomb. By that time Mary and Martha were without hope. The belief of that time was that the soul lingered near the body and that it did not start to decay until after the fourth day, but the fourth day had come and gone, and now hope was gone. They knew Jesus had raised others from the dead, but it had been right after they had died. Thus, they were in despair, and we can imagine their disappointment.
When Jesus and the disciples finally do arrive, Martha runs to meet Jesus and says, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” We can hear the disappointment in her words, and that she wants an explanation and an answer as to why Jesus did not come right away. Jesus does not offer answers or explanations to Mary and Maratha, or to us. Instead, he uses our disappointment as a means of transformation. He neither criticizes nor ridicules Martha and Mary for their disappointment. Instead, he uses it as an opening and entry point into their lives just as He uses it as an entry point into ours when we suffer disappointment. An entry point to help us learn and grow, and experience His great grace and mercy.
Interestingly, the name “Lazarus” in Hebrew means “God is my help.” How fitting a name as Jesus used this entry point into the lives of those in attendance at Lazarus’s tomb that day, as well as into our own lives, to show that God does come to the rescue of those whom He loves, and who believe in Him. God truly was Lazarus’ help and He is our help in our daily lives. All we need to do is turn to Him!
At the second coming, Jesus will also call our names telling us to come out of our tombs for the second judgment. Our physical bodies will rise and the believers will be swept up with Jesus. Just like Lazarus, God is truly our help!
As we read this message this morning, even though we are not physically together, let us realize that we are still worshipping together in solidarity, just in separate physical spaces. May each of us patiently wait upon the Lord, for God is our hope and our salvation. In this time of uncertainty, and yes, even fear, may we have peace and hope in our hearts knowing that God truly is our help. He will sustain us through this time of darkness. May we all look to the light of the world!
Amen