Welcome to another beautiful day that the Lord has made! Yesterday was another great day around the Potter house as things continue to get unboxed and organized and slowly but surely a house becomes a Home. There’s something special about the place we call Home isn’t there? No matter the geographic location, size or appearance, it’s just a beautiful place of rest, replenishment, solitude and comfort. I thank God for Home.
I’m especially thankful that I serve a God that knows exactly where 5113 Ledgestone Drive is at and He’s willing to meet me here anytime day or night! For my daily meeting with God this morning, I cracked open His Word and started chapter 11 which chronicles the death of Lazarus. Let me preface here and say that every morning before I start reading I have a prayer time to tell God what is on my heart for the day. A very important part of this prayer is to ask the Holy Spirit to make God’s Word come alive with His wisdom so that it can surpass my limited understanding. I need God’s help to truly understand God.
Here’s the story in a nutshell. Mary & Martha’s brother is very sick & they call for Jesus to heal him. This same Mary & Martha have a history with Jesus. It was Mary that anointed Jesus’ feet with the expensive perfume and it was Martha, her sister, that upon serving Jesus in her home told Him that her sister ‘wasn’t pullin’ the load’ and ‘tell her to help me.’ Martha apparently was a real pistol! When Jesus gets the news of Lazarus’ illness, He is a few miles away but doesn’t go immediately, He waits 2 days and then goes. In the meantime, Lazarus dies.
In this story I see 2 very different perspectives. (I’ve heard it said there are 3 sides to every story…yours, mine & the truth) Here I see 2, the perspective from the sisters and the perspective from Jesus. (there’s only 2 because we know that Jesus’ is ALSO the truth!)
Let’s look at the sister’s perspective first. It was their brother. They loved him very much, were very close to him and of course could not bear to see him die. Out of this fear of loss they sent for Jesus. Upon Jesus’ arrival Martha (the fiery one) goes out and meets Him in the street and says, “if you’d been here he wouldn’t be dead. But I know that whatever you ask God He will give you.” Ouch, seems like for the 2nd time now she has chided Jesus. Jesus had to quickly correct her here. Martha, I don’t have to ASK God, I AM God. 11:26 “Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die, do you believe this?” He lovingly explains His deity to Martha and she understands & calls Him Lord. (11:27) I bet if we were there this would have been a tense, emotionally charged conversation! (Note: Even when we’re upset & emotionally charged we can & should still talk to Jesus)
Now Mary approaches Jesus and says the same thing (11:32) but with one big difference from Martha, she fell at His feet, weeping bitterly as she said it. THE POSTURE OF APPROACH IS EVERYTHING. How do we approach Jesus? Like Martha or like Mary? But look closely at the heart of the matter. Both women were so consumed in their grief that they could only see one thing. What THEY wanted. They had lost their brother and they desparately wanted Him back. The root of their view? 2 things. Lack of ability to see God’s plan and selfishness. I want what I want because in that moment its all I can see. I’m so guilty of this. I let my limited, short term view of the world supersede God’s big plan for my life.
Now let’s look at the story from Jesus’ perspective. As soon as Jesus receives the message that Lazarus was sick, what was His response in verse 11:4? “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” At the very inset of the story Jesus reveals that this event will play out a very certain way so that all glory can be given to God exactly when & where it is needed. There is a perspective at work here that Martha and Mary are completely unaware of. The plan required Him to stay 2 days longer. In this 2 days Lazarus dies. This part of the plan can be seen as neglect by the sisters but from Jesus’ perspective how can He raise Lazarus from the dead if he is not allowed to die? Verse 11:14-15, “Then Jesus told them (the disciples) plainly, Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” God always has a plan and it’s always perfect. Even the timing of death He holds in His hands for His perfect good.
Verse 11:35 is one of the 2 shortest verses in the bible, “Jesus wept.” (it ties with 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “rejoice always”) Why did Jesus weep? Was it for Lazarus? Nope, He knew He was about to raise him from the dead. It was because of the sorrow he saw in Mary and the crowd. 11:33, “When Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in His spirit and greatly troubled.” He wasn’t crying for the dead, He was crying for the loss of the ones left behind. God feels your hurt in your loss, He is there with you weeping. He was on this planet & He felt it…He understands.
Right before Jesus raises Lazarus He speaks this prayer out loud in front of the group. 11:42, “I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” Once again, here it is, the entire event is carefully planned out so that God may be glorified through the execution of His perfect plan.
Now back up and look again at how Martha & Mary reacted. They could only see loss, grief and pain as they experienced death. They could not see what Jesus planned to do and were only considering what they wanted. All along Jesus knew what had to happen, they didn’t. This is such a lesson for me today. No matter what kind of trial, hardship, obstacle or grief I am experiencing, God has a perfect plan that will somehow bring Himself glory. I simply need to adopt the posture of Mary as I approach Him in my trials and fall on my face before Him. His plan is perfect and I cannot, no matter how hard I try, understand it. He is my Lord and my God and I will let Him be that.
If you are grieving or weeping because of the death of a loved one today, Jesus is right there with you weeping. He feels your pain, call out to Him and talk to Him. He will hear your call and offer the comfort you desire. It’s what he does.
Have a beautiful walk today and call upon His name when you are in need.
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