John 11:35-43
“Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!””
Contrary to popular belief, Jesus did not work in a vacuum. He had personal friends and family that were very important to him. He was a man with feelings, emotion, drive, ambition, skills, talent and passion; and he shared those qualities with his friends. Like you and me, he had a full life; a life that included complex relationships and strategic alliances. Today’s scripture is about a family of three that perfectly demonstrates the challenge of relationships while reflecting on the diverse makeup of the Body of Christ; remembering we too are in relationship with Christ and with each other.
First you have Martha who is the refined version of a religious zealot. She is knowledgeable, but set in her ways. She is a believer, but reserves her right to choose how deeply her beliefs go. She is driven by structure, design, rules and regulations. So even when engaging with Jesus she is careful to stay within preconceived boundaries of religious correctness, decency and decorum. If you want to do something new and exciting, Martha ain’t the one.
Then there’s Mary. For what it’s worth, Mary has been talked about and lampooned by religious folk, (even being considered a provocative woman) for not staying in her predestined place. Her zeal to be with Jesus cost her. Her reputation was tarnished simply because she chose Jesus over domestic correctness. While Martha believed a woman’s place is in the kitchen, Mary believed her place was to be with Jesus. And trust me, nothing will get you in more trouble with religious folk than that. Well, nothing except being used by God to prove everybody wrong. And that brings us to Lazarus.
Our scripture begins this morning with the words, ‘Jesus wept’. And of all the powerful verses in the Bible, this short passage evokes an amazing amount of commentary and discussion. Though he ultimately got the victory, Jesus crying breaks our hearts. I can only imagine, Jesus knowing what his friend had to go through during his sickness, and the pain he endured in death, could no longer refrain from his emotional outburst. While raising Lazarus from the dead was a glorious moment for all in attendance, Lazarus had to go through the trauma. He actually died, and was a prisoner of death for four days. Had Jesus come earlier Lazarus would not have died. But because of what he went through, his death made him a Living Testimony.
If Martha represents the traditional church folk, and Mary the unrefined, but serious worshippers, then what is poor Lazarus? Lazarus is that sacrificial lamb that we sometimes feel there’s no hope for. He’s that brother, sister, son, daughter that we think has been dead so long they will never come back to life. If only they had come to Jesus earlier. Before their addiction, before their marriage. Before their lifestyle choices. But guess what? While their predicament is news to us, Jesus already knew. For some he’s waited until just now to call them from death to life.
Someone reading this may be wondering why your life has been in such disarray. Have things happened to you that are totally out of your control? Consider this. You’ve been selected by God to be a Living Testimony. Although you may have been suffering for a long, long time, the day of your deliverance is at hand. Can’t you hear Jesus calling you right now? Rise up my brother. Rise up my sister.
And know this. The entire time of your ordeal, Jesus was weeping for you too.
God Bless
