You may have received that phone call, the call that changes your priorities and readjusts your schedule. I have. Usually the call comes from a family member or friend. Most of the time it is not good news. Someone you love has died or is near death.
When that call comes love reorients our lives. Even if we cannot do anything to change the situation, we still rush to the person’s side. Our presence says we care, that the sick person is important to us, that he or she is not alone, that we will walk with them as far as humanly possible. Our presence says we want to be a part, to offer what help and support we can. In a real way our presence proves our love.
It is easy to say “I love you” and offer help when help is not needed. It is another to share the anxiety, confusion, heartache and disappointment of a serious illness, accident or even death. We all know people who talk a good game about loving others but when a need surfaces, they cannot be found. Somehow it is just too inconvenient for them to live out their words of love.
No one is surprised to read in John 11 that when Lazarus, a person Jesus loved (v. 5), became ill, his sisters, Martha and Mary, sent word to Jesus. Perhaps they expected Jesus would come and heal their brother as He had healed countless others. Perhaps they just anticipated He would be there to walk with them through the uncertain ordeal.
A confusing time
But Jesus did not hurry to Bethany to be with His dear friends. Instead He stayed on the far side of the Jordan where He was preaching and teaching for two more days. That must have been a confusing time. The sisters must have wondered if Jesus would arrive in time to save their brother from the grave. The disciples must have wondered why Jesus freely accepted the family’s hospitality whenever He was in Jerusalem but was not going to their aid when they had need.
It is as if the writer of John wants to make sure no one misses this paradox when, after affirming the Master’s love for the family, he adds, “Yet when He heard that Lazarus was sick He stayed where He was two more days” (v. 6).
Jesus’ promises
All the disciples had to hold onto during these two days of wondering was Jesus’ promise that Lazarus’ sickness “will not end in death” (v. 4). For them and for us, Jesus’ promises are enough.
Time passes and Jesus finally announces it is time to go to Jerusalem. Jesus says Lazarus is asleep and He plans to wake him.
Don’t overlook the joy of the disciples as they celebrate the promise of Jesus proving true once more. Lazarus was sleeping. That meant the crisis had passed. Lazarus would be well. It was almost like another of the many miracles they had witnessed. Jesus promised Lazarus’ sickness would not result in death and that had proven true. Lazarus was asleep.
Again the Gospel writer adds an important word of explanation. The disciples thought Jesus was talking about natural sleep but He was not. Jesus was talking about death.
Whether Jesus was perturbed at the disciples’ lack of understanding one does not know. The writer says only that He spoke to them “plainly.” “Lazarus is dead,” declares Jesus (v. 14).
You can almost see Jesus turning and saying over His shoulder, “Let us go to him” (v. 15).
But the disciples stay frozen in place by the confusion of what has just occurred. Jesus promised the sickness would not result in death. Yet He just said Lazarus is dead. What happened to believing the promises?
Jesus first said Lazarus was sleeping. Then He said Lazarus was dead. How can both be true? You can almost hear the disciples saying, “Lord, I want to believe. Help my unbelief.”
Jesus did not act like everyone expected Him to when He left Martha and Mary alone in their crisis. Jesus made a promise that to all appearances He did not keep. Jesus seemed to talk in circles by saying Lazarus was asleep and dead at the same time.
Like us the disciples sought understanding. They sought to make sense out of the nonsense surrounding them. The result was their standing in a circle staring at one another while Jesus began the upward trek from the far side of the Jordan River to Jerusalem which was perched on Mount Zion. They begged for answers but none came.
It took the encouragement of Thomas to break the grip confusion had on the disciples. Thomas’ words were, “Let us also go that we may die with Him.” Evidently Thomas thought Jesus was avoiding Jerusalem because officials there sought to kill Him (John 10:39).
But listen to the pathos behind Thomas’ words. Listen to him saying he had the same confusion, the same questions as the other disciples. Jesus had not acted as any of them anticipated and Thomas did not know why.
Only one thing was clear: Jesus was heading toward Jerusalem and Thomas was going to get in line behind Jesus, even if it cost him his life.
‘Live by faith’
The apostle Paul says this another way in 2 Corinthians 5:7 when he declares, “For we live by faith and not by sight.” Reason and understanding have their place but the believer is called to get in line behind Jesus even when we do not understand what He is doing.
A day or so later Jesus stood before an open tomb and beckoned Lazarus to come out of the grave. And he did. Still wrapped in the linens of burial, Lazarus came from the grave. As Jesus had promised upon first hearing of His friend’s sickness, it was all for God’s glory. Jesus’ promises proved true.
But the disciples would never have witnessed the fulfillment of the promise had they not joined Thomas and gotten in line behind Jesus when they had no idea what He was about. The next time God does not act like we expect Him to, perhaps we should remember this story and get in line behind Jesus because “we live by faith and not by sight.”
Share with others: