Isaiah Chapter 55: Verses 8-9 (NIV-UK)
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,’
declares the Lord.
‘As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
John Chapter 11: Verses 3-5 (NIV-UK)
So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’
When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This illness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’
John Chapter 11: 14-15 (NIV-UK)
So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’
John Chapter 11: Verses 20-22 (NIV-UK)
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Often when I read the Gospels, I sometimes try to put myself in the shoes of those who encountered Jesus. What were they really thinking? The story of the raising of Lazarus is one of the most well-known. This morning, I put myself in the disciples’ shoes, and then Martha’s. When they first heard that Lazarus was sick, Jesus told the disciples that the sickness would not end in death. I imagine that would have been very reassuring when they heard that, especially when Jesus did not seem to be in any urgent rush to get to Bethany. But then He told them that Lazarus had died. I wonder if there was a “but You said…” What were they thinking on the journey there – especially when they found out Lazarus had been in the grave for 4 days. I think there may have been some whirling thoughts, perhaps – “this is not how I imagined things would be.”
And then Martha comes to meet Jesus. I love that this time she is the one who comes first to Him. Perhaps remembering that gentle rebuke when Jesus told her that Mary had chosen the better way. I don’t sense recrimination in her greeting, in fact there is an element of hope in her words – “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” And we know what happened next. Jesus was always in control and knew the bigger picture.
What about us? Sometimes God makes us a promise and we make a presumption about the way that will come to fruition, but God’s plan for doing so may be different to what we anticipate. How do we react when things don’t seem to be going the way we thought they would? Mary didn’t initially come out to meet Jesus when He arrived. Perhaps she was struggling with her thoughts. But she did eventually. When things are not going as we expect them to, we should never stay away from God. He’s still in control and He will never let us down!
Dear Lord,
Help me to remember that You’re always in control and know what the bigger picture is. Help me to keep trusting You even when I’m in situations that I don’t understand. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.