“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21)
I have to admit I often appear to be quite an impatient person. I am very patient with people, but not so patient with things especially computers when I am at at important meeting and “not responding” appears on the screen or I end up staring at that downloading line for what seems like half a year.
In today’s computer age we are more and more reliant on them and are so used to getting the things on our door step we by next day delivery especially if you use Amazon Prime. I think all too often we treat prayer as if it was an order on Amazon Prime. We place our order with God through prayer and expect next day delivery and when it doesn’t happen we get frustrated, disappointed and maybe even a bit disillusioned with God and feel like leaving him negative feedback on his service.
I doubt if any of us have been praying for a brand-new Porsche recently or a private jet, unless you somehow you truly believe that having a Porsche or a private jet would glorify God and build his church, but all of us will have been praying for a really important things. It could be for a love one to be cured of cancer or for us to get a new job or for broken relationship to be healed and yet we are still waiting.
The account of the raising of Lazarus recorded in John chapter 11 stretches over 44 verses and it is not surprising that today’s lectionary has been shortened, but there is a bit of a problem.
Those who have provided us with the lectionary reading have had to decide which verses in the entire text are the most important and which verses can be omitted. On reading the verses selected it would seem that the parts of the story which are the most controversial and yet I would argue the most important have been left out.
In the interests of brevity this edited text makes it look like that having received the news of Lazarus’ critical illness, Jesus went immediately to Bethany to visit Mary and Martha, but that is not what happened. If you were to read in your own bibles in v 6, Jesus waits two days and by the time he reaches Bethany, Lazarus has been dead for 4 days. The only clue we have from today’s selected reading that Jesus delayed his departure to Bethany is from v 21, “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
It would seem that heavenly Amazon Prime had really disappointed Mary, Martha and Lazarus. It is a wonder that they even let him into their house after that.
The only indication we have to suggest that Jesus was at all upset by the situation can be found in another missing verse from our text, v 35, the shortest text in the bible, just two words, “Jesus wept.”
Why do you think he cried? Was it because his friend Lazarus had died even though he knew that his friend would rise from death? No, he cried out of compassion for his friends’ emotional pain. He wept because of what he had to put them through.
This one verse “Jesus wept” tells us that Jesus takes no delight in our pain and suffering although such testing is often a necessary part of God’s plan for either our lives or the lives of others even when we can’t understand why.
Of the two sisters, Mary seems to have been the more sensitive. We read that when Jesus arrived at Bethany, Mary stayed at home while Martha had the courage to meet Jesus. Martha’s remarks in v 21 shows that her relationship with Jesus was strong enough to challenge him and to be honest about our feelings. This is a good example of how we should pray. We should be honest and straight to the point with God. He knows already, but sharing our feelings can share the pain and remember that Jesus feels it with us, because we know that “Jesus wept” at the grave of his friend Lazarus.
Despite her obvious trust in v 22 that God would grant anything to Jesus and that Jesus had the power to prevent the death of her brother v 21, Martha is rather horrified when he asks to see Lazarus’ body and says with a degree if light humour “But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days” (v 39).
Unfortunately during my career both in the army as a chaplain and as a priest I have witnessed many such things and so Martha and those supporting had every reason to believe that Lazarus’ body was in no fit state to be viewed, but Jesus moved forward in complete confidence saying, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
We all know what happens next, but what happens after the crowds have gone away? I would suggest that it is most unlikely that Jesus having delivered this surprise package for heavenly Amazon Prime, jumped in his van and drove off shouting to Peter, “Step on the gas!”
We know that the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus Bethany was a favourite place for Jesus to find the comfort of home and rest and so it is highly likely that he went back to their home.
I wonder what they talked about? Did Lazarus talk about his part in the story or did Mary and Martha continue to scold Jesus between laughter and tears?
When they could full appreciate the reality that Jesus not only could raise the dead, but is The Resurrection, their trust in him was solid. Nothing and no one would ever cause them fear ever again.
The reason why Jesus let Lazarus die is explained in v4 early in the chapter which again has been omitted in our text. “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
At the time, these words will probably have meant nothing to the disciples. They assumed that Lazarus was in some kind of coma from which he would recover, but to make sure that everyone knew that this was no coma, Jesus stayed where he was and stated in a most crazy way in v14-15, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.”
The story of the raising of Lazarus shows us that no matter what we order in prayer from heavenly Amazon Prime, next day delivery is rare and we often have to wait. Also we might not get what we ordered. Mary and Martha placed an order for Jesus to heal their brother, but what the got was his death, a most unwelcome package. Four days later, however, they got a second surprise delivery when their brother was raised from certain death.
This story also teaches us three important things:
Firstly, God always answers prayer, but only in accordance with his perfect will. The package we receive will always be the right one even if it is not what we expected. Sometimes it will be even better.
Secondly, God’s time management is always perfect. He can and does do next day, even next second delivery, but often we have to wait. It could be that what we have ordered has been judged a wrong order or wrong timing. God’s timing is sovereign.
Thirdly. Our lives are not our own. We are clay in the hand of God our Potter. Lazarus’ was used to glorify Jesus, not because Jesus wanted to win popularity, but to give confidence to his followers. Soon he would face crucifixion which in Jerusalem, but that would not be the end of the story. We must trust our Potter. He has a plan for us and those we love. That plan is for our ultimate good and meets his perfect purposes for his Creation.
So my brothers and sisters take courage from this story. Like Lazarus, your death will not end in death. Jesus is the Resurrection, the source of your eternal life and hope. Whatever trials you face, you have a Saviour who feels your pain and takes no delight in it, but can use your pain for the glory of God.
Perhaps you might not consider yourself a patient person either, but a life of faith must include patience. It is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit Galatians 5: 22 and the first of the marks of true love 1 Cor 13:4.
Heavenly Amazon Prime, can do next delivery and even faster, but you may have to wait a long time. Take heart, no matter how long you have to wait, the packet you receive will always be what you need and always be delivered at the right time and at the right Address.
Amen