I've been reading through the Gospel of John...slowly, carefully, trying hard to pay attention to small details. And today, I'm leaning into this...
In Chapter 11, we come across the somewhat familiar story of Jesus raising Lazarus. I'm sure we may have all heard the story before, maybe even learned of it when we were little, perhaps even pictured with flannelgraphs in Sunday school! It's really an amazing story, one of Jesus' most remarkable miracles. But my focus has been, for the last few days, on the sisters of Lazarus, Martha and Mary; these two women appear in the narrative before the miracle, but the exchanges they have with Jesus before His glory and power are displayed need careful attention. There's a reason why they are included in the narrative and why need to pay attention; what do we need to learn here about who God is, who I am, and how I'm to live in light of these truths.
Let's pick up in verse 20, when Martha, "as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him...and said to Him,'Lord, 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." Through verse 28, and then in 39-40, conversation takes place. Martha hears the words Jesus says, but she doesn't seem to really listen; Jesus is telling her what He is going to do ("Your brother will rise again" v.23), and who He is ("I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" v. 25-26), but Martha seems stuck in her thinking; she knows the promises of God ("he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." v.24; "I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God." v.27) but I wonder if she really believes IN HIM! Look at verse 39: "Jesus said, 'Take away the stone.' Martha...said to Him, 'Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.'" Was she really believing that He was able to do abundantly more that she could have ever imagined? Was she able to comprehend that this man WAS life and resurrection, God incarnate?
And what about Mary? Let's look at her reaction to the situation of Jesus' arrival in Bethany. In verse 32, we read, ""when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.'" I see something different here; she came humbly to Jesus, fell at His feet and, though she used the same words as Martha, they come with an attitude of worship. And Mary didn't say another word; it's almost as though she came to Jesus with her broken heart, and left it with Him. She came to Jesus and waited for Him; we don't know what she expected Him to do...she left that to Him. And it was her actions, her humility and her weeping that moved Him, "groaning in the spirit and (He) was troubled." (v. 33) I've often wrestled with what exactly caused Jesus to groan, feel troubled and weep as well; but I want instead to look at the difference in the way that Martha and Mary approach Jesus.
Martha comes to Jesus hurting, brokenhearted, just like her sister Mary. But it appears that Mary approached Jesus with an attitude that Martha didn't. Perhaps Martha came to Jesus, expecting Him to respond in ways that she had put upon Him; it makes me harken back to Chapter 5, verses 39-40: Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life." I see Mary not just believing about Jesus, but believing in Jesus; there is a difference. Mary was coming to Him, not just words about Him; there was something so real about the relationship Mary had with Jesus; she committed herself to Him, believed in Him, trusted Him to do what only her Lord Jesus could do.
And so, in reading this passage these last few days, I'm reminded that simply believing things about Jesus is not what He calls believers to do; He calls us to believe in Him, commit ourselves to Him, trust Him, and not put our own expectations of who we think He should be and do on Him. Let us come humbly to Him, worship Him and see the glory of God!
