The messenger said Jesus told His followers, “This sickness will not end in death.” But it did – my brother is dead!
When Lazarus was sick, we were so sure Jesus would come and heal Him. He healed others that He didn’t even know – people He had just met! Surely He would come to heal one whom He claimed to love so dearly!
Four days my brother has been in the grave, and still He has not come! Well, it’s too late now. I still can’t believe it – even when I washed my brother’s body, and gently folded the fragrant spices in with the cloths we wrapped him with… my heart breaking with every fold… How could the Teacher not come and do something to prevent my brother’s death?
He even healed a man from far away – simply spoke the word and the man was healed where he lay. Why didn’t He do this for Lazarus? Why, Lord?
What? He’s coming – oh, why come now... when it’s too late?
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
“Your brother will rise again.”
He talks of the last day when the dead will rise. Doesn’t He know that this doesn’t soothe? I thought He loved him!
But….what is this? He weeps! So there was love for Lazarus, after all…but why did He not come?
“Take away the stone.”
What is He saying? He can't be serious!
“But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
“Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
Oh, this is not right – what is He doing? Perhaps....no, it cannot be! I dare not hope...but we must obey the Teacher and move the stone.
“Lazarus, come out!”
What is He saying….Lazarus! My brother lives! Oh, praise be to God! He lives!!
Do you wonder why Jesus didn’t come right away when He was told of Lazarus’ illness? Why He didn’t heal Lazarus? He could have just said the word and Lazarus would be cured, but He delayed coming until after Lazarus had been dead four days…Why do this?
Sometimes, I believe we need to go through things – all the way through them. Do you think the reaction of the crowd, the praise to the father, the disbelief turned to worship, would have been the same had Jesus healed Lazarus while sick, instead of raising him from the dead?
Do you think this changed how Mary and Martha thought of Jesus? How Lazarus thought of Him?
When a caterpillar enters a cocoon for metamorphoses the entire body – organs and all – dissolve and are regenerated into something completely new. If you break open the cocoon before its time, there will be no butterfly, and in fact, it will not be able to survive in it's new skin.
Sometimes we have to complete the process – sometimes we have to walk through the valley of death all the way to the other side – or we will not grow into who God wants us to be. If we don't die completely to our flesh, we cannot live completely in Him.
If you are going through difficult times now, pray to Him. If He doesn’t answer you right away and bring you out of it unscathed, then push and strive through – do not stop calling out and reaching out to Him - cling to Jesus all the harder - but accept that He will come for you when His plan is fulfilled, on His schedule....not necessarily on yours.
NOTE: All scriptures come from the Gospel of John, Chapter 11