S) "32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, 'Where have you laid him?' They *said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' 35 Jesus wept."
John 11:32:35 (NASB)
O) With this story, we see a stunning display of the humanity of Jesus. First we must remember that Jesus is completely obedient to the Father (e.g., see John 5:19-20). So, back to vv.4-6, when Jesus told Mary and her sister Martha, that the sickness of their brother Lazarus would not end in death, and then He stayed away another two days, that was all according to the will of our Father God. Then, in vv.11-15, we see the foreshadowing - even warning - Mary's words above are given affirmation, because Jesus foretells of the death of His friend. Then, when Martha first comes to meet Jesus on the way, He even tells her plainly, in v.23, that Lazarus will be raised from the dead - all of these things were revealed to Jesus ahead of time. But then, when Jesus gets close to the town and Mary comes running to Him, she is overcome with grief. She rightly says that Jesus could have prevented this death, and I believe that may have been what stung Jesus the most - because He knew she was right. He also knew, however, that this pain was necessary, because it was part of the will of the Father. Again, when we go back and read vv.14-15, it's clear that God had a plan for this story to unfold exactly as it did, and that plan was perfect in its formation, and now, in its execution. But, that plan was still confusing to those who did not yet see the whole thing clearly; difficult and painful - even to those who did see the plan clearly.
A) This is not a new story to me, and I must have read this more recently, but this morning I was immediately reminded of my own experience when my mother got sick and passed away in 2013. In December of 2012, it had become pretty clear to me that she was going to die within a few months, but I was still scared to acknowledge it. In a lot of prayer and devotion time, God was clearly preparing my heart, but I still had an idea that it was going to be hard - and it was. In those times, I received a lot of consolation from my wife, blessed gift to me that she is, and a lot of comfort from Jesus. I think the real crux of the above passage, comes from Jesus' witness of the pain of His friends. He knew that their grief was part of the Father's plan, and that it would glorify God and be a witness to His own divinity as the Christ, but He still didn't like seeing His brothers and sisters hurt. This is not at all unlike when my oldest daughter was aware of her brother getting a spanking. She was only 5 or 6, and she knew in her head that discipline would help her brother, but it was very hard for her to process the pain involved. Jesus sees the grief on earth, He knows the pain I experience here, He knows it will glorify the Father, but it's still painful to Him. This passage is an eternal reminder that we are not alone in our grief. No matter what other comfort we might receive on earth, it is secondary to the relating that Jesus does with us. He knows our pain better than anyone - in His perfect knowledge of us and also His own earthly experiences. It is a tremendous encouragement to know two things. First, that the grief I experience can still be part of God's perfect plan. Second, that in my pain, Jesus grieves with me.
P) Father, I confess that Your plans are perfect, even in the pain they might bring. You have already proven to be trustworthy, faithful, and true - in my own life. The Comforter has been very real to me, especially through some of the saddest times in my life. I don't know what other difficulties might come my way, but I know that You will still see me through them. I ask that You open my eyes to see and my ears to hear, that Your plan may be revealed to me. I want to walk in perfect obedience, in the knowledge that Your plans are perfectly formed and executed, even in my grief. Let Your will continue to prevail in my life, on earth, as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
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