With Dale Ratzlaff
John 11:28-37
When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and was coming to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 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.” When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”
Just after Martha had expressed her faith by saying,
Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.
Martha went to their home and called Mary. According to the text, she went to Mary “secretly.” Why?It was a Jewish custom that even a poor family was expected to hire at least two flute players and a group of professional wailing woman (D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John, p. 415). These “comforters” did not give their consoling in quiet respect as we might do today but were expected to wail loudly. Doubtless, Martha wanted Mary to meet Jesus with her and without that cacophony to distract from their feelings, hopes, and disappointments they shared with Jesus.
Just why Jesus had not come straight to the home of Mary and Martha, we do not know. Some have speculated that the place Jesus was waiting may have been closer to the place where Lazarus was entombed.
Mary got up and left quickly, supporting the idea that she wanted to meet Jesus with just her sister Martha, and not with the professional mourners. However, the mourners, thinking that Mary was going to the tomb, got up and came with her. The fact that Mary went in the direction of the tomb as she went to see Jesus gives some support to the supposition that Jesus waited somewhere near the tomb.
When Mary saw Jesus, she sank to the ground sobbing. She speaks to Jesus in the same words as did Martha earlier,
Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Here we see that both Martha and Mary had faith in Christ as a healer, but not as one who could raise the dead. Both of them were confused. Doubtless, they knew of Jesus’ healing of the man born blind as recorded in John 9. They knew of the close relationship they had with Jesus. Why, then, did not Jesus come to them before Lazarus died?
Today, we can relate to having various levels of faith and also of bewilderment. Many of us have seen God answer our prayers in dramatic ways. Why does He at other times seem distant and unresponsive? Perhaps we can take heart and gain a stronger faith from the raising of Lazarus. What seemed like unanswered prayers, filled with disappointment and confusion, ended up with a dramatic boost in faith in God’s timing. Perhaps many of our most difficult and trying tests of faith will result in a eureka experience when we see the end of what God is now taking us through.
Verse 33 of this chapter may communicate more than a quick read reveals:
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled.
The word used for Mary’s weeping denotes loud, audible weeping or loud sobbing. In reaction to her desperate grief, Jesus “was deeply moved in spirit.” “Spirit” here does not refer to the Holy Spirit but to Jesus’ human spirit. The Greek word for “deeply moved” can refer to the snorting of horses. When used of people, it has a connotation of strong anger, outrage, or emotional indignation (ibid). “Was troubled” actually means “He troubled Himself”, or more literally, He “shook Himself,” as if instead of having an emotional, verbal outburst of anger, He shook Himself.
This quivering, however, is active: “he shook himself.” Not passive, as though the strong emotion shook him. This must mean that the bodily quivering is the visible evidence of the inward effort by which Jesus restrained the indignant feeling (R.C.H. Lenski, Commentary of the New Testament, John, p. 808).
Why was Jesus angry? Two reasons have been suggested. First, Jesus was angry as He saw the consequences of sin and death in this fallen world and the havoc and grief it brings to all mankind. Second, perhaps it was in reaction to the unbelief of those who were loudly wailing like pagans with no hope for the future. There is perhaps a third reason for this unusual response. He is nearing the end of His ministry. The raising of Lazarus will, He knows, bring on the wrath of the Jewish leaders against His desire to save them. Jesus could speak scathing words to the self-righteous Pharisees yet at the same time weep over Jerusalem, showing how He loves His people.
Jesus now asks where they have laid Lazarus. When He arrived at the tomb, “Jesus wept.” The word used here expresses silent tears as one who truly empathizes with those who are suffering sorrow and grief. Here we see both the divine reaction of anger against unbelief and sin and the human empathy of a beloved friend.
This reaction of Jesus caused the unbelieving Jews to say,
Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?
It is not clear if they were expressing faith or disdain. Throughout the account of the healing of the man born blind in John nine, the Jews refused to believe the miracle. Now, they use that miracle to cast doubt and confusion. Why could not Jesus have arranged His schedule to be at the side of sick Lazarus? If Jesus loved Lazarus, as shown by His tears, why didn’t He heal Him? Their question raises doubts about the ability of Jesus to heal Lazarus and His motive for not doing so.
Application
- As I read this section, it became clear to me that we are often limited in evaluating our own life experience. What seems so confusing and discouraging may be the building blocks for greater blessings than we could ever imagine.
- Faith is not a static thing. Both Martha and Mary had faith in Jesus as a healer. By Jesus’ not healing Lazarus as they wanted, the grief, confusion, and discouragement they went through at his death leading to his resuscitation grew their faith to new levels.
- Following the pattern of Jesus, it is O.K. to be angry at the results of the curse of sin. We can, at the same time, be sympathetic and caring to those who are experiencing hurtful and discouraging situations.
- When going through difficult circumstances, let us “look through” them to the solid promise of Scripture that God works all things together for good to them that love God.
Prayer
Father, increase my faith. Be with me during times of sickness and discouragement. May I trust in the power and love expressed by your Son, Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus.
In Jesus name.
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