By Peter Biggs

John 11:1- 43 Mary and Martha

Introduction:
This is a true story (it actually happened!) - one of Jesus' greatest miracles. The raising of a person who had been dead 4 days.

But I want to look at his interactions with the man's remaining family. Grief-stricken, confused, angry and disappointed. Where was Jesus?! How can we believe a God who appears to not respond?

They asked Jesus to help
     1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
     2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.
     3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."

The old Puritan commentator Matthew Henry quaintly comments, "The message they sent was very short, not petitioning, much less prescribing or pressing, but barely relating the case with the tender insinuation of a powerful plea, "Lord, the one you love is sick." They do not say, the one WE love, but the one YOU love. Our greatest encouragements in prayer are fetched from God himself and from his grace. They do not say, Lord, behold, he who loveth thee, but he whom thou lovest; for herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us."

     4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it."
     5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. From this introduction there are many references to affection and love. Jesus had "friends", preferential relationships. Peter, James and John within the twelve disciples.

These sisters (his friends) knew where to find Jesus, even though he was a long way off, and traveling, They did not delay in seeking to reach for him.

He Delays... things get worse!
     6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Now this is one of the most perplexing and surely at the time frustrating things!! He had reassured them that the 'sickness would not end in death' but it may have felt little comfort after waiting... and waiting... and waiting....

Jesus was able to discern the difference between FELT NEED and TRUE NEED. Quick Fixes and Lasting Growth. This was an opportunity to grow faith.

His disciples think his return to the hostile Jerusalem area is 'suicide'. After all he had narrowly missed being stoned for claiming to be God only days before. They must learn to go where God calls and not fear man. 'doubting Thomas' (later expressing 'unless I see the marks on his hands') was now brave Thomas! ...

     16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."

     17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.

If I'd been waiting 2 whole days for this house call, I might have exploded at Jesus!!!

Martha's faith
     20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
     21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
     22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
     23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
     24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
     25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
     26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

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Martha then makes one the great confessions of faith in the Bible.
     27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

But the earlier confession of faith was perhaps even greater! v21 "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

It is a great challenge to say those 3 words EVEN NOW GOD when something SO important has been taken from us in a final way. This is faith!

How hard to wait for answers to life's pain. What when we pray and things still get worse? What when God seems to delay? Are you angry at God? Why is He SO late?!!!

Mary's hurt...
     28 And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside Martha had just confessed faith... a renewed faith... a faith in who Jesus was and a faith in thus what he could yet do. Such faith can lift others we love.

     ... 28 "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." It seemed unusual that Mary who had expressed her love of Jesus so tenderly should now NOT come with her sister to meet him. It seems likely that she was disillusioned, disappointed with Jesus' delay. But it took little encouragement to remember what He is like. She changed her mind and quickly ran to Him.

     29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him.
     30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him.
     31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
     32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet

she fell at his feet A familiar place for her
it was she who anointed his feet with perfume,
it was she who sat at his feet to listen to his words,
it is now she who falls at his feet in brokenness.

     ..."Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
The obvious prevailing belief. But there is no 'But I know that even now God' from Mary. She was being honest - perhaps angry - perhaps even 'rebuking, blaming Jesus'...

Mary feels things deeply, it was she who sat at the masters feet to listen, (annoying her sister who was busy about the chores). Jesus response?

Jesus wept
     33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.
Greek (the original language of the New Testament) is more complex and expressive than English. John uses 3 words to express Jesus response to Mary.
         deeply moved in spirit = snorted in anger

         troubled = agitated, disturbed

         wept = burst into tears

     34 "Where have you laid him?" he asked. "Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35 Jesus wept.

It seemed like Jesus was more composed until Mary came. This reveals GOD. Love is NOT dispassionate. God is love. Do we not rather wrongly default to a kind of 'far off moralist figure'?

This is not a dignified, demure, serene God in Jesus! Detached and aloof in his perfection.

He railed at death, it's devastating effect on the human spirit, he felt the pain in his humanity. He expressed a gamut of emotions... anger, compassion, frustration, happiness, humor, peace and sorrow of various kinds.

Can up imagine Jesus weeping with you?

God feeling your emotions?

September 24/2009