Martha & Mary

Jesus responded "Didn't I tell you that you will see God's glory if you believe?" (John 11: 40).

While many of us learned this story as a child, it was with a different focus than how we discussed it on Friday morning.  As children, we learned that "Jesus wept" (John 11:35) and the miracle He performed by raising Lazarus from the dead just by calling out to him!  Those are 2 really amazing scenes in this scripture. 

As we looked closer, we began to uncover more.  This family, Mary, Martha & Lazarus, were good friends of Jesus and were mentioned several times in the Bible.  Mary & Martha were the sisters in Luke 10 and are often talked about in connection with hospitality.  But did you know that Mary was also the Mary who poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet?  It's a flash forward, because it happens 6 days before Passover, in Chapter 12, verses 1-7.  Knowing this give another level of emotion to the scene that unfolds in Chapter 12.

The focus of our discussion was on Jesus' words and actions and what that means for us. 
*Jesus meets Martha and Mary where they are, just as He will do with us.  Even though he is troubled with their disbelief, He doesn't scold them or rebuke them.  He continues to love them. He will love us too, regardless of our level of belief in Him and His promises. 
*Jesus experiences many emotions in these passages: compassion, sympathy, indignation, frustration and sorrow.  We should never hide our emotions from Him.  He has experienced them, He understands them; we should always be honest with Him.  He cares about us and will always come along side us, guiding us through whatever our situation may be, to a place of healing.  
*And what about that scene where Jesus weeps?  There is the possibility that He is weeping for several reasons.  The first being, the reality of the death of His friend, even though He already knows He's going to raise him from the dead.  But He may also be weeping out of frustration: the disbelief of His friends, the misunderstanding of His disciples, the critical whisperings of the crowd, may all just be too much.  So, we too should not be ashamed to weep!  Even when we know our loved ones are with Our Lord, we should not hide our sorrow.  And when life just gets to be too much, we should cry out to the Lord.  He knows what help we need, all we have to do is ask for it! 

What was your reaction to this story?  To Ms. LePeau's questions?  Everyone has their own life-lenses through which they view Scripture.  What was your take and what does it mean for you, in your life, right now?  Your comments may be just what someone else needs to hear!

Your Partner in Ministry,
Shelly