This week as I've been praying for some literal miracles in my friends’ lives I keep thinking of the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead in John 11. Although the story is all about one of Jesus’ biggest miracles, it really is about so much more than that. It’s about how Jesus loves and feels, it’s about trusting God, and about Jesus doing the unexpected.
It’s back in the day when Jesus walked the earth, and he’s healing people left, right and centre. So when a good friend of Jesus, Lazarus, is sick, his family tell Jesus. Jesus loves Laz. He will rush to him and heal him, obviously.
But no, that’s not what happens. “When he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” And Lazarus dies. What?! Imagine being his family there and then. That’s definitely not how it should go! He said he loved Laz?! What is Jesus doing; how can he even justify that?!
Here is what I think Jesus’ response to that is: “Just wait, people. I haven’t done what you wanted because I am going to do something so much better and greater. Trust me. Healing now would have been cool, but I’m gonna raise him from the dead: the coolest! Your way ends up with one guy being healed which is nice, but my way results in redemption, in many many people being brought to spiritual life. Trust me.”
And he does what he promised. Lazarus is alive again. Martha and Mary learn to trust Jesus, even through their disappointment, God’s glory is shown and many people believe in Jesus and are saved. Win win win win! So much good out of a dark and dead situation.
Jesus didn’t do what the people wanted or expected because he knew the bigger picture and saw the end. He was always in control, always working for the good of those who loved him and whom he loved.
Copy paste this into your own life. If God isn’t healing or sorting out things you face right now, I believe it’s for a bigger purpose. I believe that we can trust him to move and heal and change things when the time is perfectly right. Ask Jesus to teach you trust and patience and faith through this time of death. Ask him to bring redemption to the people around you through your story. Run to him in your disappointment like Martha, knowing that he loves you, and trust him to bring his life in his time.
Like the great quote about Aslan: “He is not a tame lion, but he is good.” Our Jesus is unpredictable, doing wild and unexpected things, but boy is he good.
He can’t be tamed or told what to do, but you can trust him. He always loves us and he is always good.
