There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.John 12:2 KJV
Now, we are all familiar with the story of Martha complaining to Jesus that she was doing all the work, and most know about Mary pouring perfume on the Lord’s feet, but we don’t really know much about Lazarus. The Bible doesn’t tell us even one word that he ever said. In some ways Lazarus reminds me a little of my grandmother. She once told me, “When I was young, I was my father’s daughter.” (The local doctor.) When I married, I became my husband’s wife, (my grandfather was a U.S. Navy Captain.) When I had children, I became the mother of my kids: (Both my mom and one of my uncles became somewhat well-known writers.) “What I want to know, is when I can just be me?” Like my grandmother, we don’t know anything about Lazarus personally. We first hear about him only as the brother of Mary and Martha. Later on, all we know is that he got sick and died. We aren’t told whether Lazarus was married, had any children or even what kind of job he had. But we do find out one very important thing: Jesus called him out of the grave! His life may not have been impressive, but the lesson that we learn from Lazarus is because, we are loved by Jesus Christ. We don’t need to have the best grades, the highest paying job, or a perfect family to be special to Him. To Jesus, none of those details matter more than the simple fact that He chose give His life for us and that, if we believe in Him, He will also call us from our grave. Then, just like Lazarus, we will get to sit next to Jesus at His table in heaven forever and ever. And that is pretty impressive if you ask me!
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.” Saint Augustine
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick. So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”John 11:1-3
The last couple of weeks have been challenging for us. Between unexpected major repairs to our home along with a severe arthritis flareup in my right hand, we have had to abandon most of our summer plans, including our annual trip North to be with our family and friends. But I am thankful that our kids will come see us in July, and when I called my doctor, he agreed to see me right away, and today, after lots of prayers and a week of steroids, I happy to report that God has given me back the use of my right hand. These couple of weeks reminded me of the story in the Bible that begins when Mary and Martha send a message to Jesus to please come because their brother Lazarus is sick.
God is Most in Control When we Are Not! Just like Martha, I love making plans and I hate being late in completing them. The problem is that when we get everything on our checklists done on time and under budget, it leaves no space for God’s grace. But when we can’t do what we planned, then we start asking God for help. That is how this story begins. The ladies urgently sent a message for Jesus to show up, but guess what: He didn’t come, and Lazarus died. Jesus knew He could have gone to Bethany and healed Lazarus, but He decided not to. Has God ever decided to do something like that in your life? I know He has in mine! But the story doesn’t end there. Though Mary and Martha’s plans had crashed and burned to ashes, God’s plans were just getting started!
We Grow Closer to Others When we Need Each Other: In Luke chapter Ten, when we first met Martha, we can see that she loved to serve, and best of all she loved serving Jesus. But what Martha couldn’t understand was why her sister Mary just sat around listening to Jesus while she had to do all the work. But after their brother Lazarus died, Martha’s attitude of criticism changed. She no longer wasted her energy trying to manage Mary’s choices. Instead, after Lazarus died, the two sisters had to stick together as their brother was laid to rest. Until Jesus came, their only comfort came from each other and the people who showed up to help. Then when Jesus finally came, we don’t read a single word of criticism. Their mutual loss had brought Mary and Martha closer to each other and more dependent on Jesus than ever.
Closing the Door to Our Old Plans Opens the Door to God’s New Ones! Just like the day when Mary and Martha had to say their goodbyes to Lazarus as the stone was rolled over the entrance to His tomb, there are mornings in all our lives when it feels like everything is falling apart. We have to finally admit that our plans are never going to work out. Our ideas have failed, and we need to close that chapter forever. But rolling the stone over the door to our dreams is the beginning, not the end of God’s plans for our lives. There is more to the story that God can only tell, when we wait to see what He will do next. Though the sisters didn’t know it at the time, the best was yet to come, when Jesus called Lazarus out of the tomb!
Now I can’t possibly know what your situation is this morning, but Jesus does. He knows you have called for Him to come. You have wept at His feet asking God why He has allowed these things to happen and why He hasn’t intervened. But Jesus is not through with us. He has a new chapter for our lives, just as He did for Mary and Martha. But before we get to experience that plan, we may have to unwrap it and set it free to do all and only what God has in mind!
Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!” John 11:43-44 NLT
I have often heard that revival must begin with me, and while that sounds good, it is not what the Bible teaches. Over and over the scriptures make it clear, that God’s true revival always begin with Him. When we think of revival, we often mean some scheduled series of meetings, “We are having revival meetings next week.” We tell people. Or, “Pastor Thompson preached at Last year’s revival.” But revival in the Bible is what happened when Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave. Yes, Mary and Martha had begged Jesus to come, and we must also earnestly pray. But no one imagined much less scheduled the resurrection of Lazarus. In fact, Lazarus himself had nothing to do with it. He certainly wadn’t exercising faith or interceding. He was dead! Mary and Martha were weeping and their friends mostly just wondered what was going on. But God had something amazing on His schedule that day. Let’s also pray that He would remember us today. May God come and do what only He can do. Revive us again, show mercy and grace to His children and reveal Himself in love and power to those who have not yet met Him.
O Lord, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; In wrath remember Habakkuk 3:2 NKJV
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