Martha: Solid faith and correct theology in the face of incredible pain
"Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother will rise again.' Martha said to him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? ' She said to him,'Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." John 11:17-27
Things that make you want to go, 'hmmmm.' Have you ever stopped and thought about this exchange? Or do you always race to Christ's declaration of being 'the resurrection and the life' because you memorized it as a kid and move on from there? That is not to say that Christ claiming to be the source of life is unimportant, but Christ didn't interact with machines who merely calculate facts. He lived among human beings, beings with the capacity to experience deep emotions. By that I mean, Christ was speaking with a woman who had just lost her brother four days ago. Don't let that get away from you. What kind of emotional, much less mental state, would you be in if you were in her shoes? How clearly would you be thinking? How theologically would you be thinking? How accurate would your theology be?
"But even now, . . ."
Those words caught me as I read them this morning. Martha is not living in the denial of her circumstances. She's not living in an alternate reality in order to escape the present pain. She's not doubting the One she knows to be the source of life and wholeness. She freely admits that she knows He could have prevented the situation from ever happening. And yet, she doesn't ask the question, "If you could have stopped this, why didn't you?" She doesn't challenge Him. She reminds Him of her faith, even in the midst of extremely painful circumstances. Her faith is steadfast, immovable, and unwavering.
I also find it interesting that Martha understood that the source of Jesus' healing power was the Father. She was well aware of the dependence of the Son on the Father. This is amazing! So many, even His own disciples did not understand this connection. Jesus stated this reality over and over and over and over again and Martha got it!
I wonder, even though Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead before He came to Bethany, how much that miracle was a reward for Martha's faith. He knew that she believed in Him. He had healed a demon-possessed daughter and a Roman soldier's son because of the faith of their parents. Did He raise Lazarus because of the faith of his sister, if even in part? The text doesn't say. It does say that Jesus knew what He was going to do ahead of time, that He did it for the sake of those who were watching, that they might believe, and He did it to show the glory of God. Martha already believed. She was one step ahead of the rest. She demonstrated a stronger faith than even her sister, who had been praised for sitting at Jesus' feet and learning from Him.
Another interesting thought on this, Martha's faith was not dependent on a miracle, like so many that Jesus encountered. Her faith was dependent on a Person. She didn't demand that Jesus 'fix it' once He arrived. It was enough that Jesus was who He said He was and that He was present with her in her grief. She was willing to be, to live through the pain, not demanding that things change, because she knew Jesus and His love for her.
How often do I want to escape my present circumstances because they are uncomfortable for me? How often am I tempted to look back and glamorize what was or look forward and try to imagine what could be? How often do I see either of those options as better than my present? Why do I try to escape? Why do I think that Jesus will be with me then but He's not enough for now? He is the God of the present. He is the I AM. His grace is enough for my 'now' moments - the in between the past and present. He is God's chosen and anointed One who came into the world. He has left me with a Comforter, Helper, Strengthener, and Encourager who loves me and is working E V E R Y T H I N G out for my good.
"Be still and know that I am God." Ps. 46:10
Things that make you want to go, 'hmmmm.' Have you ever stopped and thought about this exchange? Or do you always race to Christ's declaration of being 'the resurrection and the life' because you memorized it as a kid and move on from there? That is not to say that Christ claiming to be the source of life is unimportant, but Christ didn't interact with machines who merely calculate facts. He lived among human beings, beings with the capacity to experience deep emotions. By that I mean, Christ was speaking with a woman who had just lost her brother four days ago. Don't let that get away from you. What kind of emotional, much less mental state, would you be in if you were in her shoes? How clearly would you be thinking? How theologically would you be thinking? How accurate would your theology be?
"But even now, . . ."
Those words caught me as I read them this morning. Martha is not living in the denial of her circumstances. She's not living in an alternate reality in order to escape the present pain. She's not doubting the One she knows to be the source of life and wholeness. She freely admits that she knows He could have prevented the situation from ever happening. And yet, she doesn't ask the question, "If you could have stopped this, why didn't you?" She doesn't challenge Him. She reminds Him of her faith, even in the midst of extremely painful circumstances. Her faith is steadfast, immovable, and unwavering.
I also find it interesting that Martha understood that the source of Jesus' healing power was the Father. She was well aware of the dependence of the Son on the Father. This is amazing! So many, even His own disciples did not understand this connection. Jesus stated this reality over and over and over and over again and Martha got it!
I wonder, even though Jesus knew He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead before He came to Bethany, how much that miracle was a reward for Martha's faith. He knew that she believed in Him. He had healed a demon-possessed daughter and a Roman soldier's son because of the faith of their parents. Did He raise Lazarus because of the faith of his sister, if even in part? The text doesn't say. It does say that Jesus knew what He was going to do ahead of time, that He did it for the sake of those who were watching, that they might believe, and He did it to show the glory of God. Martha already believed. She was one step ahead of the rest. She demonstrated a stronger faith than even her sister, who had been praised for sitting at Jesus' feet and learning from Him.
Another interesting thought on this, Martha's faith was not dependent on a miracle, like so many that Jesus encountered. Her faith was dependent on a Person. She didn't demand that Jesus 'fix it' once He arrived. It was enough that Jesus was who He said He was and that He was present with her in her grief. She was willing to be, to live through the pain, not demanding that things change, because she knew Jesus and His love for her.
How often do I want to escape my present circumstances because they are uncomfortable for me? How often am I tempted to look back and glamorize what was or look forward and try to imagine what could be? How often do I see either of those options as better than my present? Why do I try to escape? Why do I think that Jesus will be with me then but He's not enough for now? He is the God of the present. He is the I AM. His grace is enough for my 'now' moments - the in between the past and present. He is God's chosen and anointed One who came into the world. He has left me with a Comforter, Helper, Strengthener, and Encourager who loves me and is working E V E R Y T H I N G out for my good.
"Be still and know that I am God." Ps. 46:10
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