The Silent Answer Pt. 1

John 11:1–46 gives us the story of three siblings: Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. When Lazarus became seriously ill, his sisters sent word to their close Friend, Jesus. But Jesus delayed His arrival, and by the time He came, Lazarus had already died and had been in the tomb for four days. Although my interpretation of this passage may be somewhat different from the way we traditionally hear this story, I want to look at it from a perspective that perhaps some of us have not considered before.

It has often been said that “Martha was anxious and distracted by the physical demands of hospitality, while Mary withdrew from those responsibilities, leaving Martha to carry the burden alone.” But when I look at this story, I believe there was something deeper taking place in the hearts of both sisters. Ultimately, both Mary and Martha struggled with the same thing: they knew Jesus could heal, but they had not yet fully understood or believed what He was telling them about who He was. Jesus was not simply the One who could prevent death. He was, and is, the Resurrection and the Life.

At some point in our lives, we have all felt frustrated, hurt, angry, or disappointed when things did not work out the way we expected, especially when someone we trusted did not respond when we needed them most. I believe Mary and Martha experienced those same emotions when Jesus did not come immediately after they sent word about their brother’s serious illness. On separate occasions, each sister said essentially the same thing to Jesus, “If You had been here, my brother would not have died.” I often wonder what was really behind those words. Were they speaking out of broken and disappointed hearts? Were they expressing anger? Or were they speaking from the familiarity of a close relationship with Jesus, honestly telling Him how deeply His absence had hurt them?

When Lazarus died, I imagine Mary and Martha grieving together and trying to make sense of Jesus’ delay. They had sent for Him because they believed He could do something. Yet Jesus did not come when they expected Him to come. For four days, they had to live with the reality of their brother’s death. And as mourners gathered around them, there were undoubtedly many questions surrounding what had happened. I can imagine how easily doubt could have entered their hearts. They may have wondered, “How could Jesus allow this to happen? We know He could have healed Lazarus. We sent for Him, and He did not come. Does He really care about us the way we thought He did?” Sometimes, when God does not respond according to our timetable, our disappointment can begin to speak louder than our faith.

I can imagine Martha saying, “I’m beginning to wonder if Jesus really loved us after all.” And perhaps Mary, remembering the relationship they had with Jesus, might have responded, “But how could He forget all the times we welcomed Him into our home? How many times did we feed Him, care for Him, and make Him comfortable? And I even poured costly perfume on His feet and wiped His feet with my hair. We have loved Him, and we know He has loved us. So why, after we sent word that Lazarus was sick, did He wait?” Sometimes the hardest questions come not from people who do not love God, but from people who love Him deeply and cannot understand His timing.

When Martha received word, that Jesus was coming, four days after they had sent for Him, she went out to meet Him. Mary remained at home until Martha returned for her. I can imagine Mary thinking, “I’m not ready to see Him yet. Where was He when we needed Him? Why did He wait until now, when Lazarus is already in the grave?” Martha, however, went out to meet Jesus, perhaps carrying all those unanswered questions with her. I can imagine her telling herself, “I need to hear from Him personally. I need to understand why He waited. I am hurt, I am disappointed, and I have questions, but I need to hear what Jesus has to say.”

As Martha walked toward Jesus, I believe she had to wrestle with what was going on inside of her. She was grieving, but she was also disappointed. She loved Jesus, but she did not understand His delay. And when she finally saw Him, the first words that came out of her mouth were, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Those words reveal both faith and disappointment. Martha still believed Jesus had the power to heal. What she could not understand was why He had not used that power when she needed Him to. Her heart was hurting because she and her siblings loved Jesus deeply, and she could not reconcile His love for them with His decision to wait. And yet, even in her disappointment, Martha's faith had not completely disappeared. She continued, “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” There was still something inside of her that believed Jesus could do something. When Jesus told her that her brother would rise again, Martha understood His words in terms of the future resurrection. She knew Lazarus would rise again on the last day. But Jesus was trying to take her faith beyond a future promise and into a present revelation. He told her, “I am the Resurrection and the Life.” Martha was thinking about what Jesus would do someday, while Jesus was revealing to her who He is right now. She was thinking about resurrection as an event, but Jesus was revealing that resurrection is found in Him.

When Jesus asked Martha if she believed this, He was bringing her to a deeper place of faith. Martha responded, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.” Her confession was true and powerful. She believed Jesus was the Messiah and the Son of God. Yet, during her grief, she still seemed to struggle with the immediate reality of what Jesus was about to do. She believed in the resurrection to come, but she had not yet grasped that the Resurrection Himself was standing right in front of her. Sometimes we can believe everything God has promised for tomorrow and still struggle to believe what God is able to do today.