Closer, Closer

This devotional is Part 5 of a series focusing on John 11:1-44.

Ever wonder why God just doesn’t swoop in and save your life at the moment of your asking? The Lord often moves in increments, allowing us to find him wherever he is while on the way to you. Check your prayer journal or memory file. You may find that he was teaching you something here, and there, while you were trying to drag him to your urgent place.

We’ve already seen that Jesus waited at least four days before going back to Bethany in Judea. His delay meant Lazarus succumbed to his illness. When he was finally on his way, Martha heard that he was coming, and went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. These sisters’ responses feel very familiar. Depending on the situation, we are willing to go to church, for example, where we know the Lord will be, and to seek him there. Other times, in our anger and other feelings, we stay home. Or in our current situation, we skip online church altogether. No singing, no praying. Just waiting on the Lord to come to us as we had asked.

But Martha went out to meet the Lord. What’s interesting is that her decision to go to Jesus produced tremendous confessions of faith. Daring even to broach the subject of bringing her brother back to life she said, I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask. After this encounter with Jesus, Martha went for her sister saying, The Teacher is here and is asking for you. He was asking for her. While she wept, waiting, Jesus was somewhere else and calling her away from her position of sorrow to him. Jesus still had not even entered her village. He had not moved from where Martha met him. Mary had to get up and go to him—and quickly. And when she got to him, she fell at his feet.

Jesus, Mary and the people who came with her all wept together. They were all outside the village. It’s significant to me that all this happened outside the village, outside the place of deepest pain. I’m reminded of when Jesus said, Come to me all who are weary and heavily laden. Come to me…The Lord brings us close to him as individuals and in community, and then we all go together with him to the place of pain.

We want God to run in and save the day like a SWAT team. But the Lord knows that we need him more than the fixing of any problem. We need to fall at his feet and lament; and we need to confess our faith in who he is. We need the presence of our compassionate Lord more than anyone or anything else. Then, you will not only have the thing you prayed for, but a deeper understanding of how much you are loved by the One who gave it.

Amen.