Peace in Grief
December 19, 2020
| “So the sisters sent to him, saying, ‘Lord, he whom you love is ill.’ But when Jesus heard this he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it’. “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” -John 11:3-5 It’s very painful to watch someone we love die in the midst of our please and prayers to God. The grief that comes can be overwhelming and can tempt us to doubt God’s desire or ability to help us. Something so completely outside of our control can leave us feeling helpless. Yet Jesus showed us that death does not have the final say. Mary and Martha sent for Jesus because they knew He could save their brother. In verse 5, it says that Jesus took longer to get to Lazarus because He loved him! Surely if Jesus loved them, He would make haste and get there before Lazarus had to taste death? When Lazarus did die before Jesus got there, Mary and Martha must have been hurt and discouraged. They had spent time with Jesus, Mary had washed His feet with her hair (Luke 7). Both Mary and Martha approach Jesus with the same words “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:21, 32). The Lord does not rebuke them or scold them for feeling this way nor for so boldly bringing their feelings before Him. Jesus is not aloof or indifferent to our grief, when Jesus sees the Mary weeping along with everyone with her, He was deeply moved. “Jesus wept” (Luke 11:38). We can be honest with God in our grief and allow Him to meet us there, and when He does, He weeps with us and shows us the bigger picture. Jesus had a plan to show His love for them and His power over death in a much more miraculous way than just healing Lazarus from his sickness, Jesus was going to resurrect him from the grave. “Jesus said to her [Martha], ‘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?’” (John 11:23-28). Jesus was telling Martha that His power to bring the dead back to life was not just for the last day, but for now. Because He loved them, Jesus waited to come and let Lazarus die so that His friends would see the glory of God. We do not need to deny our feelings our stifle our sorrow when we’re faced with devastating loss. Jesus showed us the great compassion and empathy God has for us in our grief. He will walk with us, He will weep with us, and He will remind us of the hope that we have in Him to raise the dead back to life and make all things new. I pray for all of you who may be grieving this Christmas, that you will be at peace in the midst of your sorrow knowing that the Lord is near. |
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