John 11:32

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell at His feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."

The story about the death of Lazarus found in John 11 is my favorite story in the whole Bible right now. There is a genuineness found in this story that I don't find in other parts of the Bible - or maybe it is just one that resonates more deeply with me. I see this as a story about hope.

Mary and Martha knew that Jesus could have stopped the death of their beloved brother, Lazarus. But I enjoy the way they both approach the situation when Jesus does finally show up on the scene...four days too late. Martha hears that Jesus is in the neighborhood and runs out to meet and confront Him in her brokenness. Some people accuse Martha of lacking faith - I mean, she was the busy one. Really though, I think she's just a typical older sister. Her words tell of her faith.

"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give You whatever You ask."

The fact that our beloved Mary repeats the first part of this word for word tells me that they had been seriously processing the fact that Jesus didn't come through for them. They sat in that dark room crying to one another, not understanding but longing to. They know who He is as evidenced by verse twenty seven, and their faith has been turned on its head because their Christ fell short of their expectations.

Jesus answers her gently and then at some point asks for Mary.

Mary has an entirely different response. One of complete brokenness and confusion and hurt that makes you want to rip your insides out.

She fell at His feet.

Consider that posture. It speaks volumes. In most cases it would be a sign of submission - as it is here as well. But it also a posture of someone deeply aching with the hurt they have experienced. Her pain was double - her brother was now four days in the tomb and her Jesus wasn't there when she needed Him most. In the following verse, we find her weeping. I wonder if she only said those twelve words because that's all she could utter between the sound of her breaking heart and the disappointment in the One she had given her everything to.

Mary was a tender heart, to be sure. But her realness and submission even in the midst of her confusion and mourning even gets Jesus. He sees her - and her friends who were also with her weeping - and He is deeply troubled. The God of the universe was impacted by this beloved woman who was hurting. He took that pain upon Himself and He wept...then went to work.

Something in that story really resonates with me. Jesus allowed the unthinkable to happen in Mary and Martha's life. And the worst part was that He never bothered to show up. But I have a sneaking suspicion that He was never really far from them. He needed it to happen, not just for them, but for the entire world to see the way He would bring glory to the Father through the situation. He knew their threshold all along. He met them toe to toe at just the right point in the story. All hope was gone, but then He came through. Isn't that just what He does?

Lord, please come through in my life
Please help me to hold on to the story you are weaving
When all hope is gone, bring this to mind
And let me remember that You love even when it doesn't feel like it
So that I can step out boldly in the faith You have given me