“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.”
(John 11:21-22, ESV)
Have you ever felt like you are at the end of the road? Like this is it, there is no more life in this situation, it’s dead?
Perhaps it’s a business that is on its very last breaths, or a struggling marriage, or your journey for a degree, or a seemingly dead end job where your boss hates you?
These types of situations are bound to happen to all of us at some point. I ask myself… why? What is the lesson behind these “dead” situations.
I heard this message from Transformation Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma from Pastor Mike Todd that really resonated with me and it’s tied to the story of Lazarus. If you haven’t heard of him, go check him out, he’s been a true blessing to my life.
Now, there is this part on one of his messages that really touched me and shifted my perspective on things, especially on the importance of my response. Here’s what’s been working in my heart for the last couple of weeks.
When There’s a “Delay” in God’s Response
We pick up this story in John 11. For those who are not familiar with it, Jesus had these friends who were siblings, Mary, Marta, and Lazarus.
Now, our boy Lazarus got sick and Mary and Martha sent out for Jesus to come pray for their brother because they believed Jesus could heal Lazarus. Jesus waited two days before finally leaving the place he was at to go see Lazarus.
OK… so just for some perspective – 2 days may not seem like a long time for us because we have automobiles, planes, trains, etc., but back then they walked every where. EVERY WHERE. So, not only did Mary, Martha, and Lazarus have to wait the two extra days, but then they had to wait the travel time as well. So, after waiting the two days word came to Jesus to inform him that Lazarus had passed away.
If you read the passage you’ll see that it says, that Jesus loved them and so he waited two days before heading out. Sometimes, God will allow situations in our lives that are painful, not to hurt us, but to show us his glory. Whether it be in the form of spiritual growth, learning to trust him, seeing his wonders, or experiencing his grace.
Jesus heads out to see his friends and reaches them 4 days after Lazarus had passed away. Here’s the moment I want us to pay close attention to… Understandably, Mary and Martha weren’t in their best of spirits. They had just lost their beloved brother.
Marta’s Response to Jesus’ Delay
When Martha heard Jesus was near she met him outside of the village and she tells him, “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.” (John 11:21-22, ESV)
Now, let’s take a glimpse at Martha for a second. She was a woman who was a doer. I can relate to her on this level. In an earlier passage there’s this scene where she’s serving and tending to her guests, Jesus and his disciples; meanwhile Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus. This irked Martha… and she’s like “Jesus, you ain’t gonna tell my sister to help?” (FYI – my Bible characters have a little bit of Miami swag in them). For which Jesus replies that Mary has picked the better of the two, to learn at the feet of the teacher (you can read this story in Luke 10).
People always criticize Martha for this, but come on… if you are a mom I think you can understand Martha. There’s a house full of people, women tend to be the “servers”, and she feels it is her responsibility to tend to her guest. To her, Mary was not picking up the slack, and she was frustrated. Yet, Jesus wanted this to be a teachable moment for Martha. In today’s terms he may have been saying, “Martha sometimes you pick up responsibilities that others didn’t ask you to, but you think they expect for you to do them. Now, it’s time to listen to the word, but you think it’s a time to “serve” and “tend” to your guests.” Jesus is telling her, “when my presence is in your home, stop what you are doing and listen at my feet, rest, just like Mary has chosen to do.”
We see a parallel in their personalities here once again. Mary has once again chosen to stay seated (at least for the moment) and Marta was like, “Oh no! I am going to go see Jesus myself! He has to hear what I’ve got to say.”
So, what does she have to say?
“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.”
This is a very powerful statement. First, she’s expressing her disappointment in the situation, but then she’s declaring two things: 1) that Jesus has/had the power to keep her brother from dying through healing and 2) that EVEN NOW after he has died, Jesus still has the power to do something about it.
What do our “EVEN NOW” moments look like?
My husband/wife has handed me the divorce papers. But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
My child has been expelled from school. But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
My mother has suffered a heart attack. But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
I failed my third final and they are telling me I will loose my financial aid. But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
I started a business and it completely flopped. But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
I just had my fourth miscarriage. But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
I’ve suffered with depression and anxiety to the point where I can’t even hold down a job. But EVEN NOW I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.
No matter the situation, I believe that EVEN NOW if we believe and place our trust in Jesus, God the father will move on our behalf. I know it’s sometimes hard to believe, but even in those times when our faith may fail, we can still ask him, “Lord help me believe.”
I hope this encourages you. Stay blessed 🙂
