There is so much in this chapter that God has been challenging me with, revealing His heart, and setting the example. This chapter consist of Lazarus being raised from the dead. But before Jesus raises him, He comforts Lazarus’s sisters.
When Martha heard Jesus was in town she went out to meet Him. (This is the same Martha in Luke 10 that was busy doing rather than being). When she got to Jesus, He asked her if her brother will rise again. To which she responded in her simple faith of saying yes in the resurrection at the last day (v24). Then Jesus says, “I AM the resurrection and the life…(v25). He challenges her and what she believes.
For the most of my life I would say that I was Martha. Always busy doing. And sometimes judging others by how much or how little they did. Even going to God to complain. It would look a lot like me pleading with God. “God can’t you see what I’ve done. I’ve done X, Y, and Z and this person over here has only done A and B but, You’ve blessed them or answered their prayers already. Am I not doing enough…” So often after this I would find something more to do.
Jesus knew Martha at her core and knew that she needed a challenge. She needed to be questioned at her beliefs to help her. To help her grieve the loss of her brother she needed something else to focus on. Even though Jesus knew He was going to raise him from the dead He took the time to help Martha grieve.
Over the past 5 months, okay actually probably the last year and a half, Jesus has been calling me to be more like Mary. I may be just a little stubborn so it takes slightly longer to just be. Learning that I don’t have to do anything to earn God’s love or recognition has been a battle. I am so ready to do at any moment but learning to wait on God for what He wants me to BE in the daily is a lesson. After all that is the reason that Martha was mad at her sister because her sister was just being at the feet of Jesus.
Jesus says in Luke 10, “that Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (v42). I want to choose what is better.
Just like with any relationship the more time you spend with a person the more you know them. The more you know their heart and they know yours. The more you know the more you want to spend time with them. The same is so true for Jesus. The more time I spend with Him, the more He reveals Himself. The more He reveals Himself, the more I want of Him. More of Him and less of me. Because Mary had chosen more of Jesus the more she knew of Him and His heart.
Which leads me to my favorite part of John 11.
“When the people who were with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.” John 11:31
Mary did the unexpected!!!! Everyone thought she was going to the grave to mourn but instead SHE WENT TO JESUS!!!! This has been my challenge. Instead of reacting in a way that would be expected or reacting in a way that I would have every right to react, I am choosing to go to Jesus. At the very moment that I go to Jesus it no longer remains my problem. He wants to carry my burdens. He wants me to BE free! Because Mary spent time with Jesus she knew His heart and He knew her heart.
This verse has two parts. “When they noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her.” I 100% believe that she walked with the authority of Jesus inside her. Yes the Holy Spirit wasn’t released yet because Jesus was still on the earth. But when you sit at Jesus’ feet and just BE you become bold in knowing who and who’s you are. She took the time to BE and that allowed her to BE a leader and put her in a position to do the unexpected and to take it to Jesus.
Taking things to Jesus has been one of the best lessons. Not just taking things to Jesus after they have had time to build up into something bigger but in the moment. The moment that things don’t make sense or the moment things get hard that is when I need to take it to JESUS! He wants to be in relationship with me.
He wants me to BE. He wants me to BE in Him. He wants me to BE His.
