John 11:17–37 ‘“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”’ (vv21–22)
Jesus never wastes a moment, and the interchange between Him and the two sisters is telling.
He could have simply announced before they spoke: ‘It’s OK – I’m going to raise your brother from the dead, so don’t worry!’.
But instead, He could see the value in talking with the woman about their faith in Him and the situation.
Martha tells Jesus that He really should have been here to heal His friend, and they have a chat about what Martha actually believes.
She’s OK with believing in the resurrection at the end of time, and she’s OK believing He is the Messiah, the Son of God (v27).
She’s just not sure this is going to make any difference to her brother. The interaction with Mary is a bit shorter.
She says the same as her sister, and here we see Jesus deeply moved, leading to that famous and shortest verse in the Bible: ‘Jesus wept’ (v35).
Was it sadness at the human condition leading to death? Was it anticipating His own death? Clearly tears would have seemed strange given what happened next.
The interactions demonstrate the difference between what we say we believe and what we actually believe.
The phrase ‘actions speak louder than words’ might be apt here, and indeed be for us. We know that without Jesus we can do nothing, and yet we fail to pray.
The challenge of the Christian life is to align what our faith tells us we should believe with our actual daily practice.
Our reading of the Scriptures and listening to preaching is designed to help us bridge the gap. God is always keen and available to help us. We just need to ask.
A Prayer To Make:
Lord Jesus, may my actions speak louder than my words. May my life speak of your love and goodness. Amen.
An Action To Take:
As you examine your life, do you see a gap between what you believe and how you act?
Scripture To Consider:
Psalm 30:1-5; Ezekiel 37:1-14; Luke 22:43-44; John 16:19-24
