JESUS ARRIVES, LAZARUS ARISES

Written by TJ Joyce, retired CEO & President, YMCA of Greater Richmond, Virginia

“If you had only been here, our brother would not have died.”

This was the heart’s cry of Mary and Martha to Jesus when he arrived at Lazarus’ tomb.

Having traveled on the roads between Jerusalem where Jesus had been teaching and Bethany where Lazarus was sick, I was struck at how close everything is to each other.

In this story, Mary and Martha lived less than two miles from Jerusalem, just over the hill from the Mount of Olives.

I can sense the sister’s indignation and sorrow: “why did you not come quicker?” You were only a little distance away and could have been here within the hour and saved him.

“Where were you; you loved him so?” Their lament was out of deep grief for their dead brother.

Have you ever asked God those grieving questions? Me too.

I am so much like Mary and Martha, believing that if only Jesus would be here, right here, right now, then all will be ok.

We don’t always understand God’s timing or why he doesn’t show up the way we want.

But as they later found out, he is more with us now than before, in joy and grief.

Wherever you lead and care, you can trust that Christ is with you, that he weeps with you in your sorrow, and that you can trust him in his timing.

In my work with the YMCA, I spent many hours caring for staff going through difficult times, and I sometimes asked God why he didn’t hurry up and show up and solve this problem.

But when I remember the tears of Jesus at Lazarus’ grave, I know that Jesus cares for us in our troubles, and while his timing is not always ours, we can still be present to each other, bearing the peace of Christ, with confidence in knowing he is there with us.

Faith, compassion, love, walking with and in our humanity of grief; that was and is, Jesus.

You’re left to ponder how great is his love for us? A love arises that is present with us all the time, both now and forevermore.

Pray with me:

Lord, allow me the strength to believe even when I don’t think you are around. Let the eyes of my heart and soul “see the glory of God.” I choose to believe you are “the resurrection and the life.”