Reading John 11:5-6 to get context of passage for the passage we were looking at during the weekend services … and was stopped by two words that made no sense: “now” and “so”.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”

The disciples thought they understood Jesus’ not going. They knew that there were those trying to stone him in Judea. It made sense not to go back, despite how they must have known Jesus felt about this family. Perhaps they valued accomplishing the mission of reaching people, healing and teaching more than coming to the aid of a friend? Or maybe they just weren’t ready to get stoned yet?

In any case, The Message expresses my own pause at these sentences. “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus [side note: did you notice all the “and’s” as though making sure we knew no one was left out?], but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick …”.  It wouldn’t be odd if we were told that Jesus rushed to their side or even that he declared him healed from afar (like he did with the centurion in Matthew 8:5-13).

It’s not a lack of compassion or a diminished love (the Greek uses the word agape here) that kept Jesus away! It’s not a fault in the faith of Lazarus or Martha or Mary that kept Jesus from being able to perform a miracle. I don’t think it was an overly packed agenda either, because Jesus was always doing what the Father wanted him to (John 5:19-21).

Why delay the coveted healing?

First, here are a few things that a delay from God does NOT mean:

• He does not care
• He has forgotten
• He has more urgent things to do
• He has more important things to do
• He does not love

“This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it” (John 11:4).

“…and for your sake I’m glad that I was not there, so that you may believe” (John 11:15).

Perhaps, for those of us who love God, all of life is meant to be an opportunity for God’s glory to be revealed (John 11:4).  Sometimes that comes through miraculous healing. Sometimes through finishing the journey well. Sometimes that comes with quick answers, provided before we could even articulate what we desire or think we need. Sometimes it looks like walking through the valley of the shadow of death. Should you be surrounded by your enemies, take heart, a table has already been prepared with all you need (Psalm 23:5).

A delay from God may just mean:

• The trial may get harder … BUT
• That a deeper healing is coming
• That a bigger miracle is around the corner
• That the delay may just be a sign of his love and special care

Our “now” and God’s “so” are often in tension. God exists without the boundaries of time or space and his knowledge is infinite, nothing being hidden from his sight. There’s nothing in this account that reveals that anyone told Jesus that Lazarus had died. Yet he knew. He chose to come when it seemed too late, when they thought he was no longer needed. Martha articulated one of the clearest declarations of faith (John 11:27), trusting that Jesus could ask the Father anything, and it would be given to him (John 11:22). And Jesus turned mourning into joy.

Questions seemed to rise in my own soul as I was contemplating these scriptures:

Will you trust that God is for you even when the “now” and “so” don’t make sense?

Will you trust and abide in Him, rather than seeking solutions on your own?

Will you rest in His perfect will and love for you?