¹ Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) ³ So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
⁴ When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, ⁷ and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
⁸ “But Rabbi,” they said, “a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?”
⁹ Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world's light. ¹⁰ It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”
¹¹ After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”
¹² His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” ¹³ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
¹⁴ So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, ¹⁵ and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
¹⁶ Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Love’s delay isn’t love’s denial.
Thoughts
- A Love That’s Greater Than Just Relieving (1-6) The sisters don’t beg or plead. Just Lord, the one you love is sick. They trust that naming the friendship is enough. We see Jesus’ real, personal human affections. Then the key: Jesus loved them, so he stayed two more days. His love is the reason for the delay. As God, he sees the end from the beginning. As man, his concern is heartfelt. We assume love would remove suffering quickly. Here, love waits for a greater purpose—God’s glory and the strengthening of faith. ➤ Jesus’ love does not always rush to remove suffering. Sometimes it waits so that something greater than relief can be revealed.
- Walking in the Light While Walking into Danger (7-10) When Jesus turns toward Judea, the disciples freak out, because they remember the stones. Jesus answers with a simple word about 12 hours in the day. On the surface, it’s a proverb. Below, Jesus knows what time it is. His hour has not yet come, so he walks steadfastly. He’s neither anxious about the danger nor about their confusion. As God, he sees a greater reality. As man, he obediently walks the path set before him. The same Jesus who delayed out of love now moves forward with purpose. God sometimes allows painful or risky situations to stand—not because he is indifferent, but because he is more committed to our deeper good than to our immediate safety. ➤ Following Jesus sometimes means walking into situations that seem costly or risky, trusting that he knows the hour better than we do.
- Sleep, Death, and the Startling Gladness of Christ (11-15) Jesus tells them Lazarus has fallen asleep. They misunderstand, so he says it plainly: Lazarus has died. And for your sake, I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. He is not glad that Lazarus died. He is glad he was not there to prevent it. If he had been present, he likely would have healed him. But Jesus seeks something greater. There is a kind of faith that can only be reached on the far side of death and resurrection. He loved them enough to stay away so they could see him conquer death, rather than simply to prevent it. ➤ Jesus is more committed to our faith than to our comfort. He sometimes allows the darkness so that we can see him conquer it.
- Thomas’s Grim Resolve (16) Thomas says, Let us also go, that we may die with him. The subjunctive signals purpose—he expects death, and is willing to share it. His loyalty is real and costly. He does not yet see that Jesus walks toward death so that they will not have to die alone. Thomas is ready to die with Jesus, but he does not understand that Jesus came to die for him. Jesus doesn’t correct Thomas, he accepts his imperfect loyalty, and lets his resolve stand. ➤ Jesus often receives our misshapen loyalty, even when we only partially understand what he came to do for us.
Reflection
- Where might Jesus be deliberately delaying in your life to produce something deeper than immediate relief
