His Delay is Not His Denial

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. ² It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. ³ So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” ⁴ But when Jesus heard it he said, “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.” ⁵ Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. ⁶ So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. – English Standard Bible

Martha and Mary rightly expected that Jesus should do something about their brother Lazarus’ sickness. Mary’s extravagant act of worship was indelibly chiselled into the collective memory of the followers of Jesus. Martha had hosted Jesus and his disciples in their family home, faithfully served them while Mary sat and listened to Jesus’ teaching, much to Martha’s censure but Jesus’ commendation (Luke 10:38-42).

So when their brother was sick, it was only natural to assume that the One who had healed so many, their friend, would quickly heed their cry for help. If they ever needed His help, it was now. However, things didn’t turn out exactly that way. On hearing the message that “the one whom he loved was ill”, Jesus actually delayed another two days before going to attend to Martha and Mary’s request. Of course, by the time Jesus gets to the Bethany, Lazarus is dead, four days dead. 

It must have been a heart-wrenching realization for Martha and Mary to hear that though Jesus had heard their cry for help, he did not urgently come to their rescue. So much for prophets! They come to you with their whole posse of disciples when they need food but not when you really need them. Of course, Jesus wasn’t just another prophet for the sisters. They had seen his care and love for their family. And that was exactly why his not coming just didn’t make sense. Knowing Jesus, they must have thought, he should have been at their door like yesterday. 

That’s where John, the author of the Gospel, lets us in on what is going on in Jesus’ mind. Jesus already has a purpose for the situation: it’s going to be for God’s glory. He is going to turn this hopeless and helpless situation around by God’s power to show that he is the Sent One of God. And so he delays. Another two days. It’s almost like Jesus is waiting for the situation to get beyond human repair. And he is.

Friend, may be you have been praying and asking Jesus’ help with that seemingly impossible situation yet Jesus is silent. It could be your marriage, your finances, your peace of mind, or whatever abominable combination of these. The great news is that he has heard you and, most important of all, he loves you. “And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)

May you know that that problem is not the end of you, it’s for God’s glory to be seen. May you realize that the more intense the pressure, the greater the glory. May you know that though it’s beyond human despair it is within divine repair. His delay is not his denial.