Mary and Martha and Prayer
I don't know if I've never really thought about it or if I just haven't thought it in awhile, but I listened to a sermon today about Mary and Martha, and while it wasn't the focus, the pastor mentioned the story of Lazarus. Yes, Mary and Martha asked JESUS to come and he tarried. Yes, yes, and it was to show HIS glory by raising Lazarus. And yes, that means sometimes GOD waits, because it's better that way. And yes, JESUS wept.
But today it hit me. Mary and Martha were praying. We think of them asking their FRIEND to come and save the day, but their FRIEND was GOD. They were praying. And their GOD didn't come. HE didn't reveal HIMSELF. HE didn't send word at the time saying, "I'm coming and it will be better than you could've imagined." HE said nothing to them. HE did not answer.
And when HE did go, and when HE saw the women's distress, HE wept. HE knew how it was going to play out, but HE knew they didn't, and HIS heart ached for them. HIS heart ached that they had to go through this, and through this with no promise of HIS working the situation for good; at least not that they could see. They thought it was over. They had given up, and, to be honest, with good reason. With perfectly acceptable reason. Had they not, they and everyone else would've thought they were crazy. Any one of us would've done the same.
And HE wept. Knowing all, HE wept.
And HE weeps for us. Compassion abounding, HE weeps for us. Any time our heart aches, HIS heart aches. Even knowing how things will work together for good, HIS heart aches. HE knows we don't know. HE knows there are times when we, perfectly logically and not wrongly, believe HE's done with the matter; that the matter has been answered through HIS silence.
And yet HE knows it's not. HE knows of a greater promise; one that we cannot imagine.
But today it hit me. Mary and Martha were praying. We think of them asking their FRIEND to come and save the day, but their FRIEND was GOD. They were praying. And their GOD didn't come. HE didn't reveal HIMSELF. HE didn't send word at the time saying, "I'm coming and it will be better than you could've imagined." HE said nothing to them. HE did not answer.
And when HE did go, and when HE saw the women's distress, HE wept. HE knew how it was going to play out, but HE knew they didn't, and HIS heart ached for them. HIS heart ached that they had to go through this, and through this with no promise of HIS working the situation for good; at least not that they could see. They thought it was over. They had given up, and, to be honest, with good reason. With perfectly acceptable reason. Had they not, they and everyone else would've thought they were crazy. Any one of us would've done the same.
And HE wept. Knowing all, HE wept.
And HE weeps for us. Compassion abounding, HE weeps for us. Any time our heart aches, HIS heart aches. Even knowing how things will work together for good, HIS heart aches. HE knows we don't know. HE knows there are times when we, perfectly logically and not wrongly, believe HE's done with the matter; that the matter has been answered through HIS silence.
And yet HE knows it's not. HE knows of a greater promise; one that we cannot imagine.
posted by melilotnfosco | 12:27 PM
5 Comments:
:)
Great point(s)!
Just a side comment - I know why you do it but I can't help but read capitalized words as strongly emphasized in my head, like someone's yelling out those words. It disrupts the flow of reading for me and the unnaturalness makes me not want to read the whole thing. It's so hard to try and read that without emphasizing those words.
:)
I heard a pastor say once that "Jesus wept" because of the lack of their faith. I have to say that I really don't think so. I believe (and Scripture supports) that He weeps when we weep, because He loves us and He knows our pain.
I'm surprised a pastor said that. Unless he was weeping for many things, and it was hard to separate them out. I definitely have felt THAT before.
auto - yes i've been thinking that it gets hard to read like that. i'm thinking that as much as i hate to do it, i might have to start not using all caps for everything....
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