John 11:21

How many prayers have we started by asking God why he didn’t save us from misery? If you had helped me, this wouldn’t have happened. So many times, we learn of Lazarus as a story of resurrection, of Jesus’ miracles. But, knowing of his friend’s illness and death, Jesus delayed his journey for two days. He told his disciples he was going to wake Lazarus up, and they thought that he must be sleeping. Jesus however intended to raise him from the dead so that he could show them more than healing. His disciples needed to see Him overcome death itself.  Those with Lazarus kept watching the horizon looking for Jesus to appear. Each morning, they were hoping this would be the one that Jesus would come and heal his friend as he had healed so many before The only plan they saw was a miracle and assumed that any friend of Jesus’ would be protected from death. They believed that Jesus would show up, and if Jesus showed up, their brother would be made well.

    As Christians, we want sometimes for our relationship with our Father to grant us privileges or to see Him do things for us because we know Him.  I was raised thinking I had something special with God. I had to learn the hard way that while God has always been there for me he is not at my beck and call. I can remember all too well the times that I sat, as Jonah did, waiting for judgement to come to his enemies. Christ is not a weapon for me to aim at someone. He is the one exposing me to all those inconvenient pieces of myself that get in the way of showing love to my neighbors. As we want to shake the dust off and draw our weapon on others, He is trying to show us how he loved us, before we deserved it. He never comes when and how we want. He is just always what we need.