“Hesitancy and recriminations”

By Rev. Michael Stonhouse

Meditation – Thursday, September 12, 2024

John 11: 17-29 (Forward, p. 45) CEV p. 1116

I think that we can hardly blame Martha for what she initially said to Jesus, her recriminations and criticisms of Him. After all, He had raised other people, such as the son of the widow of Nain, from the dead, so why not her brother? And what is more, she feels that if Jesus had come sooner, He might have been able to make a difference. As she said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” In fact, she goes on to say, “Yet even now I know that God will do anything you ask.” And so she does indeed have faith, even though it is somewhat timid and tentative.

Furthermore, she did seem to have a robust belief in the general resurrection, the resurrection on the Last Day. Her only problem, her only hesitancy, had to do with believing that anything even remotely like that might have right now, in her lifetime. And isn’t that exactly like our faith on many occasions: we believe that God can indeed act, but not now. His action, His intervention, will occur at some other time and place. And so, hopefully this incident with Martha and Mary will stir our faith in a God who is not only here, here with us, but who can act, and make a difference.

Forward notes: “I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him (verse 22).

“Martha expresses a profound, wondrous faith in Jesus. And yet, I wonder if even Martha could have imagined how Jesus would act. Bringing Lazarus back to life is a miracle that defies expectations.

“Sometimes, I wish I was more like Martha, willing to trust Jesus with big asks. But I hesitate, worried that my request is too big or too bold. As a self-starter and a doer, I value my independence, and asking for help can seem like failing. But then I read this passage about Jesus and how he took Martha’s request, turned toward his Father, and asked for the impossible.

“What a lesson! Nothing is too big for God, even when it feels too big for me.”

Moving Forward: “What big asks do you have in your heart? Are you ready to share those with God—and to see what might happen?”