“Touched by our infirmities”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Friday, September 13, 2024
John 11: 30-44 (Forward, p. 46) CEV p. 1116
Here, in the after mass of the death of Lazarus, we have a very curious drama being played out. Martha and Mary are understandably upset and sorrowing and so are the many people who have come out from the city of Jerusalem to be with them and comfort them. But then we read that Jesus too was upset and even crying. This seems a bit bizarre, given the ‘rest of the story’, for did He not know that He would be restoring Lazarus to life in just a few minutes? Does this not appear as a bit of play-acting, even hypocritical, given what was to happen so soon?
No, I happen to think that Jesus is indeed ‘touched by our infirmities’ (as Hebrews 4:15 alleges). I think that He genuinely stands with us in our sorrows and is moved by them. And, not just standing in sympathy with us, feeling with us, but genuinely being touched by them Himself, feeling deeply the loss Himself. Yes, Jesus does know the outcome, the end outcomes of all of our sorrows, problems and struggles, but nevertheless at that particular time, the time when they are taking place, He fully and completely enters into those emotions and feels that for Himself. That is why He is so very able and capable of helping us in and through them. Thanks be to God for such an identification, for His being so fully touched by our infirmities.
Forward notes: “Lord, if you had been here…” (verse 32b).
“Both sisters—Martha, then Mary—greet Jesus with the same lament: ‘Lord, if you had been here…’. Engulfed in their grief, they hold Jesus accountable for the death of their brother Lazarus. Out of the reality of their lived experience with Jesus, they are convinced things would have been different if only Jesus had been there.
“’Where were you, God?’ Despite my belief that God is present even in the dark moments, it’s harder to see without a light, and my first instinct is to look for someone or something to blame. ‘I lost this job because my boss…’ ‘My relationship ended because they did….’ ‘I’m in debt because this economy…’
“Taking responsibility for our actions requires honesty and courage. Holding ourselves accountable for the choices we make hinges on an intimate prayer life and the understanding that nothing we do can separate us from the love of God. Only in this place of intimacy with God can we take responsibility for our actions and trust that God is bigger than our mistakes.”
Moving Forward: “When have you been like Martha and Mary, bemoaning God’s absence? What prayer practices might help you trust in God?”