I love this picture. I woke up this morning thinking about it for some reason. So after getting the kids to school I decided to sit down and really study the account in John ch 11. I used to love this story solely for the love and compassion Jesus shows to women that he cared deeply for. In their grief he wept with them, even though He knew that very day their tears would be wiped away and their brother would again live. This record has helped me to see who Christ really is. But today I saw something new. I learned what it takes to be a woman of faith even during great trial. I learned what one must do to keep that faith and the reward for proving faithful. I saw this account today through Martha’s eyes. When her brother is sick she sends word to Jesus who is a day’s journey away. “Lord he whom thou lovest is sick” I can feel her anguish and desperation in this letter for help. She receives word back from Jesus this sickness is not unto death and through it God will be glorified.” But it’s too late her brother dies. How would I feel when I read the reply? These may well have been a part of my impatient way of thinking: “Well, Lazarus is dead, so do I still trust you? If you are God, wouldn’t you already know that he was dead?” And then the hardest part of all for me would be the fact that I didn’t know why, but Jesus doesn’t come to mourn with us, I may have thought “where is he? Why isn’t he here… he should’ve been here by now… He is a day’s journey away and it been four days!” While mourning among family and friends Martha hears that Jesus is coming. She immediately runs out the door and down the road to meet him. I don’t think she stopped running until she fell at his feet and said Lord, if thou hadst been here my brother had not died” can you hear the anguish in her soul and yet her faith is stronger than her grief. “But I know that even now what soever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it to thee.” Even when Christ tell her her brother will live again I’m not sure she understand what is about to happen. “I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection “she states. Maybe she believes she will not see her brother again until after her life is over, yet she shows such incredible trust in the lord whom she loves! Her faith isn’t centered on a brother, a child, a friend, or anything else! Her faith is completely centered on Jesus Christ. When He asks Martha if she believes in him, even during her own sorrow, she responds, “Yea Lord, I believe thou art the Christ, the son of God.” At the cave where Lazarus has been laid Jesus asks for the stone to be removed, clearly he could have done this himself by exercising his god given strength and power but he asks the people gathered there to. he ask s us to do whatever is in our power to act for ourselves Then one the greatest miracles that has taken place on earth happens in front of Martha’s eyes. I can’t imagine what it was like to see her brother standing before her, to hear him call her name, to feel his embrace. But I can relate to Martha’s faith and trusting in the Lord even when she didn’t understand what was happening or why it was happening. Lazarus would die physically twice in his life but to those disciples including Mary and Martha who witnessed such a miracle, they would never be the same. This experience would seal for Martha her testimony to become such that she now knew of the reality of Christ’s resurrection and his messiahship. I have had times of trial where I called out to the lord to help me and to heal someone I loved; sometimes He didn’t come right away. I’ve learned that faith is trusting in God and in His timing. After Kate was born and only holding for a few minutes, she was whisked away to a different hospital in critical condition. I lay in my hospital bed alone feeling perhaps her suffering was my fault. I waited in that room not able to do anything to help her and only knowing that she may not make it. At a very low point I called out from my bed to God to please comfort me. I knew that if she lived or died was up to Him, but I pleaded that I would be able to hold her one more time. I felt peace that everything would be okay. But, it wasn’t for some time. Day after day my empty arms were a reminder of the agony enveloping my heart. It was dark and I was alone. Yet in those moments of my own gethsemane I had a reserve of faith I could call on to strengthen me. I saw and felt in a way, I am sure I could only learn through an experience such as this, what the atonement means for me and my love for Jesus deepened. I became completely reliant on Him. I remember thinking as Martha you could heal her, she could’ve been healed, why didn’t you? And then I saw the glory of God manifest in that tiny baby who I finally held and sang songs to in the N.I.CU. Because of these and many other similar experiences I can relate to Martha’s testimony and faith. No matter what happens I know who to run to. I know who to put my trust in. I can say without seeing his face or feeling his embrace, “Yea lord, I believe thou art the Christ!”