Maratha Meets Jesus On the Road

Lesson #178

“Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days” (John 11:17 ESV). Since there is no mention that Lazarus was embalmed, as is sometimes the custom, and since Martha tells Jesus at the tomb that the body would stink by now, it is assumed that he wasn’t and that he was buried shortly after his death.

“Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother” (John 11:18 – 19 ESV). Since Bethany was so close to Jerusalem, many of the Jews went to Bethany to console Martha and Mary concerning the death of their brother. Word had also gotten back to Bethany that Jesus was on his way, “So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house” (John 11:20 ESV). We know from Luke 10:40, that Martha was entrusted with the management of the affairs of the family and as a result she felt responsible to go and meet Jesus, probably without notifying Mary. The fact that Mary remained seated in the house, the posture for grieving at that time, indicates she was totally absorbed in the grieving process.

Martha finally intercepts Jesus and immediately says to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”” (John 11:21 – 22 ESV). How do you suppose Martha said “Lord”? Was she upset; did her voice reflect that she was unhappy with Jesus for his lack of concern for Lazarus? Remember this and compare it with what Mary does and says when she meets Jesus. Martha, in a way, blames Jesus for the death of Lazarus when she said, “If you had been here, my brother would not have died.” Surely, Martha had seen Jesus heal others and because of his love for them she easily concluded that had Jesus been there he would have healed him, restoring him back to good health, but Jesus wasn’t there and Lazarus died.

The rest of Maratha’s statement is rather interesting. It sounds as though she thinks he might, even at this late time, raise him up and restore his health. However, we will soon see that this thought is not supported by much faith on her part. Jesus picks up on this thought and said to her, “Your brother will rise again” (John 11:23 ESV). To Maratha, that statement did not suggest that Jesus would raise Lazarus now, but later, because she said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24 ESV). Jesus then makes it clear that he is about to do something that will reveal more about who he is and what he is capable of doing. We will look at that in the next lesson.

Prayer

Father, as I think about Maratha’s responds to Jesus I sense that she hopes Jesus might, even at this late date, raise Lazarus and return him to good physical health, but in response to Jesus telling her that Lazarus would rise again, she lacks the faith to claim what she was hoping for and succumbs to him being raised at the resurrection on the last day. Father, this lack of faith, displayed by Martha, is quite like our western faith, which is quite lukewarm when compared to those who, in other cultures, are able to live out their faith. After teaching in China, I am painfully aware of this in my own life and seek your help in overcoming this weakness.