when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
V39-40
Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odour, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God? So they took the stone away”
It is interesting how we can read these verses and think that perhaps Martha isn't really as devoted to Jesus as first she appears.
She initially states that, "even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” This seems like Martha has complete, absolute trust in Jesus. She recognises that he has a special connection with God, and whatever Jesus asks from God, he gets. When Jesus speaks, it happens.
Then, a while later, probably a few hours later (not a few days, weeks or months, but a few hours), Martha says, "Lord, by this time there will be an odour, for he has been dead four days". This seems to be in the opposite vein to her declared faith a few hours ago. She had declared that, 'even now' she knew Jesus could ask for whatever he wanted, and it would happen.
I think what this 'even now' means, is that, eventhough her brother has died, Martha has not lost her faith in who Jesus is.
She knew, if Jesus had been there, her brother, Lazarus, would of been healed. She knows that God hears Jesus, and answers his prayers, she knows that Jesus is the son of God, she knows that he is the Christ. Martha has no doubt about who Jesus is.
Yet...
When Jesus comes to the tomb, and asks for the stone to be rolled away, Martha doesn't quite know what's happening. She doesn't understand what Jesus is up to, so she questions and puts into practice good old logical thinking.
Don't we all do that?
In a difficult or odd situation, don't we look at the logical, practical outcome? Because we don't understand that something different could happen?
What Jesus was asking was odd, it's like someone suggesting, after someone had been dead and buried that we dig up their coffin and have a look. Most of us would question why and probably think it's disrespectful and unnecessary.
To be honest, I marvel at Martha's faith. She is completely confident in who Jesus is. Grief, trouble and potential hardship are not knocking her faith. Her faith is secure. She doesn't question - does God exist? Does He care? Why doesn't He do something? No, Martha in fact asserts that she KNOWS who Jesus is - That doesn't change. Here Martha doesn't question who He is, she just doesn't understand what He is up to.
Who Jesus is doesn't change when your circumstances do.
He is the same yesterday, today and forever, just because your situation may change, doesn't mean He does. Our perspective of who He is might, and we might not understand what God is up to at times, but it doesn't mean He has disappeared.
Martha didn't understand why Jesus wanted the tomb opened, He was up to something that no-one ever does. Martha was being practical, sensible and level-headed. Don't we do just the same?
It's easy to trust in our own experiences and the 'norms' of life, rather than tread down the unknown path. Jesus was doing something a bit weird, and no-one knew why. Jesus didn't explain himself either, he just asked a question, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God". This question inspired trust in those standing by, and some people who were present rolled away the stone. Expecting to see death and decay. Instead Lazarus was alive! They experienced the unbelievable!
Sometimes, we have to hold onto that complete confidence in Jesus like Martha did. Recognise that, yeah, this is tough, I don't know what God is doing, but He is doing something. Wait, like they did. Jesus didn't force the issue, it was up to the people there to do what he was saying. They went with it, they had no idea why Jesus wanted to enter a tomb with a rotting body in it, but what was the worst that could happen?
We need the same faith. Martha knew. She knew Jesus, she knew who He was, she had heard and seen what He can do. So, when it came to Jesus wanting to do something quite odd, she didn't understand it, she did question it, not in a bad way, but she went with it. Then she experience something so wonderful. In the midst of painful grief, she saw God do the impossible!
So, let's aim to have faith like Martha, that strives on when it's tough, and that has eyes that are open to see what God is about. Then we might just experience the impossible!
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