Trusting God in the Waiting

Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.

Jesus had his purpose, which is not for us to know or understand but simply to trust. As Lazarus fell ill and later died, Jesus continued with his purpose, part of which according to Scripture was to demonstrate power over death in order to reinforce the belief of his disciples.

But what did this action mean to those around him and moreover to Mary and Martha who had doted on Jesus? Here was Lazarus, one whom Jesus “loved.” He was dying and his sisters were also favored members of the circle of people surrounding Jesus. And Jesus is showing indifference. Not seeming to note or be affected by the declining health and imminent death of his friend. How did the others react to this?

We don’t know. But we can imagine. There surely must have been some serious questioning of Jesus in the minds if not on the tongues of those others. Doesn’t Jesus care? Not even for his own friend? If he’s the Christ why doesn’t he do something? If he really cares for us why doesn’t he come when we ask him to help with our dying brother? Is he unable to do anything about this? Is he not the Christ? All of these questions must have been washing through the disciples, Mary and Martha, and others around them.

But what was the response from Jesus? Nothing. He continued to do what he was doing. And then when Lazarus was good and dead he went to the situation.

Why? We have no idea. But we can imagine. Jesus was not worried about the situation because he had the ability to totally transform the earth and throw it into the blackness of space or crush it into tiny dust particles and rebuild it somewhere else into a perfect world. One man’s death would not be a big dilemma to the one who created life.

As Oswald Chambers observes in My Utmost for His Highest, the story illustrates God’s silence at our urgent entreaties. We plead for his answers, we ask persistently for his response, we need his help now. But nothing comes. Is it the indifference of God? Is it the evidence of no God? Or, is it God simply saying that in his time the answer will be revealed, that it should not ever be a concern because a loving father would handle the situation in the best and loving way. If a young child wants to drive the family car the parents may say “someday” recognizing that the request is ill-timed for their purposes. They know that there will be a better time for a positive answer to their child, and the child must learn among other things, the art of patience.

The story of Lake Arrowhead and “Be still and know that I am God.”

So, when has God delayed giving you an answer, making you wait on the Lord?