John 11:19-27
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary
to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died].
When Martha heard that Jesus was coming,
she went to meet him;
but Mary sat at home.
Martha said to Jesus,
“Lord, if you had been here,
my brother would not have died.
But even now I know that whatever you ask of God,
God will give you.”
Jesus said to her,
“Your brother will rise.”
Martha said to him,
“I know he will rise,
in the resurrection on the last day.”
Jesus told her,
“I am the resurrection and the life;
whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live,
and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?”
She said to him, “Yes, Lord.
I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God,
the one who is coming into the world.”
A lot of us can identify with Martha. She expresses her frustration with “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn 11:21). Can we not all repeat those words? We have felt alone, isolated, abandoned. But the truth is that God never abandons us. He is walking with us on our journey.
Even though Martha is frustrated about Jesus not being there, she acknowledges His power and His relation to the Father. That’s powerful. How often do we do that? How often when we are heartbroken, frustrated, and exhausted do we still praise God and acknowledge His power?
Too often when we are in those states we distance ourselves from God and begin to doubt His ability. Jesus affirms her acknowledgement of His power: “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die” (Jn 11:25-26).
May we invite Jesus to meet us where we are at when we are frustrated, when we feel like He didn’t provide for us. He will always respond with His immeasurable love. But you have to let Him in.
Lord, please open our hearts and minds to recognize you working in our lives and to respond to the opportunities you bless us with.
Amen
Catholicism Rekindled 