Today I take courage from Martha’s unsteady faith. Martha and Mary, dear friends of Jesus (Jn. 11:5) sent word to him that their brother Lazarus was ill (11:3). If you are familiar with this story, you’ll know Jesus did not come right away. In fact, by the time he arrived at their home in Bethany, Lazarus had already died and had been buried for four days.
Martha ran out of the city to meet Jesus as he approached. Her faith in his ability to heal was strong. She even confessed her belief that “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” That is a strong faith. She knew Jesus would have healed him! And then she added to that, “even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” And then just a few moments later she also confessed “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”
Skipping a Heartbeat
That doesn’t sound like faltering faith, does it? Now picture this scene later in the day: Jesus, Mary, Martha standing outside the grave of Lazarus. Behind them is a crowd of mourners confused at why Jesus had not healed his good friend. Jesus’ cheeks are damp with tears. He calls for men to roll the stone away from the grave. Perhaps Martha grabs his arm.
“Lord,” she gasps. Surely he knows the body will stink by now. Why must Jesus make her say the words? It feels disrespectful to her brother to speak of his body in this way. And yet, she must. It’s too late for Jesus to see him on this earth. He’ll just have to wait until the coming resurrection.
Jesus answers her. Perhaps he puts a steady hand over her shaky one. “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?”
If You Believe…
But Martha had believed. She had believed he could heal the sick. She had believed Lazarus would rise again on the last day. She had believed Jesus was the Christ. And yet… her heart still skipped several beats as the men removed the stone.
Did she close her eyes… waiting for the stench of her brother’s body and then the reaction of the crowd? It didn’t happen because you know what? It turns out, Jesus can raise the dead.
So what do you make of Martha’s faith? She trusted that Jesus could heal, but she didn’t even think to believe he could give earthly life back to her brother. She clearly stated that she believed Jesus was the Son of God, but when he was ready to perform a miracle, he needed to remind her that she had to believe to see the glory of God.
Whether or not Martha believed at that moment, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. No one could deny it. There stood Lazarus with burial strips hanging off his face, hands, and feet.
The Object of My Faith
I take encouragement because, as my friend Karin reminded me the other day, “God’s Power does not come from my faith but rather from the Object of my faith.”
God is the object of my faith and He is All-Powerful.
Like Martha, I believe in Jesus, the Son of God. And like Martha, sometimes my heart still skips a beat or two at those moments when He is working in powerful ways. Those times when I’m struggling to look past the earthly details of His divine ways.
At those times I join the father in Mark 9:24 who cried out to Jesus, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”
What About You?
Are you focusing on some earthly details that make it hard for you to see the glory of God’s divine work?
Are you focusing on your faith (or lack of it) rather than the Object of your faith?