My Lazarus Lessons: Faith, Patience, and Hope (Part Two)

When people that are are broken, weak, or afflicted in any way come unto Christ, He always makes them stronger and more whole and complete than they were before.  They are made a little more like Him after experiencing the touch of the Master’s hand.

Click here for part one of this article!

I would love to share with you some of the precious lessons I believe Mary and Martha were given by being brought to the “edge of their faith” upon the death of their brother Lazarus (account found in John 11).  These are lessons that remind me to look upward to Christ; to focus on His perfect love, patience, power, and understanding instead of my own deficiencies, especially when faced with a challenge.

Expressing our belief is healing and gives power to our faith–power which can bring forth miracles.  Upon His first encounter with Martha following Lazarus’ death, Christ gives her the opportunity to testify of Him and His divinity.  

After reminding Martha of His divine identity and mission, Christ asks, “Do you believe this?” (v.26)

She  responds, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” (v.27)

By providing the opportunity for Martha to share what she believed, it prepared her heart to witness the miracle of Lazarus being raised from the dead.

I find that when I am experiencing pain or confusion, I almost intuitively develop a list of questions that I feel desperate to find answers for.  These are questions of my soul that seem to spring forth when the conditions of my heart change. I have found though, that as I express my belief to my Heavenly Father in prayer, and seek the answers to those questions from Him rather than other sources, my faith is deepened and I experience a greater conversion.  It is in that desperate seeking and knocking that many of those miracles occur for me. This is where insights can be gained and healing can be experienced.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a beloved apostle of God, expressed it this way, “It’s natural to have questions—the acorn of honest inquiry has often sprouted and matured into a great oak of understanding…therefore… please, first doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. We must never allow doubt to hold us prisoner and keep us from the divine love, peace, and gifts that come through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Come, Join with Us)

So when faced with a Lazarus type situation, first think of what you do know.  Express that belief, and find strength and joy in it.  Engage in the wrestle. Ask the Lord to teach you, to help you, and heal you.  And He will. Recognize that often times, the miracle we are seeking comes to us in the form of increased understanding and peace.

 

Christ is perfectly compassionate with our individual struggles and patient with us on our journey to understanding.  I’ve had the words “Jesus wept” (v.35) come to my mind on multiple occasions when I have felt the sorrow from things that have happened (or didn’t) as a result of being mortal.  I feel of His love for Mary when she came unto Him “and fell down at His feet, saying unto him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died… When Jesus saw her weeping… he was deeply moved in the spirit and was troubled, and said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see.

“Jesus wept.” (v.32-35)

As I’ve pondered these simple yet loving two words, I feel the reminder that Christ came to this earth “that His bowels may be filled with mercy according to the flesh”, that He “[suffered] pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind… and [took] upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he [took] upon him [our] infirmities… that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.” (Alma 7:11-12)

He feels what we feel.  He can go through our hard moments with us.  He is perfectly compassionate. Christ went through this mortal experience and ultimately suffered and gave His life for us in part to know how to individually give us comfort and relief from all pain, sickness, infirmities, and even death.  Christ has felt it all, and through that has gained a compassion and mercy towards us that enables Him to rescue us in any circumstance when we turn to Him for that help, hope, and healing.

Mary didn’t quite understand yet, that Christ had the power to raise her brother from the dead.  She had spent time with Him. She had knelt at His feet and received personal instruction from Him.  She had displayed great love and faith in Him. But she still didn’t quite “get it” in the midst of this trial.  Yet Christ was still patient with her.

When I read the words, “Jesus wept”, I sense Christ’s love for Mary.  There was no reprimand, no shame that she wasn’t further along in her understanding, just loving patience.  We can be completely vulnerable to Christ. He takes us as we are and loves us. We don’t need to put up any walls before Him, in fact He’s said, “[our] walls are continually before [Him].”  He will not show reprimand or disappointment, but lovingly can take us by the hand and give us the next step to the healing in our journey that we need.  I’m reminded that when we come to Him, He won’t just say, “here’s what you need to do” or “here’s what you need to change or understand better.” That kind of help can come in time.  But He knows our mortal experience takes time. He knows we need time to learn, time to change, time to heal, time to grow, and time to overcome. And he’s patient with us through all of it.  He cries with us when we cry. He knows what we experience can often be quite difficult and He loves us in that struggle. His greatest compassion is sometimes shown through Him not immediately rescuing us from a difficult experience, but letting us learn and grow from those experiences.  

I love this description of the Lord’s compassion towards us in words of the hymn How Firm a Foundation:

“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,

The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,

For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,

And sanctify to thee…thy deepest distress.”

 

In the end, all things are made right through Christ. I have started noticing a beautiful pattern in the scriptures.  When people that are are broken, weak, or afflicted in any way come unto Christ, He always makes them stronger and more whole and complete than they were before.  They are made a little more like Him after experiencing the touch of the Master’s hand. He has promised “to appoint unto them that mourn… beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3)

At times it may feel that “For a small moment [God has] forsaken” you.  It’s hard to understand the purpose behind our suffering. But He has promised, “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee” (Isaiah 54:7, 10).  

After all seemed lost to Mary, Martha, and the gathering crowd, “Jesus lifted up His eyes and said Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me… and that they may believe that thou hast sent me… and He cried with a loud voice and He that was dead came forth” (v. 42-44).  

To the amazement of all, Lazarus came forth.  This miracle allowed all who witnessed it to more fully understand Christ’s mission.  He came to be our Redeemer, our Savior, “An High Priest of Good things to Come,” our “Prince of Peace” and much more.  He promised, “I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you” (John 14:18).

“No matter what we have suffered, he is the source of healing.  Those who have experienced any manner of abuse, devastating loss, chronic illness or disabling affliction, untrue accusation, vicious persecution, or spiritual damage from sin or misunderstandings can all be made whole by the Redeemer of the world.  However, He will not enter without invitation. We must come unto Him and allow Him to work His miracles.” (That You Joy Might Be Full, Jean B. Bingham)

Christ has all power.  We can trust Him and that all things are in His hands.  In the loving words of Jeffrey R. Holland, “Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it…You keep your chin up. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come.”

Christ has promised, “and He that waiteth upon the Lord shall mount up as eagles”  Let us wait upon the Lord and for His promises to be fulfilled.  I am on my journey of coming to know Christ, and I am so grateful that I am.  I love Him and his matchless power. I have felt it time and time again.

My invitation to you is to think of an aspect of your life where you could exercise greater faith, patience, or hope. Begin praying for that gift and record ways you are seeing the Lord bless you as an answer to those prayers. 

 

Photo by Nathan Lindahl on Unsplash