Notes of Faith May 9, 2024
The Comfort of a Burden Shared
One of the most emotional moments in Jesus’s life was after the death of His good friend Lazarus. Days after His friend passed, Jesus arrived at the home Lazarus shared with his two sisters, also good friends of Jesus. Martha was angry, and she let Him know it:
If You had been here, my brother would not have died. — John 11:21
How many times have we been angry at God but scared to say so?
Jesus did not shame Martha. He comforted her and issued a greater hope than an earthly healing:
I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. — John 11:25
He comforted Martha with the hope that only He could give. Then He came to Mary, the other sister of Lazarus, and she fell at His feet, weeping. Scripture says Jesus named that He was deeply troubled and moved by the weeping of Mary, and He wept with her.
This is the only human who ever walked the face of the earth who actually had the power to solve the problem of death, both in the moment and for eternity. And yet Fix-It Jesus did not show up here. Feel-It Jesus showed up and wept with His friend who was weeping.
Why?
He knew He would raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew He would fix the problem both temporarily and eternally for all of them. Yet, in Martha’s anger and Mary’s grief, Jesus did not correct them; He comforted them.
In this scene, He models for us what it means to live out Paul’s instruction to “rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
Something about mourning with those who mourn helps when nothing else can and nothing else will. And Jesus knew that.
Who can I safely share my feelings of hurt with? Who might like to share their painful feelings with me, if I signaled that I was open?
Shared from Jennie Allen, author of Untangle Your Emotions.
2 Cor 1:3-4
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Emotions are something that happens, much of the time out of control. It is good to have someone(s) to share burdens, blessings, pain, suffering, the joy of special days and circumstances. There is release and relief in sharing the emotional times in our lives. Spiritual strength and joy return through the blessing of one who cares about our needs. Pray for God to put such people in your life to share the deepest of inner and often very strong emotional feelings.
Pastor Dale