Lazarus come out
Jesus came to the house of Lazarus. In the Gospels we can see that Jesus went to the house of different people. In Cana he went to the wedding ceremony. He went to the House of Peters Mother-in-Law. He went to the house of Jairas. During his ministry he went to so many houses. Wherever he went it was a blessing for that house. He never become a problems wherever he went, but he was solving the problems faced by the respective families. If we invite him to our house, our life, he will solve all the problems in our life.
If we go to a house, are we trouble makers or a blessing to that house? My master was a blessing to the house wherever he visited. So let us be a blessing to the house where we visit.
Jesus was invited by Martha to her house (Luke 10: 38) Let us Invite Jesus to our house. Let Him be with us in our House. He should be the leader and the controller of our everything. That will be a blessing.
We can watch three kind of people in this family.
Luke 10:38 – 42
1.Martha: She invited Jesus to her house. And was very busy in taking care of Master’s needs. When we first meet her, she is with a complaint against her sister Mary. In her mind she just wanted to complaint about her sisters, who has left her alone to do the household works. But when she started to utter her complaint, it turners to the Master, whom she had invited to her house, who is the guest. See her words. “ Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" Lord, don’t you care, means even her Lord also is careless, that he kept Mary with him and left Martha to do the work. The same thing is happening in our life. After we start accusing others, we end up in accusing even our Almighty God. So it is better not to complaint & keep our mouth shut. Those who accuse others end up in accusing the Almighty. Even though she said this, it was unintentional. The other thing, our business or activities should not keep us away from our Lord. Jesus told here Mary had chosen the best thing. To be with Jesus and listen the word of God. Even though she is accusing her sister and her master, the master loves her.
2.Mary: She is spiritual. We see her at the feet of Jesus. She loves to listen the words of her Master. Her full attention is on the Word of God. She never care about the household matters. She is very near to Jesus and spiritual. And our master witness about Mary to her Sister Martha that "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." She is a roll model for the believers. We should be like her. There is no need to say that Jesus loves her also.
3.Lazarus: Even though the Spiritual meeting is going on in his house, he is not in the picture. He is busy with his business. He neither oppose the things that are going on in his house nor support the Ministry. Not so Cold, not so Hot. Lukewarm status. We must be hot or Cold. Other wise God will spit us out from his mouth. That is what said about the Church in Revelation. He was unreachable to spiritual things. He never allow himself to be caught by spiritual people. This kind of people may be there in your family, in our Church. Don’t worry, Our master have a great plan for them. When they go through His plan, they will understand, how much his master loves him. Our master will bring them to the Lord as in the cause of Lazarus. Because he loves this kind of people also.
Three kinds of people with different attitudes.
Even though these three people in a house was different kind of people with different attitude. But our Jesus Loved each one of them very much. He wants to bring them in one path. He wants to make them like minded people. When Lazarus become sick, his sisters send word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick." (John 11:1-14) Jesus loved Lazarus. Their words clearly tell us that very thing. They are very confident to tell that Jesus loves their brother. Because by his words and deeds Jesus proved that He loves them. And they have faith in Jesus that he can deliver them from the present sufferings, whatever it may be. When we visit others, do they understand, by our deeds and words, that we love them. Do they have faith in us to tell their problems, so that we may sit with them and pray for them for the deliverance. Let our words and deeds may bring some faith in others to call us when they are in trouble. That is what our master expecting from us.
Jesus had a separate plan for this family. Jesus wants to convert these three in to a like minded people. That was his great plan for this family and glorify the God’s Son through it. That is why he stayed in the place where he was for tow more days.
John 11: 4When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it." 5Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
What kind of people you are doesn’t matter. God loves you and me. God loves every one. And God wants us to follow him.
By the time Jesus reach Bethany, Lazarus passed away. And his relatives and friends buried him.
People around Martha and Mary were discouraging with these words. Your master forget you. He will not come. He never loves you. Even though you send words to him, He never turned up. In the most wanted time, He left you. In your abundance, He were with you. When you desperately needed him, he turned his face away from you. So forget about him. Really the situation of this family is very pathetic. The one available male member in that family is no more. The leader of the ministry to which they wholeheartedly supported is not turned up to even console them. No body is there to assist them. Even though they supported the ministry very much, with enthusiasisam, this is what they received in return. The neighbors were laughing at them. And discouraging them with these words. There is no point in supporting this Jesus ministry any more. He will not turn up in the time, when you desperately needed him. Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. Even though people around them saying all these words. Martha was looking for Jesus. That is why when she heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him. Mary who loved Jesus more may be little bit upset about the act of her Master. That may be the reason for her to stay at home.
Yes our Master is a loving Master. He will come to us at the right time. Some times we may feel that God is not hearing our prayer. He turned his face against us. It is not like that. He will come at the right time. With a great solution to our problem. There is a great deliverance for those who support his ministry. He will come at the right time.
Suppose, if you have two kids with the ages of 1year old and 8 year old and you left them in the home.. When you reach home after this meeting, both kids are crying and wanted you to take them. Which one will you take first. One year old or 8 year old? Most assuredly the One year old. Because you know that the 8 year old is stronger than this one year. 8 year old can cry a little more. One year old needs immediate attention. This is what in spiritual life also. The prayer of some people may heard immediately. The young believers get answer for their prayer immediately. But as we grow older in our faith, the answer to our prayer may delay. Even if it is late, we will get the answer.
John 11:18 Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, 19and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. 20When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
Your master loves you very much. Even though he is little bit late, he will come to you. Because you send word to him. You master will not leave you alone in your need. Surely he will come to you. And solve your problem. When you go through the darkest time of your life, people may say, the Lord left them. He turned his face against you. There may be sin in that family. That is why Lord is not hearing their prayer. That is why Lord has cruel to them. There must be some problem.
You cannot shut the mouth of the people who say bad about you. You cannot control them. You cannot control their thoughts. But one thing you can do. Look at the Master. David says from his experience that:
Ps 34: 5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
Yes, if you really look to him, your face will never covered with shame. He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Finally their master came. Martha was very eager to meet him and inform him about the tragedy happened in their life.
But even before she tells about it, her master is aware of the whole thing. Yes even before we utter our problems or situation, our master knows everything well in advance. He knows better than we know. Our problems, Our situation, our need. Everything.
See the conversation she had with Jesus. She had full faith in him. That is why she said, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. She continues that “But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
21"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,[b] the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
28And after she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. "The Teacher is here," she said, "and is asking for you." 29When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
Mary also went to meet Jesus. She repeated the same thing what here sister said. With deep sorrow she cried. Jesus also wept.
32When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34"Where have you laid him?" he asked.
"Come and see, Lord," they replied.
35Jesus wept.
36Then the Jews said, "See how he loved him!"
37But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
38Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.
Now Martha and Mary, both are present in front of the tomb with Jesus. Jesus told to remove the Stone from the entrance of the Tomb.
This time Martha said. Lord don’t do that. By this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days. When Jesus took a step forward, Martha prevent Jesus from go ahead.
See the love of loved ones will end up till we leave this world. 10-15 hours after our death the loved ones will leave us alone at graveyard. But our Lord will not leave us alone.
Whatever is the situation we are going through, He is ready and able to help us. See the situation of Lazarus was very pathetic. A bad odor was started to come out from his body. Everyone said that the situation gone from bad to worse. No one can help him. Bur our God is able to do miracles. He will turn the impossible possible. People thought, it is impossible to change the situation of the family. But our God is able to do miracles. Even Martha took a step backward, Jesus went ahead. Martha tried to prevent Jesus from go ahead but Jesus never stop at the words of a close relative. Martha and Mary got their brother back alive.
The people who said bad about Jesus, about their faith, about their relation etc., have noting to say now.
Now the situation has changed. Every one is happy. Let us see the present situation of that family.
In John 12 :1 onwards we read a different situation at the family. Jesus completed his plan about the family. All there are in one accord.
Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
Another meeting is going on. Every one is there. Lazarus, who was not in the picture earlier, now sitting with Jesus with the table. He is there in front of every one. Martha does not have any more complaint, nor any accusation. Mary is doing even greater thing. The bad odor gone away. Now there is fragrance filled in that house.
Martha asked to Lazarus: “Earlier when Jesus was here, you were not attending the meetings. Now you become the first one who is sitting with Jesus. What happened.” Lazarus had a testimony to tell his sister. He siad: “ Sis. Martha, Now I know what had happened in my life. From the neighbors I understand everything what had happened. I was in a pathetic condition. I know you loved me so much. But, when I was in pathetic condition you left me at the graveyard. You prevented Jesus from opening the tomb. You said, there is bad odor in me. But my Jesus didn’t stop at there. He was there, willing to suffer my bad odor and change my situation. Today I am here because of him only. How can I stay away from him. I want to be grateful to him. I want to thank him. I want to praise him.. He has done wonderful things in my life. So I cannot live without him. He is everything for me. I love him.
What ever is your problem, it may be sickness, it may be financial loss, it may be broken relationship, or you may be worries about your children, whatever it is, please bring it to Jesus, who can change the situation. Who can give you a new life, a new hope. You can either put it on Jesus and lead a happy life for ever or you can hold on yourself and lead a sorrowful life. Choice is yours. What will you choose today. I urge you to let Him handle it. Invite him in your family. Send word to him in prayer. He will do the needful. He is powerful and a loving Lord, who never leaves us alone.
What a wonderful change Jesus had brought in the life of these three people. Earlier they were in different situation. Earlier, when the meetings were going on, Lazarus was not present in the meeting, Martha was complaining, Mary was sitting in the meeting. Now all there are here with Jesus. There is no complaint or accusation. Every one is happy. What a wonderful change!
Yes when we were in sin, when our situation was pathetic, Jesus came to us. He gave his life for us and redeemed us from the hand of death and devil. He gave us a new life. So how can we stay away from him. We love him. Yes even in our life he has a plan for us. Even though immediate answer is not there, don’t give up. In the right time he will do the miracle.
Ps 23: 4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, [a] I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Yes he is willing to change your situation. If you invite him to your house, if you are ready to lead your life as per His will, He is ready to change you.
May God Bless you.
