This is Lauro Salinas, a graduate of the Prison Entrepreneurship Program! He now works at an Equestrian Center that provides Equine Therapy for troubled kids. He’s a sweet and gentle giant of man.

Mary and Martha 

John 11:1-44, part two 

As Jesus was approaching the city, Martha went out to Him and said “If you had been here, my brother would not have died. 

Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, ‘Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.’ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him? They said to Him. ‘Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. 

Mary and Martha were true believers and this is a statement of tremendous faith. They believed Jesus, their Lord, had the power to heal. He had done it before. Why didn’t He come earlier and do it for their beloved brother, Lazarus?  

Yes, they had faith, but their statements reveal the limited “extent” of their faith, which was short of what Jesus can and will do. In simple terms, Mary and Martha believed that Jesus could heal but they didn’t comprehend that He could raise from the dead. 

Later, the group of believers who were mourning with Mary and Martha, said in verse 37 “could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have kept this man also from dying?” We have a theme here :). The miracles performed so far took their faith to a certain point. But raising a man from the dead after decomposition had set in??? Well, that takes it to a whole new level. 

Jesus said to her, ‘did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’ When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth.’ The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘unbind him, and let him go’. 

In a matter of days, Jesus will be crucified before their eyes. Just how important was it for Jesus to show them that death does not hold Him? Death does not constrain Him. Jesus is the resurrection and the life. How kind it is that Jesus revealed to them His power over death in order that their faith would be strengthened to endure the dark days of Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion. 

That brings me to the final lesson from this narrative. The tender love of Jesus toward His followers. 

Sometimes, Jesus takes us through difficult trials in order to teach us and strengthen us. How does Jesus feel about doing such things to us? We have a view into His heart from His interaction with Mary. 

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and said, ‘Where have you laid him? They said to Him. ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept. 

I have never fully understood why Jesus wept. It wouldn’t be over Lazarus because Jesus knew He was going to raise him from the dead. So why did He weep?

It’s now so clear to me now. I just needed to read and reflect within the context. 

In order to teach and prepare the disciples and Mary and Martha that Jesus is sovereign over death, He chose to allow Lazarus to die. However, the death of Lazarus caused tremendous emotional pain for his loving sisters, Mary and Martha. When Jesus arrived in person, Mary fell to His feet and wept. Her heart was deeply distressed. She was in deep mourning. Jesus loved her so much that He felt her pain as if it was His own. Even though He knew she would be happy very soon, it pained Him deeply to put her through this test. He wept because she wept. He was troubled because she was troubled. Out of tender love and empathy, Jesus wept. 

If Jesus takes you through trials because He believes it is for YOUR GOOD, He doesn’t do it without feeling your pain deeply. Just because He takes us through hardship doesn’t mean He enjoys it. He weeps alongside us. WOW! What a Savior? What tender love and empathy? How tender and kind is our God? 

Is there anything our God cannot do? Jesus, my faith is limited to what I have seen and is tied up in “my” experiences. In this story, the characters kept making “if” statements and “but” statements of limited faith. But Jesus, you replied “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Lord, I say that I’m a firm believer in your Sovereignty and in your perfect will – take this belief beyond my lips and set this belief deep in my heart. Lord, You are able! Amen!