Slices
Prepare
What is your natural response when things in life are unclear? To panic, to prepare or to pray?
Bible passage
The death of Lazarus
11 Now a man named Lazarus was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay ill, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, ‘Lord, the one you love is ill.’
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, ‘This illness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.’ 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, ‘Let us go back to Judea.’
8 ‘But Rabbi,’ they said, ‘a short while ago the Jews there tried to stone you, and yet you are going back?’
9 Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the day-time will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. 10 It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.’
11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’
12 His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead, 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.’
16 Then Thomas (also known as Didymus[a]) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Let us also go, that we may die with him.’
Explore
The boring commute to work. The moody teenager. The close friend dying of cancer. From the mundane to the deeply painful, life can be full of things which bemuse, frustrate and hurt. Today we come to the opening of one of the most moving chapters of the New Testament. We may know how the story ends, but in its opening today there is one dominant emotion: confusion.
Jesus’ actions are, at least at first sight, a little confusing. John tells us of Jesus’ love and affection for Lazarus and his sisters yet, despite this, ‘when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was two more days’ (v 6). Confusion is clearly felt by the disciples too as they question why Jesus would want to return to Judea where his life is at risk (v 8). They also misunderstand Jesus’ reference to Lazarus sleeping (v 12), and Thomas seems to get completely the wrong end of the stick (v 16).
Confusion reigns! But then it often does at moments of pain, uncertainty and challenge. We can find it hard to see how God is at work at such times. How we respond to this lack of clarity is a significant test of our faith and our trust in Jesus.
Respond
Is there a situation in your life where it seems confusion reigns? Express your trust in Jesus today, even despite the lack of clarity.
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Isaiah 15,16; Psalm 103
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray that as people move on from working in the schools team of Mission Partner Brighton and Hove City Mission, God will be preparing someone to join the team in September to help Asha continue serving schools in the area.
