‘Lord, If You Had Been Here’

John 11:30-37

Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.
Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there.”
Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.”
Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.
[John 11:30-33 NKJV]

Mary repeats what Martha had said, “Lord, if You had been here …”. Again we hear those words. What do they express to you? To me they suggest disappointment in Jesus. He has performed many miracles; great healings, cast out demons, so that His followers have begun to think that He will always turn up ‘in the nick of time’ and save the day.

When Jesus saw Mary crying ‘He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.’ Jesus was very deeply affected by the impact of His seemingly late arrival on both Martha and Mary (and those with them).

And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.”
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!”
And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
[John 11:34-37 NKJV]

Jesus Himself was very much affected by this situation. As has been said, this was His greatest trial so far, but more than that was His immense compassion for and connection with all those present who placed so much faith in Him. More than that, His earnest desire was that those who followed Him would have every bit as much faith in Father God as He does.

There will be times in our walk with Him, when it seems that He is not there; that we say, “Lord, if You had been here, things would be so different. Such and such would not have happened.” When we doubt Him, Jesus weeps. He sheds tears for our lack; willing us to know Father God as He does.

Believe in Father God as Jesus does, because He is with us every step, even when it seems that He is not there. He is always there — only believe.

Peace: Life in the Spirit

Conscience must be educated at the Cross. Always bring the conscience of others to face the Cross of Christ. Is my life worthy of what Jesus Christ did on the Cross? Are there the elements of ability and power and peace stamped with the almightiness that comes through the Cross? If not, I am not where I should be.
The Cross of Christ means that the Spirit of God can empower me almightily.
[from ‘Approved Unto God’ by Oswald Chambers]

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