Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. John 11:21
Was Martha delivering a compliment or a reproach? Was she acknowledging that Jesus was powerful enough to heal her sick brother, or was she complaining that Jesus was not on hand when he was needed? I fear it was the latter, and if so, Martha is like many people in the world today, including many Christians. You have heard them, the folks who look at the huge death toll from an earthquake, a hurricane, or a military clash, and wonder aloud where the God is Who could have avoided such pain and sorrow. Some will even try to use such occasions to ‘prove’ there is no God, or at least not a God of love and compassion. Christians would never dare to voice such thoughts, but often privately wonder why a loving God would allow them to go through times of trial and loss. It’s a subject that touches us very deeply.
Martha was undoubtedly right; if Jesus had been there, He might well have prevented Lazarus’ death. But if He had been there, we would not have the amazing events of this chapter, the proof of Jesus’ power over death and the grave. If He had been there, we might be missing the lovely truth of Jesus as the resurrection and the life, and the evidence of Jesus’ compassion in His weeping with the sorrowing sisters. As we read the account after the fact, we can see the miracle and the wonderful blessings that followed from Lazarus’ death, and we can be thankful. We need to keep our minds open today to the great possibility that God is going to bring great blessing from something that we view as disappointment and tragedy. It’s not easy to trust at such times, but if we do, we will find rich treasures on the other side of the tears.
Martha was mistaken when she assumed that Jesus was not there. His physical absence did not mean he was at any distance from his dear friends. He knew at all times what was happening, and He never ceased to care. And He has not changed today. Because we cannot see Him, we might bewail His absence. But there is never a moment when our Lord does not see and know everything we are encountering. If in the midst of our trial we could look up and see Him standing beside us, what a comfort that would be! That same comfort is available to all who will see and appreciate His presence though we see Him not.
We can never truthfully say like Martha, ‘Lord, if Thou hadst been here’. Because He is always here. And He always cares. -Jim MacIntosh