WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

Monday, July 13, 2009
Tonight's Read: Luke 11:1-44

"What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer!
Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged--
Take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer."

In this story, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, there are several things to learn about Jesus and who God really is. The first, and most obvious thing to recognize is the magnificence of God's power through the work of this miracle. Lazarus was dead, not dying, not sick. He was dead, and had been for some time. Verse 17 tells us that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Jesus walks up to the tomb and speaks 'Lazarus, come out!" (v.43). He doesn't even touch the man! He simply speaks, and the man who has been dead for days rises with no pause. I think if I had been there, I would have fainted at the sight of all this. This God, my God, is amazing.

What is even more profound though, is that even though the Lord is all powerful and completely sovereign, he chooses to love me. In fact, Jesus shows us here that He loves us in a way that is very human, very real, and very easy for me personally to relate to. Consider the order of events in this story:

-First, Lazarus is on his deathbed, so his sisters send for Jesus to come back into the town where they live to heal him before his imminent death.
- Next, much to the dismay of His disciples, Jesus chooses to stay where he was for two more days, even though everyone knew that Lazarus would surely be dead before Jesus could reach him if he spared any time.
- After that, Lazarus dies and his sisters prepare him for burial and place him in the tomb. In their minds, I'm sure, they believed it was finished. And they mourned.
- Now, during this time, Jesus had already told all the people that this would 'not end in death' even though Lazarus had 'fallen asleep'. Jesus already KNEW that he need not mourn for his friend, because he knew that Lazarus would rise at His command.
- Finally, even though Jesus already knows the work that He is going to do in Lazarus, and has no need for mourning of him, he deeply empathizes with Mary and Martha, Lazarus' sisters. In fact, Jesus was moved to tears. John tells us that "Jesus wept." (v.35) I don't believe He was weeping in a mournful way, for He knew that Lazarus would be with them again in moments. He wept because He loved the sisters so much and truly carried the burdens of their hearts in His.

What does this all tell me? Jesus knew all along that he need not mourn for His friend Lazarus. He knew that Lazarus would not remain dead, because He knew of the miracle He would preform when He reached Lazarus' tomb in Bethany. Yet, when faced with Lazarus' grieving sisters, Jesus was so overcome with compassion and empathy, that he was moved to weeping. I have many friends who will support me through hard times and who genuinely care for me if I'm hurting. However, I find it difficult to think of many friends that are so in sync with my heart that they would be moved to weeping for my hurts. The bible doesn't tell us that Jesus 'teared up' or that He 'felt for them' or 'was thinking about them in their loss'. The bible tells us that he 'wept'. I don't believe I have friends that would 'weep' for me. Oh wait, I suppose I can think of one :)

Sweet Lord Jesus, you are a friend that sticks closer than a brother. I am continually amazed that although you are wholly God, you chose to love me, and, you choose to be my friend. Thank you for the sweetest friendship I'll ever be a part of! Amen.