Lessons From the Lazarus Narrative (2) By Babatunde Olugboji
This week we will continue our series of lessons from the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus in John 11. In this narrative, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus sent for Jesus when Lazarus was sick. Jesus deliberately delayed His coming, and by the time He got to Bethany, Lazarus was already in the tomb. Dead and buried.
The first thing we should note is this:
Being a worshiper doesn’t give you a pass from the wiles of the devil and being a lover of Jesus doesn’t exempt us from the trickery, guile, subterfuge, and the deceit of Satan. Maybe you have been told if you are a true worshipper, if you worship in spirit in truth like the Bible admonishes, you won’t face problems. That if you had prayed harder, you would have avoided that misfortune. Not true. That’s not what the Bible says.
Mary really loved the Lord, yet she still faced a situation. Though she worshipped assiduously, there still arose a sickness in her home. Her brother Lazarus was sick. Mary the worshipper faced a serious challenge. If you are a worshipper and you’ve a problem, it is not an indictment of your worship. It doesn’t mean you are not worshipping right. 
Worship doesn’t take the battle way, it prepares you for it, it gives you the strength to overcome it, and tools to pull through it. The one whom you worship will always be on your side.
If Mary wasn’t a worshipper, she wouldn’t be fit for the fight that befell her home. Worship would help you persevere through the test and the storm. You could have lost your mind when you faced that challenge, drowned when you passed through the waters, burned when you faced the fire, but worship kept you sane.
In perilous times, stay true to your faith
Being a true worshipper, Mary did the right thing, she sent for Jesus when her brother was sick, yet he died. What do you do when you do the right thing and nothing seems to be working. When you were sick you took your medication faithfully, even took some herbs, tried everything, but nothing worked. At this point, it is a job for Jesus. It is time to transfer your burden unto him. Retrieve Jesus’s number from the bedside table. Put Him on speed dial. He is the God for all seasons, for emergencies, he is our present help in times of trouble. (Psalm 46:1)
God says we should call unto Him and He will answer us and show us great and mighty things, which we do not know. (Jeremiah 33: 3) Mary did exactly this, she sent for Jesus, but still lost her brother.
What do you do when you give God your best, but your family falls on the worst of times?
Mary must have assured her brother: Lazarus, hang in there, Jesus, our Pastor, our friend, is on the way, we’ve sent for Him, He loves you too much to ignore you, He always comes whenever we call. He would soon be here, we have invested in Him, we have a special relationship with Him, we give to the poor, I anointed His feet. Don’t give up. But the ailment got worse and Lazarus, whom Jesus loved died from the mysterious illness before Pastor Jesus arrived.
It would’ve been okay if it wasn’t an emergency. Have you ever had an emergency and God seemed to have disappeared?
Don’t give up!
To be continued.
Have a great week.
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