As this dear reader journeys today in all that is before him/her, bless and guide them, dear Lord; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our study of Jesus and His compassion for us continues with John 11: 27 "Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world." 28 After saying this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear, "The Teacher is here and is asking for you." 29 The moment she heard that, she jumped up and ran out to him. 30 Jesus had not yet entered the town but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When her sympathizing Jewish friends saw Mary run off, they followed her, thinking she was on her way to the tomb to weep there. 32 Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died." 33 When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. 34 He said, "Where did you put him?" 35 Now Jesus wept. 36 The Jews said, "Look how deeply he loved him." 37 Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man." (The Message)
Yesterday we studied Martha's question of Jesus and Jesus' question to her. Her reply was that yes, she believed that Jesus was "the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world." Today, it is Mary who comes after Martha tells her that Jesus was asking for her. This prompts her to run to the Lord, falls at His feet and repeats what surely the two sisters had been saying for four days now, "If only you had been here, my brother would not have died." The pain of the separation that death brings hits Jesus hard and He wept. This makes the on-lookers declare that Jesus truly and deeply loved Lazarus, but it makes us know how much Jesus loves and cares for us always. The question raised by some is the question we raise as well when our prayers do not go the way we'd like. The truth was then and is now, that Jesus was there with the hurting and the grieving as He is here with us now in whatever it is that we are facing. The power of Jesus' presence and love is that which we call grace and it is grace that sees us through our mourning, crying, and hurting. Jesus made the trip to be with His dear friends, later He made the trip to the cross. Today, He made the trip to be by your side.
PRAYER: Loving Lord, thank You for being with me and my life. Thank You for the trips You have made on my behalf and for knowing when I hurt and when I am in pain. Let me be there for You and Yours. I ask this in Christ Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
