A thought on John 11:35

Lazarus is dead, and like a good bud Jesus waits three days to join the mourners. As he approaches the city Martha runs out and says, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died”. Good word. Honest. Jesus answers her with “Surely he will rise again. “, and she answers this with sound doctrine. He then tells her to get Mary. Mary, who wasn’t present previously, runs out and exclaims, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died”. After this statement, Jesus weeps. It’s interesting that they both say the same thing, but receive a different response. I believe that Martha was coming from a place of head knowledge, and Mary from a place of intimate friendship. The heart of God is moved to compassion when his children approach Him with intimacy.

I think too often I respond in the former way. I want to respond out of devotion, not try to form a better doctrine or theology, or be right all the time. I want to come from a place of I know who Jesus is because I sit with him, and wait with him, and speak with him, and develop a history with him. And I’m not talking and talking about quiet times. I’m talking about reckless abidance.

Mary is a figure that responded out of this relationship and it moves the heart of God. Not just responding with good theology. Here comes a tangent. I think I addressed this scripture because it’s a good example of a person that rests on scriptural knowledge and one that rests on the being with and knowing the person of Jesus, which is two different things. Hear me out, it is God’s desire that we know scripture in light of His heart, but too often our only context is what we read and not the person we surround ourselves with. It’s the exact same thing as if someone hands me written notes about my friends and is like “Whelp, hope that sustains your need for friendship.” But I want to run as hard and as fast as I can into the heart of Jesus that the only thing that sustains me is his friendship. And because of this I believe too often do we marry ourselves to movements and our goal becomes destiny and calling. The goal is devotion, and living a life that looks like not caring about the peripheral, but just wanting Jesus, and that's about it. And more often than not that makes you look like the craziest person in the room, but your cultivating a greater vision than anything else you're called to.

Ciao,

Wes