Today is the fifth Sunday of Lent.
In today’s Gospel we hear about the raising of Lazarus. We learn that Jesus has power over death as he has over nature (walking on the water) and all other things.
An important part of today’s reading is the profession of faith, first by Martha and then Mary. They each say their brother would not have died had Jesus been there. Jesus tells Martha, and us, that He is the Resurrection and the Life. Only in John’s Gospel would we get this kind of statement. Martha then goes on to affirm her belief that Jesus is the Christ. What a great model for all of us. Even if we’re disappointed that Jesus doesn’t do everything as we would have him do (arriving sooner) that He is the Christ.
We always need to be careful that we don’t make God in our image or expect Him to do what we think He should do. It’s hard for us to trust in God sometimes. Like Martha and Mary we have people we love who sometimes suffer and die even though we pray fervently for a different outcome. In those times, and in others, we ask God to intervene and save those we love but it doesn’t always happen as we would like.
As hard as it is to accept God knows what we don’t, His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He has His ways and, because He exists outside of time, He may allow things to happen without His intervention when we, who see only a snapshot in time, wish He would do otherwise.
As we approach Easter it’s a good time to remember God loves us so much that He sent His own Son to die in our place so that we might be reconciled with Him and have the possibility of being saved.
So let us pray for the grace to trust God more and to accept that He loves us even when we don’t get the results we hope for in our prayers.
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