Two passages in the Bible clearly show us that Martha, Mary and Lazarus had a close bond with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (Luke 10:38-42 & John 11:1-4,5,11:6-12:11).  Despite this close bond, when our Lord heard that Lazarus was dying, he delayed going to them (Joh 11:6). Further, it seems Martha and Mary grieved four days (following Lazarus’ death) wondering if their saviour would come and comfort them.

Martha and Mary believed their brother died because our Lord had not come to them earlier (Joh 11:21,32).  As strong as their trust was in Jesus, they did not fully understand his magnificent power. Consider for example, how He healed a centurion’s servant without going to him (Mat 8:8,13).

Martha, Mary and Lazarus’ tragic experience is very difficult for us to comprehend. Each of them would have suffered in different ways. For example, we don’t know what illness Lazarus died from, but it seems he was sick for many days. Perhaps he had physical pain and felt exhausted as he struggled to defeat the illness. This may have been overlaid with concerns for the wellbeing of his sisters and the disappointment of not seeing his Lord (in the flesh) one more time.  We also don’t know what it would have been like for Martha and Mary to nurse their brother, it is likely they would have felt helpless and despair.  Neither can we understand the grief Martha and Mary had after Lazarus died and perhaps concern for their own wellbeing given it was probable that Lazarus provided for them financially.

Understanding how such instances can be for ‘good’ (Rom 8:28) or for the glory of God and His Son (Joh 11:4) can be very challenging. Fortunately, on this occasion, God does not leave us wondering. God puts on record that:

• Many believed. (Joh 11:45).
• The high priest, despite his opposition to our Lord Jesus Christ, prophesied that our Lord’s death would bring salvation for all (Joh 11:47-52)
• Martha, Mary and Lazarus seemingly had an even closer bond with our Lord after their tragic experience. (Joh 12:2-3)

Remarkably, Martha, Mary and Lazarus’s tragic experience (unknown to them) has inspired generations of Christians spanning nearly 2000 years.  These simple observations show us, that whilst we may struggle (at the time) to understand, we can be certain that God’s glory will shine through the darkest tragedies and we will be blessed as a result.