Why did Jesus let Lazarus die?
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| c. 1500-1510 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
And when she had said this, she went away, and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here, and is calling for you.” And when she heard it she arose quickly, and was coming to Him.…
Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” —John 11:18–21, 28–29, 32
Mary and Martha, for all their time spent with the Son of God, were still human to the core. They wanted to know one thing: “Jesus, where in the world have You been?” They had no doubt that Jesus could have healed their brother; Martha even indicates that she believes there is still hope (see John 11:22). But the fact that He had seemingly ignored their plight had left them confused and frustrated. Why did He delay?
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled, and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. And so the Jews were saying, “Behold how He loved him!”—John 11:33–36
At this juncture any doubt about Jesus’ love and concern for Lazarus is laid to rest. “Jesus wept.” Yet His overt concern about His friend Lazarus adds another layer of mystery to the story. If Jesus was so concerned, why did He not come to Lazarus’s aid?
Why did He let him die
Once again we are faced with what appears to be an unsolvable mystery. It becomes apparent that whatever Christ had in mind, whatever He was trying to accomplish, it was worth sacrificing the emotions of the ones He loved as well as His own. Jesus wept when He arrived to find Lazarus dead. Think about it. His knowledge of the future did not keep Him from identifying with the sorrow of those around Him.
If anything is clear from this story, it is that some things are so important to God that they are worth interrupting the happiness and health of His children in order to accomplish them. That is an awesome thought. To some, it may seem like an indictment of the character of God. But this principle will become clearer through the pages and chapters that follow. Whether some persons can fit this idea into their theology or not, the fact remains that the Son of God allowed those He loved to suffer and die for the sake of some higher purpose.
Some individuals may think such a statement implies that we are merely pawns to be moved about and even abused at God’s whims. But remember, “Jesus wept.” He was moved with emotion at the sight of Mary and Martha’s sorrow. He was touched by the love they had for their brother. He was not emotionally isolated from the pain suffered by those whose perspective was different from His own.
When you hurt, God hurts. Regardless of what He may be in the process of accomplishing, regardless of how noble His purposes may be, He is in touch with what you are feeling. He is not like the football coach who sneers at his players when they complain of their pain. He is not like the boxing coach who whispers into his fighter’s ear, “No pain, no pain.” Neither is he like the parent who laughs and says to a child who has lost a first love, “Don’t worry. You’ll get over it.”
Through all the pain and adversity God may allow us to face, two things are always true. First, He is sensitive to what we are feeling:
For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses
—Hebrews 4:15
Jesus wept over Lazarus. He weeps over our sorrow as well.
Second, whatever He is in the process of accomplishing through our suffering will always be for our best interest. The degree to which things actually work out for our best interest is determined by our response. As we trust God through our adversity, when all is said and done, we will sincerely believe it was worth it all.
Stanley, C. F. (1989). How to handle adversity. Nashville: Oliver-Nelson.
