Luke 11:17-27 and 38-45 3.31.17

Where was he?  He arrived after Lazarus had been in the tomb four days.  Lazarus was the friend he loved and the brother to two faithful followers and supporters of his mission and ministry.  Martha and Mary had sent word to him days before that Lazarus was sick.  No matter where Jesus was when he heard the news the fact is he should have been able to help him.  Jesus didn’t come to help immediately like he did with the Centurion’s servant and heal him without even entering his house (Luke 7), nor did Jesus simply fix it all with a word like with the Canaanite woman whose daughter was demon possessed (Matthew 15).  But these were not random people.  These were faithful followers, friends and supporters, believers who were true to Jesus despite the fact that Jesus was pretty unpopular around Jerusalem at this time.  

The last time Jesus was at the temple the Jews tried to stone him charging him with blasphemy.  Jesus left and had gone to Perea, the other side of the Jordan at least a day’s journey.  He heard about Lazarus.  Then he stayed two days before starting the trek to Bethany (a couple miles from Jerusalem) to Mary, Martha and the dead man’s home.  Martha went out to meet him “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”  When Mary later saw Jesus, she said the same, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”  This glaring fact was on everyone’s minds.  As Jesus wept and walked to the tomb, even the crowd said as much, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”  Where was he?  Why didn’t he do anything?  Why did he stay away?

Where were you on that one, God?  How could you let that happen to me or my loved one or those people?  Why do you let bad things happen?  Why?  Why do we ask these questions?  Part of it may be that we like control, even the meek and mild among us.  That can be good if it helps us be responsible, productive and contribute to society.  But the danger is that we like it too much and expect it in all areas, even spiritually.  Whether we demand it by force, manipulate till we have everything aligned, are masters of persuasion, driven to amazing work ethics or just plain lucky, we do what it takes to be/feel in control.  And most days we have convinced ourselves that we are in control.  In fact many of our frustrations come when we feel we don’t have control – kids don’t listen to us, didn’t get everything done on our list, etc.  But if we have money in the bank or room left on the credit card, and people listen to us and we are nice and respectful with a few toys and do what we’re supposed to, then we generally feel fine and almost content.  We live in our own mirage sometimes.  But it gets even more dangerous.

It’s frustrating enough to live like we have to have control, but when we try to control God we are asking for trouble.  “We pray, he pays, right?” “Praises go up, blessings should come down, right God?”   “Name it and claim it!”  “We ask, and he should give according to our time table or we get antsy, complain, doubt, and maybe even despair.”  And when struggles come, pain or crosses, we are left confused, frustrated and with a bit of doubt toward God.  Why?  It’s because we can’t control him.  We can’t put God on a leash, put a bit in his mouth, or plug him into a wall and slap “ATM on Him.”  And when God sends or allows suffering, tragedy or crosses in our lives, we doubt his wisdom and love.  He didn’t get our approval or explain every detail of why he sends it.  When death comes, we can often stumble.  These are the times in my life that have fueled “Why?” “Where were/are you?”

Death was never supposed to be.  It only came about as a result of sin – Adam and Eve’s, yours and mine. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).  In trying to control everything we forget that we live in a sinful world and humankind is to blame for the pain, the hurt and even death, not God.  But God sends and allows these crosses we bear and even death according to his wisdom and love.  We don’t have control.  Death doesn’t have control.  Jesus has control over life and death.  

Look at Martha, what an example of faith in the midst of trial.  “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”  (What exactly did she want or mean?  It seems from what follows she wasn’t expecting what great things God was going to do for her.)  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha answered, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”  “Yes, Lord,” she told him, “I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”  We believe in Jesus, but sometimes we too struggle to understand the extent of Jesus’ love for us, and the extent of his power to help us and work all things for our good when we undergo suffering and it feels like Jesus stays away.

Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.  It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.  “Take away the stone,” he said, “But Lord, said Martha, the sister of the dead man, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there for days.”  She literally said, “He stinks.”  Without embalming and in the climate they lived in, Martha was exactly right.  Don’t open that tomb.  I probably would have said the same thing to Jesus.  Sometimes we don’t want Jesus to send or do certain things in our lives because it is clear that there is no way any good will come of it, only pain and hurt and stench.  But we’re not in control, Jesus is.  Jesus has control over life and death.

 “Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”  Jesus demands and commands our trust.  He is the Son of God even if our sufferings and tragedies make us doubt it.  Jesus prayed to his Father in full audio so that all could hear him speak to his Father in heaven, so that they would know that Jesus is one with the Father, and that God the Father sent his Son into the world to save us, “that they may believe that you sent me.”  Jesus proves that we too can call on our Father regardless of how we are feeling and know that God hears.  God acts.  God saves.  God does all that is needed so that we get from this veil of tears to eternal bliss in heaven.  Jesus has power over life and death.  Remember that in suffering.  Remember that in hardship when it stinks.  Remember that and let that give you life now and for eternity. Remind me too!  Let us learn with that crowd to put our trust in him no matter our doubt or if we think it might stink.  

“When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.  Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”  The dead are raised.  Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the world.  God approves of him.  “Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.”  And we do too.  

But enough didn’t believe, and a short time later Jesus hung dying on a cross.  And on that cross God the Father stayed away from his son.  Jesus said, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  God stayed away from the son he loved.  At his Baptism, at his Transfiguration the Father clearly said, “This is my Son, whom I love.”  But he stayed away and let him suffer the pangs of hell that your sin and doubt, that my sin and doubt deserved.  And the disciples stood wondering how in the world any good could come of this.  It just stunk. Jesus died and was laid in a tomb.  

Many of this world will reject Jesus.  Don’t be surprised that our hearts are prone to doubt and struggle and to question even in the midst of faith.  But realize that Jesus rose from the dead and came out of that tomb, just as Lazarus did, alive and well.  Put your feelings aside and trust.  Put your doubts aside and trust.  Put your desire for ungodly control away and look to the one who has all the control over life and death.  Realize his love for you.  Realize his forgiveness for you.  Trust him.  Live for him.  Be content in him and what his hands hold for you.  

You’ve seen the nail marks in his hand.  There will be hardships here on this earth, there will be death, and mourning, and tears as we follow after our Savior.  But Jesus has power over life and death.  He’s taken death’s sting away by rising from the grave and ensuring our resurrections.  And he gives us life eternal and life here and now as we trust and follow him, the one who has power over life and death.  

Where was he?  Right where he always is – in control, with love in his heart for us, and doing in his wisdom what is best for us.  This means you are forgiven.  This means God loves you.  Why did Lazarus come out of the grave?  Because Jesus told him too.  Why will we rise on the last day, why is forgiveness ours right now, why can we trust even though we carry crosses here?  Why does Baptism save?  Why do we know we receive Christ’s body and blood in the Lord’s Supper for proof of our forgiveness?  Why are all God’s promises to us sure despite what our eyes might see?  Same reason: Jesus told us.  Jesus has power over life and death for us.  Amen.