If only we could see

One of my very closest friends is battling cancer. It came as a shock to us both, and is very serious. It is so hard to understand with our human minds why things like this happen, especially to wonderful believers like my precious friend.

 I was reading this morning in John chapter 11 where Lazarus was very sick and Martha went to tell Jesus. I believe she knew He could heal her brother and that’s why she went to inform Him. But as the story goes, he purposely did not go to Bethany until Lazarus had already died. He loved this family, and when he saw Mary weeping and others weeping, the scripture says Jesus “groaned in His spirit and was troubled.” Shortly after, the shortest verse in the Bible “Jesus wept” is recorded. I have often wondered why Jesus would cry and be so troubled when He knew that in just moments these same weeping people would be rejoicing at the miracle of resurrection that He would perform. It made no sense. But as I meditated on this, I think I now understand why Jesus was so troubled. He deeply loved these people. He felt their pain and He knew it was truly the result, not of their brother’s death, but rather of the great limitations of their vision. He knew at the present moment they could not understand the greater purposes of God, they could only see the immediate circumstances. I believe the Lord’s heart was troubled and He wept, not because Lazarus had died, but because the people he loved so dearly could not understand nor see the future glory of the resurrection that was moments away from changing their lives and their faith.

It made me realize that much of our suffering comes from our human “short-sightedness.” We see the circumstances only, as we run to Him and inform Him of our troubles. We wonder why He delays in answering our prayers. But He sees the total picture, and it hurts and grieves His heart to the point of tears that we, being so human, cannot yet fathom the glory of the power of His resurrection and how that, and that alone, will ultimately bring deep, unfathomable rejoicing to our lives.

So I am determined to try to look beyond the present circumstances of my friend’s situation and see as Jesus would see. That in Him is life, the only true life, because He is our hope and resurrection.