“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” – John 11: 25-26
Today I walked out of church alone again.
I have been going to church by myself since I was about 18. And despite how much I love my alone time, sometimes the loneliness gets to me. Over the last few weeks, as you may have read in a few of my latest blogs, community has been something my soul has grown so hungry for. For weeks now, and maybe even months, I have been begging God to bring me into fellowship with people who I can practice this community that we were designed to have with one another.
But today, I walked out of church alone again. I blame no one but myself, as I tend to show up a few minutes late to avoid anxious small talk and leave immediately after being dismissed. However this time, something happened. As I was walking to my car, having already said goodbye to the people holding the doors, I heard my name called. Yes, my name.
I paused for a split moment trying to decipher who’s voice it was, and when I looked back, it was a gentleman who had been greeting me every week since I moved here. I had already said goodbye to him, so I was a bit confused as to why he called me back. Then his face lit up and he said “keep wearing that smile!”
I walked out of church alone again, but this time with a smile and a little more warmth in my heart.
We brush shoulders with people day after day. People who are broken, hungry for more in life, tired of the way things are, and so doubtful of better days that they live numb. And yet we stay silent. Maybe to a few, we give a half smile or even a wave. But to most, we ignore as if they are but background characters to the most pressing thing going on in front of us.
But what if we lived a little more inconvenienced? After all, isn’t that what Jesus did so that we could be saved? Who knows how many lives you could save with a small act of going the extra mile.
In church, for the last couple weeks, we have been studying the story of Lazarus in the Gospel of John. I love this particular story because there are so many nuggets you can pull from the perspectives of each person, even the bystanders. (I spoke a message on that specific view here)
But the point I want to hone in on right now with you is that of Jesus’ willingness to endure the harder path for the sake of others.
John 11 starts with Jesus receiving news of Lazarus being sick. His presence was requested so that He could heal him. But instead He waited days to go see him. To many of us, we could question God’s care as His sense of urgency didn’t seem to exemplify much. But knowing now that He would bring Him back to life, Jesus knew the timing would lead to greater belief in those around Him.
In an instant, Jesus could have healed Lazarus, and many would have still been amazed. But if that were the case, death would still seem to hold a grip that no one could conquer.
In waiting, Jesus was also met by Lazarus’ sisters in the midst of great grief. One went off on Him the second He came in the vicinity. Despite knowing He would bring her brother back to life, He first brought comfort and reminded her of the truth. How many of us stand before the frustrated and still offer comfort, love, and peace?
Just after His encounter with Martha, he faces Mary and the crowd mourning with them at the tomb. There, again taking a path requiring a greater struggle than what could’ve been, He stood there and wept. Because at the sight of His hurting people and the way the death steals the life God intended us to have eternally, Jesus was moved. And by witnessing His moved heart, the people in the crowd then and all who have read this scripture since have gotten a glimpse into the deep love and longing God has for our redemption and restored eternal life. In the midst of tragedy, do we offer our time, presence, and compassion to those hurting?
And one of the last moments we see Jesus extend Himself for us in this story is just before the resurrection of Lazarus. Jesus calls the stone covering the tomb to be removed while He stands there with His eyes pointing us to the One who speaks life.
“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
He looks up and says that for us. That we may know who He is and that what He does is all an extension of the Father’s heart. God with us.
This miracle He did was immediately followed by a gathering of religious leaders plotting to kill Him. Again, Jesus could have spoken life back into Lazarus without stepping foot in that village. But He waited, faced broken and frustrated families, and endured the heartache of witnessing those He loved mourning deeply. All so that we might see Him for who He really is.
A God who cares, hears, sees, feels, and is always with us.
The gentleman who called for me just to say a few words meant more than most could understand. It was something he had to run for, shout above the crowd, and potentially risk me ignoring or not hearing him. But he did it anyways.
To some, a phrase like that could sound quite general. But for me, who fights with an anxious and weary mind to express joy each day, it meant that someone saw the choice I made to smile even though it may have been the last thing I wanted to do. And it meant that someone believed it was still possible to keep doing despite any circumstance I may face. Whether he was aware of it or not, I walked out of church with a bit more hope than I had walked in with because my caring Heavenly Father expressed His heart for me through the way that elder gentleman inconvenienced himself when he didn’t have to.
Every day, we encounter people who we could show a glimpse of the heart of God to. But sometimes, rather, most times it takes doing something that makes us uncomfortable. Something that costs us. Something that we may not see the impact of. But that never stopped our Savior.
The beautiful thing about life is that we not only get to experience communion with God in the here and now, but we also get the opportunity to participate in His mission of restoring harmony. What will it take for us to be willing to reach out and face inconvenience for the sake of others being invited into new life?
My dear friend, you have a duty that goes far beyond anything this world may assign you to. You have a duty to show those around you the life-giving, selfless, sacrificial love that Jesus led the way in living. The kind that doesn’t care if people find you unusual or if people never say thank you. I walked out of church with hope and a genuine smile because someone inconvenienced themselves today.
Thoughts to Consider:
Who has God placed around you that you may be overlooking?
How does Jesus’ willingness to wait, weep, comfort, and endure in John 11 reveal God’s heart toward hurting people?
What makes you hesitant to stop, listen, encourage, or help when you notice someone struggling?
Consider what it might mean to someone as they experience a little more of God’s love today simply because you were willing to be inconvenienced.
“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?’” – John 11: 25-26
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