Daily Devotional | Mary and Martha: Hear Me

Do you long to be heard? From the moment we are born, we want someone to answer our cries and meet our needs. It’s a fundamental human desire that we see Jesus meet again and again.

In John 11, Jesus clearly heard the desperate request of Martha and Mary. “Lord, the one you love is sick,” they cried. But even though Jesus heard (vv. 4, 6), He did not hurry. He lingered for two whole days, a terribly long time in a life-or-death situation. Jesus then revealed the motivation behind this delay: “It is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it” (v. 4).

Jesus longed for that glory to lead people to belief (vv. 14–15). When Jesus finally arrived at their home, Mary and Martha both expressed their disappointment. They believed He was the Christ and could have prevented Lazarus’s death. They did not yet understand that He was able to reverse it.

Jesus wanted to reveal more of Himself to them—His ultimate, eternal power over death. He told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (v. 25). Clearly, Jesus empathized with their pain. He was deeply moved (v. 33), and He wept (v. 35). Then He ordered the stone to be rolled away from the tomb, and despite Martha’s concern about the odor, He prayed to His Father and called forth life. At its core, this is a love story. Jesus’ abiding affection for this family is declared repeatedly (vv. 3, 5, 36). And even though you and I don’t always get a Lazarus ending this side of heaven, we can always trust His love.

>> This passage reveals so much about Jesus! He hears, even when He doesn’t hurry. He empathizes with our pain. His glory is on display if we have eyes to see. It should move us to belief. He loves us and longs to give us life.