T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
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Jesus can bind up broken hearts, heal th e sick, but unbelief breaks His heart. Jesus groaned. We groan. Crea tion groans. There is something to groan and weep over,— a lost world, our own sins, Unbelief. Don’t be ashamed to weep. The strongest, bravest, tru est man th a t ever lived was Jesus Christ, and He wept. Next to Jesus was Paul, and P au l wept (Acts 20:19, 31). Eve wept over Abel. David wept over Absalom. Mary wept over Christ (Luke 7:38, 44). Suffering and death bring us into touch w ith hum anity, w ith a ruined world, and evoke w ithin us a real feel ing of fellowship w ith all th e world. (3) THE BROKEN BONDS, vs. 37-44. Jesus gives th e - command, “Take away th e stone.” The unbelief of M artha is still manifest in her reply, “Lord, by th is tim e he stin k eth ; for he h ath been dead four days.” M artha was occupied w ith the difficulties. Why did Jesus order them to remove th e stone, instead of removing it by command? Could no t He have caused Lazarus to come out of th e tomb and Himself, by' His own power, have re moved the stone? Christ works no un necessary miracles. Removing the stone was something th a t they could do, and He expected them to do it. We must do our p a rt in Christian work. F ath ers and mothers m ust do th e ir p art in th e conversion of th e ir children. Churches must remove the obstacle of worldly, indifferent mem bers, if sinners are to be raised from the dead. Christians m ust get rid of unbelief, criticism , indifferent living, greed of gain, selfishness, hypocrisy, insincerity if they expect to be used to win souls. Why does Jesus pray, “F ath e r, I th a n k thee thou hast h eard me” ?
M artha believed in th e Scriptures which ta u g h t th e resu rrection of th e dead, (Acts 2 3 :8 ). “F o r th e S ad d u eees s a y t h a t th e r e is n o re s u rre c tio n , n e ith e r a n g e l n o r s p ir it; b u t th e P h a ris e e s c o n fe ss b o th . (Isa. 2 6 :19 ). “T h y d ead m en s h a ll liv e. T o g e th e r w ith m y d ead b o d y , s h a ll th e y a ris e . A w ak e a n d sin g , y e t h a t d w e ll in th e d u s t; fo r th y d ew is a s th e d ew of. h e rb s, a n d th e e a r th s h a ll e a s t o u t th e d ead .” bu t she did npt understand th a t JESUS Himself was th e resurrection and the life. If M artha believed in th e resurrec tion, Jesus would have h er also believe th a t only by His power could any be raised, and th a t He was as able to do th is th en as a t th e last day. Here; He takes a new title and enunicates a new tru th , (v. 25). “J e s u s sa id u n to h e r, I am th e r e s u r re c tio n a n d th e life ; h e t h a t b e lie v e th on m e, th o u g h h e w e re d ead , y e t s h a ll h e liv e ; A nd w h o so ev er liv e th a n d b e lie v e th in m e s h a ll n e v e r die.” (1 Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 20:4-6). He is Life. Life equals length and breadth, height and depth. We usually th in k only of its length. M artha leaves th e scene. She is not sp iritu al enough to fathom th e depth of H is meaning. Such teaching calls for Mary, and M artha calls her. Mary comes and opens her h ea rt apd her love. She is w illing to leave it all w ith Him, b u t even she cannot rise to th e height of faith th a t believes th e dead can be raised and th a t Lazarus will be raised. (2) THE BURDENED SAVIOUR, vs. 33-36. W ith Mary weeping and th e Jews weeping, Jesus groaned in sp irit and was troubled. He was deeply moved and indignant in spirit. The full power of Satan is m anifested here,— death, sorrow, tears, unbelief. In v. 15 He had said, “ I am glad Lazarus is dead.” Why, then, does He weep now? (1 3 :2 1 ). He was troubled because of th e ir unbelief. He had come on pu r pose to raise him. Unbelief is th e damning sin in sain t and sinner.
He has already prayed and has had th e answer, but He w ants all to recog- DEFINITE RESULTS IN EVERY ONE OF
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