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THE KING’S BUSINESS
the Thomas tÿpe may be rare, but they do exist. Thursday,_ June 2 Q. John 11 : 17 - 21 . Four days o f agony and loneliness and perplexity were Martha and Mary left to endure,, but at last Martha hears the long expected and eagerly desired message that Jesus is coming. Some glad day we will hear it too. Immediately she hurried forth to meet Him. Many Jews were there to comfort her, but she knew that Jesus alone could really comfort, and she hastened to Him. No longer do household cares keep her away from Jesus (cf. Luke 10:39, 40), her sensé o f need o f Jesus was too deep for that now. Martha’s first words to Jesus were, “Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” Most certainly not, death cannot come where Jesus is. Mary, later the same day, when she met Jesus, said the very same thing (v. 32). Evi dently Martha and Mary had talked it all over together and had said it over and over to one another, “ Oh ! if Jesus had only come, dear Lazarus would have been living still.” Probably Jesus would not have reached Bethany after receiving the tidings o f Lazarus’s sickness before Lazarus died even had He started at once (cf. vs. 6, 17), but He knew o f Lazarus’ sickness before the message came (cf. v. 11), and could easily have been there before his death. It did not seem kind in Him not to come, but it was kind, in fact, the highest kindness, He had iiy store for Martha and Mary a far better gift than the healing o f their brother, viz., resurrection from the dead. Jesus is never kinder than when He seems least kind. There seems to be a touch o f reproof or complaint in the words o f Mar tha (cf. Luke 10:40). W e too are often tempted to complain o f those dealings o f our Lord which for the time we cannot understand. Friday, June 30 . John 11 : 22 - 27 . Martha had a certain amount o f faith in Jesus, namely, faith that He could heal if present (cf. Matt. 8:8-10). She Had a
and heal?” Here is the answer, “because He loves you and the sick one.” Wednesday, June 28 . John 11 : 7 - 16 . There are many things to note in these verses and the reader will do well to go over them again and again and ponder them deeply. It seemed as if Jesus were taking His life in His hands in going back to Judea where they had so recently sought to stone Him, and humanly speaking, His going back did hasten His death (vs. 46-53). But love called Him back at the peril o f His lije. But Jesus knew also that while a man’s allotted day on this earth lasts he is safe against all enemies, (v. 9). The path o f safety is the path o f duty. Safety consists in finding God’s will and conforming our lives to that. All outside o f God’s will is night and darkness and danger (v. 10). Jesus did not at first speak o f Lazarus as dead, but sleeping, for to the mind o f Christ the believer never dies (v. 26; ch. 8:51). Later on Jesus con formed His words to their dull understand ings and said, “Lazarus is dead,” but in strict truth he was not dead, simply sleep ing. And our loved ones are not dead, they are simply sleeping, and Jesus will come some day and waken them out o f sleep. - Jesus said, “ I am glad for your sakes that I was not there.” I f He had been there the Prince o f Life, death would have fled away abashed, and God would not have been glorified and their faith strengthened by the resurrection o f Laz arus. I too am glad Jesus was not there. Had He been, we would have lost this won derful eleventh chapter o f John. And some day we will be glad that He did not come more quickly to the sick bed o f our loved one when we .called Him, but permitted her to fall asleep for a season. How far past finding out our Lord’s ways are, but we can trust Him even when we cannot understand. Thomas, as usual, proved him self a doubter and took a gloomy view of matters. But though a doubter he was a brave friend and said, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Doubters of
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