John 11: 19-27
Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.”
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Beyond Imagination
As this passage begins, Martha and Mary have no hope; Lazarus is dead. The sisters had sent for Jesus hoping he’d come right away and heal their brother. They’d hoped for the same kind of healing Jesus had been doing all over Galilee. However, Jesus deliberately delays and Lazarus dies. Many of us can likely relate to experiencing our own dashed hopes when our prayers for a loved one’s healing go unanswered.
At first, Jesus consoles Martha with “your brother will rise again,” but she cannot even imagine what Jesus is about to do. The sisters had hoped for an earthly healing for Lazarus, but when Jesus, the resurrection and the life, shows up, he restores Lazarus to life. And he assures us that if we believe in him, we too will never die.
Today, be alert for signs of God’s presence in both the ordinary and the unexpected. Be open to new possibilities that are beyond imagination.
—Diane Amento Owens was introduced to Ignatian spirituality in 2009 through the Midwest Jesuits’ annual Lenten Morning of Reflection. She offers spiritual direction with an Ignatian lens and is the author of Walking with Jesus to Jerusalem: A Lenten Pilgrimage of Hope.
Prayer
Yes, Jesus, I do believe you are who you say you are, but sometimes my faith gets buried underneath my circumstances or I get stuck without hope in a tomb of despair. Calm my doubts and distress. Help me to enjoy a close friendship with you like you had with Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
Jesus, I place my hope in you, the resurrection and the life.
—Diane Amento Owens