A Puzzling Plot

I can only imagine how Mary and Martha must have felt when their brother, Lazarus, fell ill. Since Jesus had come to visit them, nothing had been the same. The incident recorded in Luke 10:38-42 had been more than just a couple of small paragraphs. That meeting had completely rewritten the story of their lives. But now, it seemed, the plot was taking a puzzling turn. Perhaps it all started with a fever. John 11:1 doesn't go into detail about his ailment, telling us only that there was a man named Lazarus who was sick. But through the account that follows, it's obvious Lazarus must have been a very special man. He was dearly loved-not only by his sisters, but also by Jesus. The message sent by Mary and Martha said it all: "Lord, the one you love is sick". Their relationship must have been exceptionally close. So I can imagine the hope the two sisters clung to as they sent the messenger. Surely everything would be all right. The illness seemed severe, but Jesus would come. Lazarus would be made well, and their life would continue as they'd always known it. Jesus' disciples probably assumed the same thing. After all, when the news about Lazarus came, Jesus told them specifically that "this sickness will not end in death" (11:4). "No," he added, "it is for God's glory so that God's Son my be glorified through it." Good news, the disciples must have thought. Lazarus will live! But God had other plans for Lazarus and his sisters. It's the story of God's ongoing relationship with the human race. And it's a tale the Master Storyteller has been working on ever since the dawn of creation. (From:Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World)