Lent 2 – Mary 2 – Part 1
- FaithHopeLove
- Mar 18
- 6 min read
Welcome again to this Lent Reflections series inspired in part by my local church’s current sermon series on Discipleship, and part by a Christian Heritage Book called Mother, Sister and Follower – sermons by C.H.Spurgeon.
Today we step away from the highs of (mother) Mary’s Song of Joy, [blog link] into the depths of (sister) Mary’s cry of lament.
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” John 11:32
Mary – Sister of Lazarus
There lived in the little village of Bethany a very happy family. There was neither father nor mother in it: the household consisted of the unmarried brother Eleazar, or Lazarus, and his sisters, Martha and Mary, who dwelt together in unity so good and pleasant that there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore. This affectionate trio were all lovers of the Lord Jesus Christ, and were frequently favoured with His company. They kept open house whenever the Great Teacher came that way. Both for the Master and for the disciples there was always a table, a bed, and a candlestick in the prophet's chamber, and sometimes sumptuous feasts were prepared for the whole company.*
Alas, sorrow may come to even the happiest of homes and John 11 opens with the stark reality that Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” But Jesus did not hurry to their side, no! He simply made the statement: “This sickness will not end in death.” And stayed where he was.
Spurgeon, in his sermon A Mystery! Saints Sorrowing and Jesus Glad! from August 1864, muses on how the sisters may have spent the intervening days. “Look at Martha! She has been sitting up every night watching her poor brother; no care could have been more constant, no tenderness more excessive. … As for Mary, she has been sitting still at her brother's side, listening to his dying words, repeating in his ear the gracious words of Jesus which she had been wont to hear when she sat at His feet."
All the while, their anxiety must have been constantly growing.
Where is Jesus? Why is he not here yet? Will he arrive in time? Mary and Martha both had sufficient faith in their Lord to trust in his ability to heal their brother, and yet their faith was being ‘tested’ beyond that – would they trust Jesus in not healing him?
We often shy away from this word ‘tested’ – why would God punish us by making bad things happen? There are a number of thoughts on this, but let’s explore one or two …
As a teenager, I had a poster on my wall – a very cute kitten hanging from a tree branch by one paw – with the words: “Faith isn’t faith until it’s all you’re holding on to.”
Faith is easy when life is easy. But, as Spurgeon puts it: Faith never prospers so well as when all things are against her: … When a calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship moves not to its harbour; for on a slumbering ocean the keel sleeps too. Let the winds come howling forth, and let the waters lift up themselves, then, though the vessel may rock, and her deck may be washed with waves, and her mast may creak under the pressure of the full and swelling sail, yet it is then that she makes headway towards her desired haven.
This is born out in two Greek words used in the New Testament for the English word ‘tested’. The first is peirasmos, with its OT Hebrew equivalent massah, it mainly refers to a situation or process that tests a person's character, faith, or endurance. It can be used in reference to both external trials and internal temptations. The term is used to describe circumstances that challenge believers, either through persecution, hardship, or enticement to sin; and the context often determines whether the emphasis is on testing or temptation.
To put it in its cultural and historical context, in the Greco-Roman world, trials and tests were common themes in philosophical and religious discussion and debate. The concept of testing was often associated with refining or proving one's character. In Jewish thought, trials were seen as opportunities for growth and demonstration of faithfulness to God.
To the early Christian community, facing persecution and moral challenges, would have been understood as peirasmos – a test of faith and a potential stumbling block. It is peirasmos that is used in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:13 and goes somewhat to explaining why ‘tested’, ‘temptation’ and ‘time of trial’ are often interchangeable in bible translations and modern Lord’s Prayer versions.
The second word is dokimazo, from the Greek adjective dokimos, meaning ‘approved’ or ‘tested.’ The Hebrew equivalent – bachan – is often associated with the concept of testing or proving, to examine or try. The verb dokimazo primarily means to test or examine something to determine its genuineness or worth. It is often used in the context of testing metals to prove their purity. In the New Testament, it is used metaphorically to refer to the testing of individuals, doctrines, or spiritual truths to discern their authenticity and value.
Again, to put it in its cultural and historical context, in ancient Greek culture, the process of testing metals was a common practice to ensure their purity and value. This concept was metaphorically extended to other areas of life, including moral and spiritual testing. The New Testament writers adopted this term to describe the process of discerning and approving what is good, true, and acceptable in the sight of God.
In the light of this, Jesus’ words in v15 make sense: “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” Jesus is not rejoicing that Lazarus has died – nor that his sisters were forced to care for him filled with anxiety, doubt and sorrow in his final days – indeed, Jesus himself wept beside his tomb! But he is acutely aware of the bigger picture. Pfft, you say. Spare me the bigger picture, just make my pain/ suffering/ distress go away! But Jesus knows what lies ahead, he knows what’s on the horizon for Mary & Martha, and he needs them to be strong – for their faith to be stronger than it had been – so they might endure, persevere, flourish even, through the trials of his arrest, death and resurrection soon to come.
Plus ‘the bigger picture’ gives an added bonus: we read in v45 “Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.”
Often our personal pain and time of suffering can bring others to know the Lord. Just as we look for inspiration and encouragement from those ‘ahead’ of us in their faith journey and life experiences, so we offer solace and advocacy to those who follow behind, on a similar path to our own.
Tried faith brings experience; and every one of you who are men and women of experience, must know that experience makes religion become more real to you. You never know either the bitterness of sin or the sweetness of pardon, till you have felt both. You never know your own weakness till you have been compelled to go through the rivers, and you would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. All the talk about religion which is not based upon an experience of it, is mere talk. If we have little experience, we cannot speak so positively as those can whose experience has been more deep and profound.*
And if we want to look at the ‘bigger’ bigger picture, John reports in v46-47 that “some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin.” This act - this demonstration of love and spiritual growth towards Mary and her siblings - was the final provocation that caused the religious leaders of the day to begin plotting and planning to kill this itinerant rabbi called Jesus. Lazarus’ resurrection triggered Jesus’ death.
So, as we continue to look ahead to the cross and the journey we make through Lent this year, let us reflect on the highs and lows so far in Mary’s life and in our own. And as we prepare our hearts in prayer and meditation, let us be glad for both the times of joy and the times of trial and suffering.
But most of all, let us reflect on the sacrificial love of Jesus, offered for and to each and every person: know that you are loved; that Jesus died for your eternity; and that He fully knows, understands and bears your pain with you.
You may be interested in some additional reading:
Luke 10:38-42 | At the Home of Martha and Mary
John 11:1-16 | The Death of Lazarus
John 11:17-37 | Jesus Comforts the Sisters of Lazarus
John 11: 38-53 | Jesus Raises Lazarus From the Dead
You may also enjoy reading Leaving Bethany, written by a good friend of mine. Leaving Bethany is a novel, a fictitious account of the life of Jesus and the first Christians, told in the first person. Martha herself tells you the story and you hear her voice as she tells us what happened, what she thought and how she felt.