Don’t You Care?

 ⁴³ Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” ⁴⁴ And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”⁴⁵ Many of the people who were with Mary believed in Jesus when they saw this happen.  John 11:43-45

Martha, Mary and Lazarus were good friends of Jesus. He had shared many meals in their home. When Jesus hears that his good friend Lazarus has died, he purposely delays going to Bethany to visit Mary and Martha for two days. What? Doesn’t He care about them? Then, He comes and in the presence of many Jewish unbelievers, He calls Lazarus from the dead and raises him to life. Many who were watching believed in Him.

. Over and over, I am discovering more about miracles and why they are performed. It seems in our culture with the influence of the health and prosperity gospel, we think we deserve the miracle of healing because we are believers and God promises us health, wealth, wisdom, and prosperity, to entice others to follow Him.  It always seems to end up for our personal benefit and ease in this life. The more I look deeply into the miracles of healing by Jesus, the more I realize it has very little to do with the person being healed and everything to do with salvation of the lost around them. It appears Jesus doesn’t heal so believers will be glorified, but so that sinners will believe!

I remember when my 5 yr. old niece developed cancer, how I prayed for God to heal her so my brother and wife would become believers. I imagined her with a powerful testimony, becoming a missionary and being mightily used by God. I was devastated when she died and mad at God. What good would her death do when He could have healed her and brought about their salvation. In this case, Jesus knew her death would not only be the instrument of their salvation but also a call to ministry for my brother. If she had been healed, they could very well have believed for a time and then gone back to normal once the newness and excitement of her healing wore off. Her death brought about a shocking reality and lasting transformation. God can be glorified in life or death, healing here or ultimate healing and life in glory. Both are miracles of His love and grace!

Jesus, thank You for revealing Your healing power to Your children and using the miracle of healing for Your glory in the salvation of the lost. I pray You will display Your glory in me for the good of the salvation of others and that I will never deny Your healing power but participate in any way Your Will requires.  Help me to see it is not about my comfort, but about the healing of others from eternal pain and death.