Saturday 20th July
Read John 11:28-33
“After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. ‘The Teacher is here,’ she said, ‘and is asking for you.’ 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 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.33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.’” (NIVUK)
Two sisters. Both with the same plaintive question, ‘Where were you?’. One sister was comforted with words so filled with hope and life and promise that two thousand years later we are yet to fully plumb their depths (v25-26). The other greeted with empathy, sympathy and grief to match the depth of her own (v33). Between them we have the fullest response to grief we can grasp – truth and love perfectly combined.
Only Jesus knew the events that were about to unfold. Only Jesus knew that tears would soon turn to joy. Only Jesus knew that death would soon come for Him and meet its match. Despite this there was still time for teaching and time for weeping.
May we watch and learn and listen well too.
