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."
It is interesting to note that when it came to Jesus, it seemed Mary’s favored position was to be at His feet thus suggesting honor. In the day of peace, Mary had placed herself at our Lord’s feet for instruction and now in this day of trouble she places herself at His feet for comfort, help and hope - desirous of receiving His favor – good moves on Mary’s part! We find in Luke the following:
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. Luke 10:38-39 (NIV)
It is also interesting to note that both sisters had the same exact verbal response upon seeing Jesus - giving a profession, albeit non-complete, of the Christian faith and in effect stating they believed He was the all powerful Christ. We find Martha’s words earlier in the chapter:
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:21 (NIV)
Yet within their words there was a hint of discouragement and despair not to mention accusation and blame – passion tinged with reproach. Certainly we can relate to that. How easy it is to become discouraged in life’s circumstances and begin to have a tinge of blaming God (if not blatantly blaming Him). We are all apt to say as these sisters – “If you had been here” thus and thus would not have happened as if Christ were not always present and everywhere near His sheep. We pray and work and seek to do God’s will yet things remain dismally the same. We must remember, building faith requires difficulties and God is desirous of building our faith as we should be as well.
“‘He is the same yesterday, and today, and forever.’ His love is unfailing, His Word unchangeable, His power ever the same; therefore the heart that trusts Him is kept in ‘perfect peace’...I know He tries me only to increase my faith, and that it is all in love. Well, if He is glorified, I am content.” Hudson Taylor
3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.
4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)
Peter gives us the following encouraging words in regards to the building of our faith. Through his words, he demonstrates to us that faith is a living hope which results in a present joy. It is this kind of faith or living hope that enables us to be able to rejoice even when we are called to suffer grief in various types of trials:
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9 (NIV)
Yet how the sisters wished He had been there. They had full confidence of His ability to heal as well as full confidence in His compassion for His desire to heal. If He had only been there this catastrophe would not have occurred. Their statements remind me of Job’s words when he was confronted by God. He both affirmed God’s abilities as well as professing the folly of questioning them:
1 Then Job replied to the LORD: 2 "I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. Job 42:1-3 (NIV)
“On Him then reckon, to Him look, on Him depend: and be assured that if you walk with Him, look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you. An older brother, who has known the Lord for forty-four years, who writes this, says for your encouragement that He has never failed him. In the greatest difficulties, in the heaviest trials, in the deepest poverty and necessities, He has never failed me; but because I was enabled by His grace to trust in Him, He has always appeared for my help. I delight in speaking well of His Name.” George Mueller
16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor 4:16-18 (NIV)