Processing the Pain
written by Pastor Josh Dietrich
Why did Jesus let Lazarus die and wait for days before He went to visit Mary and Martha? It seems cruel, at first glance, to allow such seemingly unnecessary suffering without intervening. Similarly, why did God tell Abraham to go sacrifice his son Isaac, causing him days of emotional turmoil and pain, when God's plan was never for Abraham to actually kill Isaac? Of course, since you know the end of the story, many of you might have an immediate answer to these questions. But what if you step into their shoes for a bit, not knowing the big picture or the end of the story as they are struggling through the dark times?
Questions like these often hit close to home. We ask similar questions throughout our lives here in this sinful world. Why do I or my loved one have cancer? God could have stopped that from happening. Why did my loved one die so suddenly from that accident or illness? God could have prevented that. Why do I struggle with infertility or experience tragic miscarriages? God could fix that! Experiences like these can often lead to at least some degree of doubt. Even if you never verbalize it to those around you, you are probably asking yourself and God these "Why?" questions or have in the past.
I believe stories like these (Lazarus, Abraham and Issac, Job, and others) are recorded in the Bible so that we can see a bit more of the big picture that they couldn't see in the midst of their struggle. God wants us to trust Him, but He doesn't expect us to do so blindly.
Raising Lazarus from the dead was definitive proof, more than anything else, that Jesus was the Messiah. Ultimately, this painful experience deepened the faith of Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and the disciples in Him as the Son of God. Jesus told His disciples, "I’m glad for you that I wasn’t there so that you may believe" (John 11:15, CSB).
As Abraham was making that painful three-day journey with Isaac to the mountain, he was filled with agony at the thought of losing the son he had been waiting so long for. But on that mountain, as Abraham was about to kill Isaac, a substitute (a ram) was provided to die in his place. Abraham's agony was a small preview of the painful sacrifice necessary for the plan of salvation. Because of this experience, Abraham had a deep understanding of the plan of redemption he would not have otherwise had.
God wants you to process through these questions with Him. The situation may be overwhelming and seem to be more than you can handle, but God wants you to learn to trust Him, especially when you can't seem to find any good answers to your questions. Because of stories like these, you can know with confidence that God is close by your side even when life is at its darkest. God can see the big picture and the end of the story, and He always has your eternal best interest in mind. He has promised, "'For I know the plans I have for you'—this is the Lord’s declaration—'plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope'" (Jer. 29:11, CSB).
