Healing Rays of Righteousness

If God is always for us, as I believe he is, why do disappointments painfully interrupt our expectations and dreams? Where is God when disappointments frustrate our lives?

I do not fully understand the “why” question but believe the story of Jesus’ response to the death of his beloved friend, Lazarus, does give us some helpful insights into the “where” question. The story is found in the 11^th chapter of John’s gospel and vividly reveals Jesus’ heart of caring empathy for us during times of painful disappointments.

Mary and Martha had sent word to Jesus that their brother, Lazarus, “the one you love is sick.”  Two days later Jesus begins his journey to Bethany in Judea knowing that Lazarus had already died.

As Jesus and his disciples were nearing Bethany, Martha went out to meet him. Her disappointment and frustration with Jesus arriving too late to heal Lazarus is heard in her greeting, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (v.21).

Likewise, Mary quickly leaves her house to go to Jesus, who is still outside the village, and falling at his feet she expresses the same disappointment and frustration as her sister did, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” (v.32).

But unlike his teaching response to Martha, Jesus is now seeing and hearing the pain-filled weeping of Mary and the Jews who had come with her, and he is “deeply moved in spirit and troubled” and asked, “Where have you laid him?” (v.33-34).

Yes, Jesus could have reassured the sisters and quieted all this weeping with the good news that he will restore Lazarus with new life. But he does not do so. Jesus does not pass lightly over their pain. Instead, Jesus joined in their weeping and grief, publicly expressing his own grief physically and emotionally. And with his own heart torn with anguish, “Jesus wept.” The Greek word for this phrase indicates that the emotion Jesus felt was such that it seized his whole body, causing him to shudder and groan.

Jesus did not simply wipe away a few hidden tears. He weeps publicly and loud enough so that everyone in the crowd heard it and remarked about it. “See how he loved him!” (v.36). And I believe that with his own tears, Jesus showed us that God always cares deeply about what we are experiencing.

In verse thirty-eight we read, “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb.”  Leighton Ford writes in his book, Sandy, “The word taken literally means ‘he snorted in his spirit’ like a warhorse facing battle, seeing what death and evil had done to the beautiful world his Father had made.”

Leighton believes that in that moment, Jesus recommitted himself to God’s mission for his life and became determined to conquer and destroy the painful hopelessness of death. And in a public display of that determination, “Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”  And Lazarus came out, still bound in the grave-wrappings. What a glorious moment of God’s presence overpowering death!

I may not fully understand why God allows painful disappointment to interrupt our expectations and dreams, and why our prayers for a miracle often seem lost in the vast darkness of painful uncertainty.

But this I do know. Life-shattering disappointment is painful because it is the death of our expectations and dreams. And, like the story of Lazarus’ death, so wonderfully illustrates, Jesus is present and shares with us the pain of grievous loss. Being present, he invites us to come near and lean on him for caring empathy and encouragement, because he deeply loves and cares for us.

And so, could it be that God allows events of painful disappointment in our lives, because this is when our ears are best opened to hear his invitation to lean into him and more deeply feel his caring love and provision for us, thus deepening our trust relationship with himself?

Frank E. Graeff, a Methodist minister, experienced many disappointments during his lifetime. It was during a time of severe physical agony, doubt, and despondency that he found comfort and strength in the apostle Peter’s words, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7).

This verse became so meaningful to him that he wrote the words to the hymn “Does Jesus Care?”

“Does Jesus care when my heart is pained too deeply for mirth and song,

as the burdens press, and cares distress, and the way grows weary and long?”

Does Jesus care when my way is dark with a nameless dread and fear?

As the daylight fades into deep night shades, does He care enough to be near?

Chorus:

“O yes, He cares – I know He cares! His heart is touched with my grief;

when the days are weary, the long nights dreary, I know my Savior cares.”

<><><><><> 

Ray M. Geigley – “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – www.geigler13.wordpress.com – 7/03/24