Book Excerpt: “You Are Those Who Stood Beside Me”
Oh, if the Lord had only been here! Martha can’t stop thinking it. It goes around and around in her mind. She says it to Mary, for the umpteenth time. Mary says it to Martha just as often.
Read Time: 7 minutes
We are pleased to share an excerpt from a new Tidings book written by Paul Zilmer.
“You Are Those Who Stood By Me,” is available now at https://tidings.org/publications
CHAPTER 42: IF ONLY
John 11:17-53
Oh, if the Lord had only been here!
Martha can’t stop thinking it. It goes around and around in her mind. She says it to Mary, for the umpteenth time. Mary says it to Martha just as often. The bitter grief of losing Lazarus is compounded by knowing that Jesus could have healed him. If only he’d been here! The tears begin again.
There has been an outpouring of support from all sides, some of it unexpected. Followers of the Rabbi came out in significant numbers for the funeral, and many have been coming every day. Given the recent confrontations, they might have chosen to stay home—but they come. It’s a source of great comfort that so many of their friends and followers of the Lord are there. Most of them say it: “If only he’d been here!”
Even more surprising, some of the lesser religious leadership have also come, and it doesn’t seem they’re there only to snoop. The family did have some standing socially, enough that there seems to be genuine respect shown. Martha thinks she might even detect a bit of respect for the Teacher—mostly concealed, given the way the political wind is blowing.
Oh, if only he had been here!
Four days now. Their mourning goes on; there doesn’t seem to be any end to the tears. On top of the pain of the loss, Martha yearns for the comfort only the Lord could provide. How she wants to pour out her heart to him, to hear his voice, feel his touch on her shoulder.
This day they sit in the house, as they’ve done each day, receiving those who have come to offer comfort. Their expressions of love are a comfort. And then, someone they don’t know arrives. Not so strange; there have been several who have come to show respect that they don’t know or barely know. This one comes in quietly, and approaches the sisters, leaning down to whisper. They take him for one of those who come to offer condolences, which is his intent. But in fact he is a messenger, and what he says makes their eyes go wide in surprise: “The Lord is just outside town, asking for you to meet him there.”
Martha and Mary look at one another with wide eyes. They realize they’d better keep this quiet—who knows what the authorities would do? They’ve just threatened to kill him. Amazement gives way in both their minds to the same refrain of the last four days: “If only he’d been here!”
Their eyes locked together, Martha sees her sister’s jaw tighten and her eyes narrow. She can tell Mary is really angry; her sister slumps back and folds her arms. Martha can see her sister is not going to go out. But for herself, her yearning for the Lord pushes everything else aside. She quickly gets up and goes out, accompanied by the messenger. The whole thing lasted less than a minute, and no one seems to have noticed anything out of the ordinary.
Once away from the house, Martha moves quickly and it takes only twenty minutes to get to where the Lord is standing, surrounded by his disciples, who are looking very nervous.
Once she sees him, she runs the final distance. It hadn’t been her plan, but she throws herself at his feet and blurts out, “Oh Lord! If you’d only been here! He wouldn’t have died!” Choking back her sobs, she realizes it has come out like an accusation, but she really just wants to pour out her grief.
Jesus says nothing, but he reaches down to pull her up. Collecting herself, Martha dares to express her greatest hope, her eyes still on his feet. “But even now . . .” She chokes, swallows, and finally looking up into his eyes, goes on. “Even now I know that anything you ask God for, He will give you.” There is no need to spell out what she is asking for.
The look in the Teacher’s eye is full of compassion, and also, Is that gratitude? For her expression of faith, it must be. Jesus then voices the truth that has kept her going. “Your brother is going to rise again, Martha.”
She knows it, has an unshakeable conviction that it’s true, but it is so wonderful to hear the reassurance from the Lord himself. Pulling her shoulders up straight, still watching her Lord’s face, she declares, “I know that he will rise in the great resurrection at the end.”
It’s clear in the Lord’s expression as he nods—this declaration of faith is what he was looking for, and it pleases him very much. In response, in a few sentences he summarizes his own role and the hope of resurrection which the Lord God has given to all who believe. Then he asks her point blank if she believes it. She replies, “Yes, Lord! I believe you are the Messiah! The Son of God! The one we’ve all been waiting for!”
The grief isn’t gone, for either of them, but they stand for a moment with their sorrow eased by their shared hope.
Then Jesus says, “Call Mary. I must see her too.” Martha nods and hurries back to the house. Nothing much has changed.
Martha leans down and whispers in Mary’s ear, “He’s here. He’s asking for you.”
Martha watches as conflicting emotions pass across her sister’s face. Mary hesitates, comes to a decision, then gets up and almost runs out, with Martha right behind her. Those there to comfort the sisters quickly follow, thinking they are going to the tomb. Martha hears surprise and speculation behind her as it becomes clear they’re headed down the road, not to the cemetery.
The surprise escalates into shock as they see and recognize Jesus, standing and patiently waiting. Just as Martha had done, Mary runs to him and falls at his feet. She says almost the identical words, the words the two of them had been saying to each other for four days. But in Mary’s voice there is more than a trace of bitterness. And then, she breaks into uncontrollable sobbing.
Those who had followed, seeing her grief and hearing her words, broke into fresh tears themselves. Even those not totally convinced about who Jesus is, recognize he did many miraculous healings—and they agree: Jesus could have healed Lazarus.
The emotion of the moment is evident even in the Teacher’s face. He is plainly very moved, and his own voice cracks as he asks, “Where have you laid him?”
The whole group heads to the cemetery, with Jesus and his disciples following the sisters. It isn’t far, and soon they’re standing at the tomb. Tears are streaming down the Teacher’s face as he gazes at the tomb, and takes in the sorrow of all those around him. The disciples are all in tears too. Lazarus had been a dear friend to them all.
Moving closer to the tomb, Jesus composes himself and shocks them all, saying, “Move back the stone.”
There’s a collective gasp, then stunned silence. Martha, fresh grief on her face, finally says, “No, Lord. Four days… the smell will be awful!”
The Lord turns to her and asks, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you’ll see God’s glory?” He hadn’t said it today, but she does remember—he’d certainly said it. And today he has said, “I am the resurrection and the life.” And she herself has said to him, “Even now…”
Trembling with sudden hopefulness, she turns to the group behind her, unable to speak, wringing her hands, she nods her head, keeps nodding, and gestures toward the tomb. A few of the men come forward, clearly skeptical and expecting the worst. To the astonishment of them all, there is no smell!
As this sinks in, all eyes turn toward Jesus, who turns his own eyes upward. Loudly, actually shouting, the Teacher prays, “Father! Thank you! I know you always hear me—please let these standing here know it, and believe that you sent me!”
In the same loud voice, Jesus then looks back to the tomb and shouts, “Lazarus! Come out!” Martha’s heart is pounding, her breath coming in gasps. She hears noise coming from the tomb! She looks at her sister, and they share their astonishment, their hope, their fear. Gripping one another’s hands, looking back at the tomb, they see the body of their brother, still in the wrappings they had put on him themselves. Arms and legs bound together, blindfolded by the head wrapping, he is worming his way out of the tomb!
The whole crowd is immobilized, jaws hanging open in their amazement. Quickly Jesus commands, “Help him out! Get the wrappings off!” Excited shouts of amazement erupt as many jump to do so, including Martha and Mary. The grave clothes are soon removed, and there is Lazarus. He is grinning, embracing his sisters. His eyes search out and locate the Lord’s. With his sisters unwilling to let go of him, they all take the few steps to where Jesus is standing, with a wide smile on his own face. Lazarus starts to kneel, but Jesus catches him and pulls him up into an embrace.
It is so amazing! Even though they knew the Lord had such power, to see it…
The crowd is delirious with joy, embracing one another, some literally jumping up and down, everyone talking at once.
Even some of the “official” mourners from the Council are caught up in it. One of them approaches Martha and over the din she hears him shout, “I wasn’t sure what to make of him, but now I’ve seen it! He’s the Anointed one!” The man moves off to say the same thing to someone else.
Clinging to their brother’s arms, the sisters and the raised man head to their home. As they go, Martha sees that not all of the officials are excited. Out on the fringes, there are a couple small groups whispering together. The joy she feels is undiminished, but added to it is a stab of pain, as she realizes these men will be carrying the news to a very hostile Council. Jesus has put himself at great risk coming here.