A Very Unlikely Miracle Worker!

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My Dear Friend,

When Jesus arrived at Bethany, everyone was in a low condition. Very low!

Mary and Martha's relatives were in mourning. Their Jewish neighbors were grieved and puzzled. Martha was offended with Jesus. Even Mary was offended with Him, so much that she didn't rise to meet Him when He first arrived. And Lazarus, well, he was dead!

It was miracle time! And Jesus had the power to work one, if only He could find a willing, believing, brave human channel through whom He could work. His apostles were with Him, and He had already sent them on very successful preaching and healing campaigns. So, they were the natural choice.

We would have chosen one of Jesus' inner circle - Peter, James, or John - to do the job. Uniquely trained and privileged, they had experienced Jesus' glory on the mount of transfiguration. They had watched Him raise Jairus' daughter from death and revive the widow of Nain's son. They were present when He gave sight to a man born blind. Any one of these three uniquely called and gifted apostolic leaders would have been our first selection to go to Lazarus' tomb with Jesus, help raise him from four days of entombment, and return to Mary and Martha, and all their friends and relatives, with great joy. But Jesus didn't choose them.

Our next choice would have been one of the other nine apostles. They, too, had had extensive miracle-working experience when Jesus sent them, bearing His authority and power, to preach, heal, and deliver in His name. And they, too, had often watched in wonder as He worked every kind of deliverance and healing imaginable. Surely, they could revive Lazarus and restore joy to Bethany. But Jesus didn't choose them either.

We would have then turned to the "other seventy also" (Luke 10:1), since they, too, were specially chosen messengers of the Messiah, sent "two by two" before His face to every village where He would come - and work miracles! Jesus could have sent a runner to call them hastily to Bethany. But, no, He also passed over the seventy.

That narrows the field quite a bit, leaving us with two choices, Mary or Martha. One of these two female disciples and close friends of Jesus would this day become a wonder worker. But who would she be, we wonder? Well, there's little wonder whom we would choose.

Mary! She was so amazingly, utterly, sweetly committed to Jesus. When Jesus visited her home, she sat at His feet, drinking in His Words with insatiable fascination. She couldn't get enough of the Living Word's spoken Words that expounded His written Word! And in an extraordinary act of faith, she would later break her most prized possession, a very expensive alabaster box of precious spikenard, and anoint Jesus for His upcoming burial - while His apostles were still trying to ignore His repeated warnings that a cross, not a crown, lay immediately ahead. Such devotion! Such Bible study! Such sacrifice! Such faith! It's no wonder that all of us would have chosen Mary to be Christ's assistant wonder worker.

But there was one huge problem with this. On this day, Mary was uncharacteristically out of the Spirit, utterly disillusioned with Jesus over His uncharacteristic neglect of her brother's illness, which led to his shocking death. She was sitting in her house, deeply offended. Even the news that Jesus had arrived didn't shake her loose from her stubborn offense and unbelief. She just continued sitting there, rising only when Jesus asked specifically where she was. And even in His presence, she didn't snap out of it. Clearly, she was utterly unusable. This day Jesus would have to find another miracle worker. But . . .

Oh, no! Don't tell me. I don't believe it. I can't believe it! I won't believe it. Martha was Jesus' only remaining candidate. Her? Mary's less-spiritual, less-biblically-interested, overly-occupied-with-busywork sister? Who was inclined to criticize Mary? Who misjudged her spiritual hunger for sinful indolence? Whom Jesus rebuked? How could He choose Martha to be His channel for a miracle?

Believe it or not, reasonable or not, Martha was the one Jesus chose as His channel for the raising of her brother, Lazarus. But before He could work through her, He had to work in her - to turn her from the flesh to the spirit, and from unbelief to faith.

Ever the consummate Counselor, Jesus first listened patiently as Martha explained why she felt justified in being offended with Him: "Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died" (John 11:21). Or, "Lord, why didn't you come heal your close friend in a timely way, as you have done for so many others who were strangers? You could have prevented my brother's death, but You didn't! Why?" Before Martha could recover her faith, this confession of truth - her actual wrong thoughts and feelings - had to be confessed. Only the truth would set her free (John 8:32). So, Jesus patiently practiced the ministry of listening.

He then reached into her heart to stir and challenge her dormant faith by telling her Lazarus would rise again (John 11:23) - meaning that very day! Still dulled by unbelief, Martha didn't rise to His challenge. Instead she sank back into her comfortable state of deferred expectation, stating she believed her brother would rise "at the last day" (John 11:24). But Jesus wanted her to believe this day.

So, He kept working on her heart. He revealed Himself as the very incarnation of Life and Resurrection standing in front of her: "I AM the resurrection, and the life" (John 11:25). And He pointedly asked if she believed His claim! "Believest thou this?" (John 11:26). Again, Martha retreated, dutifully repeating her faith in Him, not as Life-Giver and Resurrector, but as Messiah (John 11:27). All the evidence declared there would be no miracle this day. But Jesus was undeterred.

As He walked the short distance to Lazarus' tomb, He knew it was crunch time. Miracle or bust time. Faith or failure time. One or the other would follow shortly. When Jesus ordered the tomb's stone door rolled away, Martha refused, exclaiming Lazarus' body was in an odious state of decay. Then Jesus issued His final challenge.

"Said I not unto thee [just minutes ago] that, if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?" (John 11:40). Finally, Martha surrendered and put her trust in Him to do as He said. Having believed in Him for three years, she chose to believe Him once more - to supernaturally revive her dead brother's decaying body. Not at the last day, but this day! So, she authorized the stone's removal and "He that was dead came forth" (John 11:44).

Therefore, that day two very unlikely things happened. First, Lazarus' corrupting corpse revived. Second, this miracle happened through the most unlikely human channel. Not the Apostles, the seventy, or Mary, but Martha! The barely spiritual one. The often carnally minded one. The one we would all vote least likely to become a miracle worker. But there's more here.

Since the raising of Lazarus from four days of entombment was Jesus greatest miracle, we conclude Jesus greatest miracle was enabled by one of His least likely followers. Let's apply this lesson.

Martha symbolizes millions of Christians least likely to be chosen as a channel of Jesus' compassionate miracles, ministries, or blessings. Someone like me, or you. Your family may consider you a "least likely" Christian - and say so! Those in your church may agree. And your friends may also agree.

The devil may also rate you as "spiritually inadequate." He may bring many reasons to your mind why Christ could not do anything wonderful - a ministry, a mission, a church, a healing, a conversion, or another mighty work - through you. You have failed before. You have sinned before. You are not a Bible scholar. You are not a gifted teacher. You are not an eloquent preacher. You are not a worship leader. You are unknown, undistinguished, not well educated. You hold no office. You are not even an elder or deacon. You are just a congregant, a nobody, a "Martha."

You may agree with these discouraging assessments. Your view of your spiritual capacity may even be lower. But now, something has changed. New evidence for faith has been presented from John 11. Standing before your mind's eye is Martha's triumphant experience. Her choice to allow Lazarus's tomb door to be moved was pivotal. It opened the way for Christ's greatest miracle.

If Jesus used Martha to bring about His greatest wonder, I wonder what wonder He may work through you? If you will just believe Him. And respond to His challenge in this message. And remove the "tomb door" of unbelief from your heart! That stony cold barrier that stands between you and the miraculous divine aid you may desperately need at this moment, for yourself or a loved one. But don't overreact!

Don't try to be an apostle, or one of the seventy, or even Mary. Just be Martha - Christ's most unlikely miracle worker. Obey Him. Pray. And believe. Then watch in wonder for the extraordinary wonder He creates through your ordinary faith - a miracle, a deliverance, a healing, the return of a prodigal son or daughter, a new ministry, missions, a flourishing gift of the Spirit, a church plant, or another wonder!

Calling very unlikely ones,

GregSig2