Logic vs. Emotion

John 11 contains the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead.

Martha and Mary were at home with their brother when he fell sick. Everyone gets sick but Lazarus day by day kept getting sicker. Jesus had been in the home of Martha and Mary at least once and probably several times because he had developed a relationship with them. The scriptures said… he loved them.

Martha and Mary knew how busy Jesus was but they feared for their brother’s life and sent the message to Jesus… “Lord the one you love is sick.” A simple, understated message that hardly revealed the hidden emotions behind it… unless you were Jesus.

Even though Jesus loved this family he waited two days to do anything about it. Imagine sitting at your brother’s bed side as his health waned and viewing the agonal breathing that precedes death and wondering why the one who could heal him hasn’t come? I mean… you loved Jesus and thought he loved you and yet at the hour of your greatest need Jesus doesn’t show up.

Your brother dies, you bury him and all the friends come to comfort you in your great sorrow… but Jesus isn’t there.

Finally the two sisters get word that Jesus is coming. Martha hears first and goes to meet Jesus on the road and says… “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died” They have a brief conversation about the after-life and in spite of all the emotions and disappointment Martha says… “I know that you are the Christ the Son of God who was to come into the world.”

Amazing! In spite of Jesus’ failure to help her brother she still believes.

Then comes Mary. She hears that Jesus is on the road and comes quickly. Maybe she even ran. Unlike Martha when she sees Jesus she drops to her knees and through her tears states the same thing that Martha had… “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died.”

Jesus sees her tears and is overwhelmed with emotion and cries himself.

Notice the difference in the two sisters and Jesus’ response. Martha controlled her emotions and Jesus told her in a logical way the things she needed to hear.

Mary expressed her emotions and Jesus also gave her the thing that she needed the most… his emotions.

Jesus gave Martha the thing she needed to hear and gave Mary the thing she needed to see.

Of course we know how the story ends. Jesus gave both sisters the thing they most wanted… their brother.

Just like Martha and Mary we are all built a little different. One personality is not better or worse than the other personality.

We are all going to lose someone we cherish the most in the world. We may pray to God and their health may be restored or we may lose that cherished person.

Remember Martha and Mary and don’t ever lose your faith. Whether you have your loved one returned to you on earth or whether you see them in Heaven one day… God is in control and is the only one who can help you.

I like reading the logical things recorded in the scriptures but I also like knowing that Jesus understands my emotions and can even read my heart when emotions overcome my logic and understanding fails me.