Though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
John 11:5-6
When we read the whole story of Lazarus and his bodily resurrection by Jesus we are struck by the interpretation or "spin" that the Evangelist gives to the facts of the events. John clearly views this as a prime example of Jesus, the Almighty Son of God, defying the physical reality of death and demonstrating His Power to all present. But "what if..."
What if the fully human Jesus received word of Lazarus' illness, prayed and trusted His Father in heaven to grant His prayer, and then calmly returned to His Father's work for two days longer. What if arriving in Bethany and finding Lazarus in the tomb for four days, the fully human Jesus was sincerely afflicted at the loss of His friend. Here the scripture says, "Jesus wept." What if having accepted the Will of His Father, Jesus prayed again and the Father brought Lazarus out of the tomb at last.
When we pray to God our prayers are certainly heard. Sometimes the answer is "yes", sometimes "no", and sometimes "not yet." That's why we must pray "without ceasing" with our final petition, "Thy Will be done. Amen"
Michael Ryan
