Modern Parables-Say Something

Say Something

Hello again! So glad to have you all back here, it's been an amazing week, and I can't be more excited to share this with you guys. It is the final installment of the series, so next week we'll be back to normal. I heard our song for this week come on the radio though and instantly knew God had an awesome intention for this post.

So, as I post a link to the song, (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVgixOjGhVU) I want you to ask yourself this question while you listen: Why do you have a reason to doubt?

There are many things in life that we come across that can shake our decision making processes. Whether it is an awkward moment, a fear of failure, or even disappointment to meet a desire we have all doubted something could/would happen before. The Bible shows us an example of someone who had a few doubts of their own...let's turn to John 11. (http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2011%20&version=NKJV) The passage we are looking at is 44 verses long, so please follow the link if you are currently unable to reach a bible.

There are two characters we want to look at in this passage to truly understand the meaning:

• Martha
• Mary

Martha, a sister to the man Lazarus who has died in this passage. A personal friend of Jesus, a mourning sister, a worker, and most importantly a believer in Christ. When we look at this passage we see Jesus arriving at the grave site of Lazarus, and Martha greets Him. She tells Him that had Jesus been there, her brother would not have died. When Jesus answers her saying her brother will rise again, she responds with even more knowledge of Jesus's teaching. He tells her a truth about Himself and she SAYS that she believes. 

Is this you? You believe in Jesus, you have seen Him perform miracles and yet you don't see why He hasn't solved this problem? Martha knew but did not truly believe. Our song opens with "Say something, I'm giving up on you. I'll be the one if you want me to, anywhere I would have followed you." Martha knew that Jesus could have done something, and so she feels the need to question Him here on WHY He didn't come in time to save Lazarus. She is giving up on His ability to save...

BUT WHAT ABOUT MARY?? She brings hope to us right? She too comes running and throws herself at the feet of Jesus, telling Him how she wishes He had come sooner for she knows that Jesus could have saved her brother. How does Jesus respond to this act of desperation? He sees her compassion, her pain, her belief, and He weeps. He asks Mary to take Him to the body. She had no expectations. You see when Martha shows up, she says that, "But even I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Mary is not concerned with this, in her pain all she wants is the comfort that Jesus brings. 

"And I will swallow my pride. You're the one that I love, and I'm saying goodbye." The song clues us into this image of someone who is walking away. Someone who has lost all hope, THE WRITER HAS GIVEN UP ON LOVE. And yet we have to ask....have we given up on love? Are we giving up on a Savior who loved us to the point of death?

Sometimes we look to God to make Himself real to us. We just need Him to say something....anything. In the silence though we wonder if He is there. We decide like Martha in the story to give him one last chance, we roll away the stone and look into the darkness of the tomb, into the darkness of our pain, into the darkness of our doubt.....and we wait. Then Jesus, calls into the darkness with a voice of compassion, because it literally pains Him to see His loved ones, YOU, hurt.

So why are you doubting Jesus right now? What are you expecting? Are you wondering why Jesus didn't show up, why He let this pain go on? Are you thinking that Lazarus will come walking out of the tomb? I think there is one thing that this passage and this song teach us, so if you hear nothing else hear this:

• Sadly we all live in a broken and sinful world, in broken and sinful bodies, with broken and sinful expectations at times. When God shows up, and how God shows up, will ALWAYS shatter all expectations. Say something, so what could happen if we stop restricting what that something could be?

Thank you for reading and God bless.

-rcrawford

*If you'd like to follow to see when posts come out regularly, the right side of the page has my contact info as well as a space to fill in an email address for email updates!