Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

Read John 11:1-45

Looking at one piece of a thousand-piece puzzle will hardly give us a clue about its potential; it is part of a much bigger picture. Thankfully, most puzzles have the picture printed on the box!

I imagine Mary and Martha did not have the full picture of what Jesus was doing either. The sisters could only see a small part of a much bigger story: their brother was dead. They must have thought that if Jesus truly loved them, He would have come right away. Why didn't Jesus come to help them?

Isn't this often what we think when God doesn't seem to come through for us in our trials and suffering? We wonder, "Where is God? Does He see my situation? Does God love me? Why doesn't He help me?" We may even conclude that He does not care about us.

The story of Lazarus reminds us that God has a bigger picture in mind. He is working out a plan that includes the whole world. Yet we also see that Jesus wept. He wept because He understood the sisters' pain. He loved them and knew they were hurting.

Even so, Jesus wanted them to understand that there was an important reason He had not come to heal Lazarus before he died. He had a greater plan. His way of doing things would bring glory to God and reveal who He was: the Giver of life, the promised Messiah, and the Savior who would rise from the dead to defeat our greatest enemy and overcome eternal death.

Through this experience, the sisters learned that even the death of their brother worked together for good because they loved God (Romans 8:28).

God is also putting the pieces of our lives together in a way that brings Him glory and, ultimately, works for our good. When Jesus taught the Beatitudes, He said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Our comfort in the midst of trials is found in trusting that God is in control and that His plans are better than our own. In fact, our sorrow can drive us to seek God's help and remind us that our lives here on earth are temporary. Our true home is in Heaven.

The comfort Jesus promises is experienced in part here and now, but one day it will be complete when we see Him face to face. The Bible says that on that day God "will wipe away every tear from their eyes," and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain (Revelation 21:4).

Prayer
"Dear Jesus, help us trust You with all the pieces of our lives, the good, the sad, and the difficult days. Help us remember that You love us and are working all things together for our good and Your glory. Thank You for promising to comfort us when we mourn. Amen."

Copyright 2022 S.A. Keith
SundaySchoolNetwork.com

Puzzle picture by Darrell Bush 
@Buffalogames.com


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