Why didn’t Jesus help Lazarus sooner?

We have been looking over the last few days at the story of Martha, Mary, Lazarus, and Jesus. We’ve looked at the shock of Jesus not turning up in time to help, and at his deep respect for boundaries.

So far, the focus has largely been on what’s happening for Martha and Mary, and for Lazarus before he died. But do we have any idea what had been happening for Jesus all this time? Well, there are some clues.

When they arrive at the tomb,¹ there is still a difference in expectations. Martha still does not expect Lazarus to be returned to them. It’s like people have renewed confidence that Jesus cares about their tragedy. But they still have a limit placed on his care. To commiserate and comfort is one thing. To do that and help as well? That’s different.

So when Jesus talks out loud to God before the tomb, we hear this really interesting prayer from him:

Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ²

What does he mean? What prayer? Nothing is recorded.

 

Jesus talked to his father about his dilemma

My best guess is that he talked to his father as soon as he got the news that Lazarus was ill.³ Why do I think that? Because of course he would! It’s so consistent with his character that we have seen in other stories. But also, we see his comments to his disciples, and that he tells the messengers,

This sickness will not end in death.⁴

How on earth does he know that?

The next clue is a bit of a spoiler. Although the people around him are unsure about Jesus’ motivation, the narrator tells us straight out that Jesus loved this family.⁵ I think we can imagine some tension for him, but we know he trusts his father implicitly. We know also that there was danger involved in them travelling back – Thomas bravely aligns their fate with Jesus, saying

Let’s go, and die with him.⁶

But Jesus makes this odd comment about “travelling in the light”:

Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the daytime will not stumble, for they see by this world’s light. It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, for they have no light.”⁷

What’s he talking about? Normally references to walking in the light carry a stronger sense of talking about sin & righteousness.⁸ But this time, that theme seems quite out of context.

 

So why didn’t Jesus help Lazarus sooner?

Here is my interpretation: Jesus cared. So did his father. And they talked about that. But in the tension between Lazarus’s intense need, the danger of death on the road, and Jesus’ love and empathy, he listened to his father’s advice about the timing. So that sense of walking “in the daytime” was about carefully walking in step with his father, in a tragic and perilous situation.

But hang on a minute: why didn’t Jesus just go through the danger and “trust God to look after him”? After all, his mission – his life mission – was important, and so were Lazarus and his family.

This is a really important passage in understanding and applying faith to dangerous situations. God did not just remove the danger, and I believe that is because of his deep respect for the boundaries of persons. Never in the Bible do we see God violating a person’s will, controlling them to do the right thing. We do see him applying the situational pressure of consequences: Pharaoh makes a great example. ⁹ But he does not take people over. By contrast, abusers do all they can to control and manipulate. Those tactics can be incredibly effective, and awareness of that can help us understand some of the many reasons why a person does not “just leave”.

There is no platitude we can take from this passage that God will just remove the danger. Instead what we see is careful action under pressure.

Why didn’t Jesus just go through the danger to reach Lazarus and “trust God to look after him”? After all, his mission – his life mission – was important, and so were Lazarus and his family. Share on X

 

Jesus adjusted his plans to avoid danger

The emphasis of scripture in response to dangerous people is that we need to have laws and boundaries and enforce them. We need to care for each other. We, the humans, need to take action, and do that cooperatively, corporately, where possible. It’s part of our calling. It’s part of what it means to be decent human beings.

There is important advice here for those who are in danger from abusive people. Whether the abuse is intentional or not. It is dangerous to presume God will keep the victim(s) safe. We need to take the danger seriously and act on it accordingly. There is a similarly instructive moment when Samuel is afraid of going up to anoint David, afraid that Saul would kill him. God did not promise to stop Saul from doing harm. Instead, he told Samuel to hide what he was really doing.¹⁰

So before we go further into what was happening for Jesus, let’s be present with this important moment. Jesus adjusted his plans, in conversation with God, under extreme pressure, and aware of the danger.  That wasn’t lack of faith. It was an expression of it.

Steve Wade

Before he went to help Lazarus, Jesus adjusted his plans, in conversation with God. He was under extreme pressure, and aware of the danger. That wasn’t lack of faith. It was an expression of it. Share on X

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1. John 11:38
2. John 11:41
3. John 11:3-4
4. John 11:4
5. John 11:5
6. John 11:16
7. John 11:9-10
8. I am especially reminded of 1 John 1:5-7
9. Exodus 3ff
10. 1 Samuel 16:1-3