When God's Love Doesn't Make Sense

John 11:3-6, NIV

So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days,

Jesus loved them, so he stayed where he was—and Lazarus died.

What do we do when we believe in God’s love for us, but his inaction seems to contradict that love?

What do we do when it seems like God doesn’t feel the same urgency we feel? 

What do we do when we know he can, but he doesn’t?

We hold fast to the promise wrapped up in that little “so.” 

That little “so” means the clause which follows is a direct result of the clause which precedes it. This means the passage could read, “When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days because he loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” 

The inaction of Jesus in that moment was the direct result of his love for them.

And the same is true for us. Even when it doesn’t make sense.

Jesus allowed the pain (and wept with them!) because he had the promise of hope waiting on the other side. He allowed the disappointment because he had more to show them about who he was. He allowed the death because he had resurrection waiting on the other side. 

And that resurrection did exactly what Jesus said it would do—it brought glory to God so that Jesus was glorified through it. 

And, it was the catalytic event which led Jesus to the cross.

Jesus allowed the death of one man in order to bring the resurrection to many.

God is writing our story in the midst of his own (Psalm 139:16), and therefore we won’t always understand what he’s writing. But, we can know that everything he does (and doesn’t do) is out of love and that, no matter what, we can trust that love. We can know that hope is waiting for us on the other side, even when it doesn’t make sense. 

Oh Lord, thank you for the promise wrapped up in that little ‘so,’ and help us to trust your love always. Amen.