The One You Love Is Sick: Trusting Jesus in Times of Suffering

On the road to resurrection, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead–a costly decision that prefigures Jesus' own path to the cross. But even though we know the end of the story, we cannot skip the hard parts. Before the miracle comes the praying, the suffering, the uncertainty, the longing, the grief. Jesus enters our human experience to redeem these parts of our stories, too. In response to the great and costly love God demonstrates in the narrative of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, the church today can have full confidence in God's power to save and desire to make himself known in our trials. That's why we can send for Jesus in our suffering, trust God's character when he feels far away, and have courage to choose compassion over comfort as we enter the suffering of others.