Estimated reading time: 6 minute(s)

Did you ever ask God for something and not get it? You really felt like your motives was pure, your heart was in tune with God’s heart. To your knowledge, there was not any sin in your life that was blocking God from giving you what you were asking for.

But still, your prayers are “unanswered”.

Now, we know that God does not ignore our prayers. Jesus said we should ask and we will receive, knock and the door will be opened. James said if we lack wisdom, ask for it. There are several times we are reminded that God is listening, and that he loves us and wants to hear our hearts expressed in conversation with him. We know that he listens, but still the prayers seem to go unanswered. There is no clear “yes” or “no”. Just apparent silence. Indifference to our request.

But sometimes, after some period of time, we are able to see why there was no response. We may understand in retrospect that the timing of our request was not in line with something far greater than what we had first asked in the first place. God’s knowledge of what is ahead is far superior to ours, and though actually trusting that is often difficult, he still is merciful to us by not granting us our short sighted requests.

I was trying to imagine the flow of all of these sorts of thoughts through the mind of a man who was very close to Jesus as he lived here. His name was Lazarus. He is most famous for not staying dead.

See, I imagine Lazarus had spent much time talking with God about his own future. Trying to understand how all of the recent events had unfolded in his life. Everything had been going so well… with friends and family, his business, God had probably blessed him in many ways that Lazarus, knew and thanked Him for everyday. But when the illness set in, and when it wouldn’t leave… He probably asked God at first confidently to heal his body, and allow him to continue serving him with his sisters here in this life. He may have struggled with that a bit, but Jesus told him to address God as Father, and spoke of such a closeness with the Creator as they had never thought possible. So, Lazarus prayed, and trusted.

But as the days passed, and the illness grew worse, he began to wonder. Did he do something wrong? Why was God not answering? His sisters were praying as well. They had sent for Jesus, but God would not even answer that prayer. Surely if they could just get through to Jesus, he could fix all of this.

Surely.

But there was no answer. And Lazarus breathed his last before he heard any answer (at least any answer he was likely seeking).

What happens when God just doesn’t answer? Does it mean he doesn’t care? Did Lazarus ask those questions? In his last moments, was there peace? Or, was there a very nagging doubt, perhaps even a guilt-driven questioning of his own role in any of this suffering. Did he do something to anger God? Or Jesus? Why did he not come?

We have no record of where Lazarus was for the four days John says he was dead. His body was right there in Bethany. We do not know if he was with God in paradise (like Jesus said to the man on the cross next to him) or perhaps with Abraham and the others prior to the completion of God’s work on the cross? All speculation, and not particularly important at the moment.

What intrigues me is, what did he think when he opened his eyes? What were the first thoughts to cross his mind?

You know when you have some really good sleep and you rouse just enough to know you’re not sleeping anymore, but you’re not too sure where you are. (Perhaps this happens more to us since we are often awaking in an environment foreign to us…) 🙂 It takes a moment, but you finally get your bearings and start coming back into reality. It might be a minute or two more if you were having a very intense dream. Perhaps Lazarus was experiencing something like this times a thousand. Or times a hundred thousand!

Just imagine! He was dead. Dead. Not alive. Cold. Stiff. Lifeless. Then he wasn’t. Ha! That’s nuts. What goes through your mind when you start breathing again after 4 days???

Did he remember the prayers? Were his first coherent thoughts focused on the incredibly power and mercy of his Father? Did he realize that God had indeed answered his prayers? Did he remember thinking that God had not heard him? Did he perhaps recall, as though the last echoes of a powerful dream, the voice of Jesus – the one whom they had longed to reach – calling out his name? “Was it just a dream?” he wonders. “Where am I?”

Taking the incredible first steps out of his own grave must have been a completely bewildering experience. And then to see Jesus there waiting for him. Wow.

I can only imagine.

I sang that song tonight. Will sing it again tomorrow. I have not seen Jesus in person. Lazarus had, but I am sure he was not planning on seeing him again, at least not for a long time. But there he was. Not sure how long it felt like to Lazarus, but I am pretty sure it was sooner than he anticipated, and so, so welcome. So astonishing. So God. Only a loving and merciful God.

He probably noticed the tear streaks on Jesus face. There were probably still tears pooling in the corners of his eyes as a wide grin formed on his weathered face.

His friend had come back. God had answered his prayers. Not how he had expected… I imagine Lazarus was not saying, “Hey God!!! I have a great idea!!! Why don’t you let me die from this sickness, and let’s say I stay dead for three, no… FOUR days! Yeah! FOUR days. Dude. That means I would be REALLY dead. THEN, when Jesus finally gets here, you can show everyone how cool he is, that he IS the resurrection and the Life. My short time of suffering would bring such amazing glory to you – people would see just how merciful, loving and awesome you really are! Isn’t that a great idea, God?!??!?”

I don’t think that’s how it went. 🙂

But I think Laz may have had a different perspective after getting up from that “set back”. I think he may have understood God’s ways a tad more than before after seeing what seemed to be indifference to his requests turn out to be so much greater than he could have possibly dreamed.

Every day was precious. Every moment was something God was using to reveal himself to people around Lazarus. How might any current suffering be used by his Father to show people his greatness again? Perhaps next time he would be dead for FIVE days!! I can almost see the smile on Laz’s face as he tried to out-do God’s plans.

Life looks different from the other side of the grave. It has to. Laz had an amazing chance most of us will never get. Not only to live his life again, but really to see a prayer answered WAY outside of the scope he could have possibly imagined.

God does not see things the way we do. It involved death and four days of dead to get to the place where Lazarus could see that. Where is he ignoring you? Perhaps the story of Jesus’ friend Laz can give you some hope. Perhaps things are not as bad as they seem. Perhaps like Laz, you just need a different perspective.