Home Voices The Exchange Three Questions Suffering People Ask Jesus and Three Responses Jesus Gives

Three Questions Suffering People Ask Jesus and Three Responses Jesus Gives

In John 11, we see two sisters who unexpectedly lost their brother. Their brother fell ill, and within a period of days it became a deadly illness. In this story, I believe we see a framework of three questions all human beings want to ask God in the midst of their pain and suffering and then three answers Christ gives us in the midst of our pain and suffering. 

Question 1: I’m in Need, Can You Help?

In the moment of Mary and Martha’s pain and suffering, as they watched their young brother struggle with this illness, they sent word to Jesus saying, “The one whom you love is sick.” They had nowhere else to turn. What they were doing wasn’t working. Rather than getting better, every day he was getting worse. So, they decided there was only one other person that could help, Jesus. 

Interestingly, Jesus receives the word but doesn’t drop what he is doing to go and tend to Lazarus. Instead he utters, “This sickness will not end in death but is for the glory of God…,” and stays two more days in the place where he was. In short, Jesus’ response to Mary and Martha’s question, “Can You Help,” was “I will help in my own timing, in my own way, and purposefully for the glory of God.” 

I know what you’re thinking, how rude and cruel. Jesus can help, but he chooses when he helps and how he helps. My wife has uttered a phrase for as long as we’ve been married, “A crisis on your part, doesn’t mean a crisis on my part.” In other words, even though I might think something warrants urgent attention, doesn’t mean she thinks it warrants urgent attention. 

You see, we have a problem with what Jesus did with Mary and Martha’s request because we believe Jesus should give us his full undivided attention and do what we say, when we say it. In other words, in moments of pain and suffering we want Jesus to be our genie in a bottle.

Again, I get it. In moments of intense pain and suffering, I want it to be alleviated. And if God is supposed to be all-powerful and all-good, then shouldn’t he stop what he is doing and come to my rescue? But, the truth is that Jesus isn’t our genie in a bottle, but the King of Glory. He acts when he wants and how he wants. 

This reality causes some myths that need to be busted. 

First, just because God doesn’t show up when we want or how we want, doesn’t mean he isn’t listening. Jesus heard the request from Mary and Martha. He hears your request as well. 

Second, experiencing pain and suffering doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you. He very much loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus; and he very much loves you! 

Third, just because we experience pain and suffering doesn’t mean God isn’t in control. He was in control of Lazarus’ situation—yet he allowed the illness to take his life. The same is true with us today—even though God allows our paths to enter the valley(s) of the shadow of death. 

Fourth, experiencing pain and suffering doesn’t negate God’s goodness. As the adage goes, God is good all the time, all the time God is good. The tension of a fallen world and a good God can exist. 

Jesus is, according to Scripture, the King of Glory. Everything that he does and allows to happen revolves around his glory. Therefore, even our pain and suffering can be used to expose his glory.