Come and See Lord

Come and See Lord

Sometimes we don’t realize just how kind Jesus is. I had sensed the Lord challenging me to invite him into my pain instead of putting on my fake religious smile around him. Martha had a similar smile when Lazarus died. Sure, she could matter-of-factly say she was disappointed but there was no way would she allow Jesus to see that she didn’t actually have all the right answers. Why would someone do that when they could sound spiritual with perfect theology?  That’s certainly what I preferred too. “If I let him see that deeply sorrowful place,” I thought to myself, “he’ll think that I don’t trust him.” How wrong I was. The moment of inevitable unraveling came and I found myself unabashedly pouring out my sorrowful heart to him. He rushed in faster than I could imagine. In his kindness he showed me that he was weeping with me. How deeply humbling it was to realize that the Lord who knows how he will redeem everything still hurts with me in the process. When Mary poured her raw heart out concerning Lazarus Jesus didn’t ask her what her resurrection theology was. He asked her “Where have you laid him?” In other words, “show me all of it.” It was after her response of “Come and see Lord” that Jesus wept and entered her pain. The resurrection of Lazarus didn’t occur after good theology was discussed. It came after communion through tears. Our sovereign, omniscient Lord’s heart was moved by the “Come and see” invitation. Show him what he already knows. He wants to see it.

And where else can we see Jesus pour out extravagant kindness? Another person who showed desperate vulnerability was John the Baptist. He basically knew from the womb that the purpose of his whole life was to announce Jesus as savior of the world. Yet what question does he send to Jesus through messengers as he sat in a dark prison? “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?” (Matthew 11:3) Would you expect Jesus to honor you when you are clearly in the middle of a faith crisis? When you are questioning the entire basis of the God-given purpose of your life? Yet, that is exactly the moment when Jesus chose to honor John as the greatest prophet before a crowd of people. 

Be encouraged. We serve a king who enters our sorrow and honors the faithful even in a faith crisis. 

Love you!

-Mary