Nursing Duty

John 11:1–44

“Martha, I’m so tired. We’ve been taking care of Lazarus for weeks. Is he ever going to get better?” Mary asked.

“I don’t know,” Martha replied. “But he’s our brother. We have to take care of him.”

The sisters took good care of Lazarus, but he kept getting worse. They didn’t know what else to do.

One day someone mentioned that Jesus was staying nearby. Mary and Martha sent a message, asking Jesus to come right away.

“We sent the message to Jesus days ago,” Mary said. “Why hasn’t he come?” Martha didn’t have an answer. Meanwhile Lazarus continued to get worse, and finally he died.

I don’t understand. Jesus is our friend. Why didn’t he come? Mary wondered.

Sadness and confusion flooded Mary’s heart a few days later when Jesus arrived.

“Lazarus is dead and buried. What good can you do now? Jesus, if you had come earlier, Lazarus wouldn’t have died,” Mary said.

“Where is Lazarus buried?” Jesus asked. The sisters led him to the tomb. Then Jesus called out, “Open the tomb!”

“No! Lazarus has been dead for four days,” Martha warned.

But Jesus said, “Lazarus, come out!”

“Mary, look,” Martha said. Lazarus was standing in the tomb door—alive and well.

Becoming a Man of God

A man of God is honest with God.

Mary told Jesus exactly how disappointed she was that he hadn’t come to help Lazarus. She knew that it was okay to be honest with him.

God made us with feelings, and he knows that we’re sometimes disappointed. We can tell him how we feel.

A Verse to Remember

Examine me, O God, and know my mind.

Test me, and know my thoughts.

Psalm 139:23