Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-09
Jesus Raises Lazarus
F rom the Dead
Sermon b,
REV. FLOYD w. TOMKINs.
St John H 17-H.

dead. as recorded by tho Gospel writ
ers Tho nrst was a little girl. tho
daughter OF Jarius. a synagogue rulor.
Tho second was the son Of the widow
Of Main. young man. And the third
vas Lazarus, tho brother OF Mary and
Martha OF Bethany. a man in the
primo OF life. Jairus's. daughter had
Just died when our Lord brought her
back 70 life. The widows son was
being carried to his burial. and Lazarus
had been dead four days. All these
facts are interesting as showing tho
universal application OF our Lords
power. and also az suggesting the truth
Of . resurrection through Christ to
now Life OF those who have Just begun
TO sin, Of those who are accustomed to
SIN and of those who arc bound by sin.
All need Christ. and He is ready to
heip all.
Tho story OF Lazarus's resurrection is
familiar to ue all. and we love 1t. It
70 all 30 like our own experiences, In
tho sorrow OF tho sisters. in the SYM
pathy OF friends and in the consolIng
message OF the Master. who still says
to tho mourners: Il am the resurrec-
ton and the life" He does not indeed
bring our dear ones back to life again
Just now. but He assures US that He
Will do so when the time comes and
in that assurance we rest content. for
we know their souls are in HIS keep
ing.
THE BETHANY HOME
DEAR TO THE dASTER
Tho Bethany home seems TO have
,een very dear to the Master. and we
IRE told that He loved all thr,e Of tho
inmates. Probably they welcomed Him
Ind trusted Him, loved Him. and gladly
nocived Him when He came TO them.
So Ho loves all who open their hearts
b Him and welcome. with faith, His
oming and minister to Him in min
itering to His children. But II per-
pexes some that He delayed journey
iiE to Bethany when He heard OF
I2zarus's illness. II He loved him and
his sisters. why did He not hasten to
item In their sorrow and comfort
thm? We can only answer-and 1t Is
a sufficient answer-that He had q
geater blessing which He was DESTROYS
to bestow. Phillips Brooks has a
Curious sermon on this. entitled The
G,eater and Lesser Miracle" showing
how God will not give little blessing
wien He has a greater blessing in
store for ua. II He seems to delay an
answer to your prayers. my friend. 1t
Is only that He may send you finer
and moro glorious answer when He
see, you arc ready to receive It. lou
can trust His love and wisdom abso-
lutsfy,
His disciples did not understand His
actions 1t seemed strange to them
that He did not go at once to Mary and
Martha In their trouble. So the world
often questions Gods dealings with His
people IF He Is able TO drive away
evil. why does He not do SO at once?
Why let the people who believe in Him
and worship Him suffer 50 many trials
and temptations when He could re-
lieve them at once? Why does He not
make the world perfect at a word and
Danish forever wickedness and WARP"
1t Is easy to ask such questions. and
the true ChristiIn has no difficulty In
answering them. He knows that God
knows best. He knows. too. that this
life Is education: that God is htting us
for g. greater life and that the troubles
Of earth rightly met have a share in
our being made perfect. Tennyson has
some glorious lines which often help
me:
Life Is not IS Idle ore.
But iron dug from central gloom.
And heated hot with burning fears.
And dtpt In baths OF kissing tears.
And battered with the shocks Of doom
TO shape and use.
We would miss all this II we were
suddenly lifted to heaven without be-
ing lifted for It
KNOWS OUR SORROWS AND
When Christ came to Bethany He
found the poor sisters full OF grief.
and He wept with them. No one verse
in all the Bible has given SO much
comfort in aorrow as this. the shortest
verse in the Scriptures-"Jesus wept."
He knows and feels for our sorrows
and He takes them as His own. Nor
has this divine sympathy ceased
through all the ages When you are
When you are broken hearted at the
grave where your friend lies. the Mas
ter is there by your side sharing your
grief. 'Sureiy He hath borne our
srisfs and carried our sorrows." Never
think that you are left alone. Your
tears are precious to Him because He
loves you. He treasures them and
makes them His own. And then He
speaks to you the Same words that He
words which have turned life from
darkness to light, which have given
new inspiration to human struggle and
caused the mourner to look up and see
the heavens lit with celestial glory.
We will never know until we know
all things in heaven how greatly these
words OF Jesus have changed the
world. They have given hope: they
have made the weak strong: they have
sent the missionary singing TO preach
the Gospel to the heather: they have
made the worker in the slums see
vision Of a new earth and a new hui
mainly; they have made men rise UP
and battle for right which they
knew. must finally come. II am tho
resurrection and the life" AS we say
tho words reverently we know that
death and sin are conquered and that
tho Good News" will finally save tho
world.
Notice how our Lord prayed before
He spoke tho words which brought
Lazarus from the tomb. Could any
scene be more beautiful than this OF
Jesus Christ. the Lord Of Glory. stand
ing before tho open tomb whers tho
body Of Lazarus lay. and lifting up
HIS eyes and saying. Father. thank
Thee that Thou Inst heard Me-" Tho