Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-13

Death had filled the Bethany home,
where Jesus loved to be. with dark
ness and despair. Lazarus, whom
some think was the rich young ruler
who came to Jesus and went away
when called upon to sell
his possessions and give the proceeds
to the poor, had slipped away from
the inner circle of the friends of
Jesus. Christ's love for him and his
sisters was real. They had opened
Of His need. The Master found In
the closing hours of His ministry the
home atmosphere of love and sympa-
thy that He needed when fighting His
battles with His foes.
A special messenger had been sent
to Jesus beyond the Jordan. where,
Luke tells US. He was achieving sue
cess in His Perean ministry of heal
ing and preaching, saying, Master,
your friend Is Ill" Mary and Martha
did not request Him to return, be
that He would face, but. they evil
IDENTIFY expected that He would an
swer their unexpressed agonizing APP
peal. They knew that Christs heart
would be touched by the knowledge
OF Lazarus serious condition, which
threatened to turn, as II did, their
Bethany home into a house of sor-
row. He delayed His return for two
days, although they did not know II.
They probably were surprised that
He had not reached them sooner, but
their faith in Him was not dimmed
because He had not arrived in time
to prevent their entering the valley
of the shadow of death.
TASft9 dfd Of o<
ger to hinder Him from answering
the call of duty and affection He
knew that the family, whom He
loved, had been called upon to suffer
and endure the sorrows Of death so
that the faith Of others could be de-
veloped and God glorihed. Trials are
not sign that Our Father in heaven
does not love US. They may be an
evidence that He does care. Back of
every trying experience God has a
purpose that we do not always un-
derstand. Whenever we are called
upon to bear heavy burdens we
should wait upon the Lord. who will
draw near to US and help US as He
aids us work out in our hour of trou-
BILE that which will be for our good,
human welfare and Gods glory. Our
Savior never forgets our needs. He
never fails to respond at the crucial
hour to give US help and assistance.
just as He did when He determined to
draw near to His sorrowing friends
in Bethany. He refused to allow His
Disciples to change His decision by
their insistence upon the peril He
faced. Danger could not keep Him
from doing His duty. His determine
tion moved Thomas to suggest that
they return to die with Him.
Jesua Reveals His Sympathy.
Jesus had turned His face toward
Bethany with confidence in His
power to raise Lazarus from the
grave. HIS delay would serve to
make the browning miracle Of His
ministry beyond question. Upon two
former occasions He had demon
strated His mastery over death. The
young daughter of Jairus. who evil
IDENTIFY had just died, was revived by
the words of the Lord spoken in the
upper room. The Masters touch had
restored the widows son, who was
being carried to the grave. Lazarus
was buried four days when Christ ar
rived at Bethany.
Jesus did not desire to share with
the friends the days Of lamentations,
that lasted for seven days, following
the three days of weeping. Both sis
ters revealed their conviction that If
He had been present Lazarus would
not have died. There is no record of
death ever occurring in His presence
until He: willing endured 1t upon the
cross to save the world. There was
not any evidence of complaint be-
cause He had not arrived in time to
prevent their sorrow. In 'Martha's
conversation we can see how Jesus
comforted her by His revelation of
Himself as the Resurrection and the
Life. There was no comfort in the
hope of a future life, but there was
great comfort in the Masters indenti-
fication- of Himself with the hope of
eternal life. Martha's confession Of
her faith in Jesus deserves to rank
with the one made by Peter when
He confessed Him as the Christ. Our
only hope concerning the reality of
the future life is in the Lord Jesus
as the Resurrection and the Life.
1t was not until the Master saw the
spiritually-minded Mary weeping and
unable. to express In her great grief
her feelings that Jesus revealed the
depths of His heartfelt sympathy. His
profound indignation, caused by the
Masters antagonism to death, as the
work of Satan and the fruit of sin,
compelled the Lord to make heroic
effort at self-controL. His body shook.
Jesus wept." The Masters tears
have brought comfort to many SOILS,
when they, like the sisters of Beth
any. have been called upon. to stand
with their friends around a new-made
grave, because His tears have taught
the world that He sympathizes with
us in all of our trials. His tears at
Christ as the Resurrection. and the
fA rs