But even now...

I can't imagine how Martha and Mary must have felt. Their brother, Lazarus, had gotten sick and they sent for Jesus... but it was too late. Lazarus died... and four long days of mourning passed before Jesus finally arrived. What had taken Him so long? He had so much compassion for total strangers, healing them... why wouldn't He drop everything and come running to help His dear friends in their time of need?

Martha & Mary must have talked about it many times in the days since Lazarus' death. "If only Jesus had been here..." Both sisters say the same thing when they finally see Jesus (vs 21 & 32).

But it is Martha, so often put down for being the task-oriented / non-worshipful sister, who makes the amazing statement of faith in this story:

"But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." (John 11:22 NLT)

Martha is hurting. She's been through a lot. She doesn't know what Jesus is planning to do. Yet, her faith is still solid! I can identify a lot with Martha's personality -- someone who loves to serve, but sometimes misses out on special moments with God because of the distractions of being task-oriented. I've often thought that I needed to become more like Mary... but perhaps being a Martha has some redeeming qualities after all :)