There is one in every crowd, isn’t there? A tattletale, a trouble maker, someone that just isn’t a fan. Jesus knew that raising Lazarus from the dead would cause a stir, not to mention be dangerous. It was worth it. God was glorified. People believed in him. Bethany was close to Jerusalem, too, and there were people there who were devoted to their religious leaders. These were probably the curious ones who wanted to see what Jesus was doing. They would be afraid to believe and anxious to report the unbelievable.
The religious leaders were not only a bit intimidated by Jesus. They felt like their own authority would be in question. Today, we see it goes even deeper as they feared the Roman army and destruction to all they knew and loved. When we let our fears rule, we can see all sorts of scenarios. The evil one will take advantage of our weakness and exploit it for his own agenda!
Jesus did take heed and stepped out of the public eye. We should heed is example. When the going gets rough or we feel like our adversary is lurking, we need to take cover and protect ourselves from danger. Better yet, we need to strengthen ourselves to deal with what is happening around us. We don’t need to worry about fighting every battle.
It would be too easy for us to get caught up in the drama and fall prey to sinful behavior. It’s sometimes better to take shelter from the storm and let God work it out for us. It’s sometimes difficult to walk away from a situation we think we want to “fix.” Who is the better fixer? God or us? God’s solution will no doubt look different than ours, but won’t it be so much better than we could have ever imagined?
When the storm is raging, and we all have storms, we need to remember where our protection comes from. We are not alone. We can call on our God for rescue, for wisdom, or for strength.
Let’s pray. Lord, I thank you that you are always present with me. Forgive me when I try to fight the battle without my armor. Help me resist the temptation to fix every situation that comes my way. Instead, may I get on my knees and ask for your help. Thank you for your provisions in my life. They are so much greater than I could have imagined. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
