The Story of Lazarus In a World That Is Looking For Hope
We can easily make the mistake of thinking that ours is a world where nothing good ever happens anymore.
After all, aren’t there disasters that befall us here and there? Aren’t there wars that take thousands of people’s lives?
Ours is a world that seems to be quickly destroying itself, both physically and spiritually.
We see it in the natural and man-made calamities that affect millions of people around the globe. And we see it in the cries of the poor who are left with almost no one to hear them.
How did we ever get to such a dark place in our present time? Why is God so silent when we wanted so badly to hear His voice?
Sometimes I can’t help but think that God is angry with us. He turns away from us because none is willing to draw near.
We always seem so busy in our modern world.
We have countless things to do with our little gadgets and trinkets. We try to keep up with whatever fad we see on social media and so we work ourselves to death.
Along the way, we lose sight of what is precious. In our busyness to gain the world, perhaps we have also started to lose our very souls.
It is no wonder anymore why more and more people profess their unbelief in God. We can easily believe in anything that catches our momentary interest, but we hold ourselves back when it comes to Him who bore our sins upon the cross.
I don’t know how long the world can last at this rate of self-destruction.
Perhaps only the unfailing mercies of God keep the world moving, extending our time for repenting of our many sins.
This world seems to have arrived very near that time Jesus Himself predicted when He said:
“But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”” - Luke 18:8 (NABRE)
The world started to lose its faith after it has lost its love for God.
And after losing faith, where do we find our hope?
Do we even have the right to utter what Jesus cried before dying on the cross?
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” - Matthew 27:46 (NABRE)
It is not God who has forsaken us. We were the ones who have forsaken God.
Despair is the word that can best represent our present times.
It is a world that dwells in illusions because it could no longer find a real sense of hope.
But just like Frodo’s question to Gandalf, what can we do but live with the time we have?
“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. “So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
What do we do then with the time we still have left?
Should we surrender to the darkness? Must we give in to despair?
I believe with all my heart that God would not have allowed our world to exist unless He still saw some hope for us who are still living.
Maybe He is simply delaying His help to teach us a lesson we’d never forget. But He is right there watching, weeping as we weep, and ready to lend a hand when we could no longer carry on.
Why did He delay when He knew that Lazarus, His dear friend was already about to die?
Surely not because of lack of compassion. Rather, it was because of overflowing love!
Perhaps He delays in coming because He wants to intervene at just the right moment when we have lost all hope in every idol we have worshiped in our hearts.
There is hope. But we can only find it once we fix our gaze again upon Him. He who is the source of all mercy and love.
So take heart! And take comfort once more in Jesus Christ. Lazarus may have died, but even death was not the end. God is our hope, and with God’s call, we know that Lazarus has lived again.
“Lazarus, come out!” - John 11:43 (NABRE)
Jocelyn Soriano works full-time as a Catholic writer to share the word of God and invite everyone to take refuge in God’s truth and love.
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