Even Now

Introduction

You know that feeling when the repair guy says, 'We’ll be there between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.'? So you cancel your plans, sit at home all day, peek out the window every time a truck drives by… and then 4:59 p.m. rolls around and still nobody’s shown. You start thinking: Where is he? Didn’t he say he was coming?

That’s exactly the question Martha was asking in John 11: 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.'

I remember visiting a church member whose husband was very ill. I arrived later than I should have. The first thing she said when she saw me was: 'It’s about time.' I bristled inside. I thought she was scolding me for being late. But then I realized — she wasn’t talking about me. She was talking about him. Her dear husband. He didn’t have much time left.

She didn’t know how busy I had been that day, running from one thing to another. But in my heart I knew — I needed to manage my time better. That moment stuck with me, because it was about more than a pastoral visit. It was about the cry of the heart when time is slipping away and help hasn’t come.

That’s exactly where Mary and Martha were. They had sent word to Jesus. They were sure He would come. They kept looking down the road. But when He finally arrived, Lazarus was gone. And I wonder if you’ve ever felt that yourself — waiting, praying, believing — and then whispering the same words: 'Lord, if You had been here…'

This is not just their story — it’s ours. And in their disappointment, their bewilderment, and finally their joy, we discover three lessons for our own faith today.

Point 1 – Hold On When God Disappoints

We’ve all stood where Mary and Martha stood. We prayed, we asked, we waited… and nothing seemed to happen. The silence of heaven can feel heavier than the problem itself.

That’s where Martha’s words strike home: 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.' She’s not doubting His power — she knows what He can do. She’s doubting His timing.

And isn’t that our struggle too?

- Lord, if You had been here, the cancer wouldn’t have spread.

- Lord, if You had been here, the job wouldn’t have fallen through.

- Lord, if You had been here, my marriage wouldn’t have ended.

We know He can. We just don’t understand why He didn’t.

Here’s what amazes me about Martha: in her disappointment, she still came out to meet Him. She didn’t slam the door. She didn’t turn her back. She walked down that dusty road and faced Him with her broken heart. And she added one little phrase that makes all the difference: 'But even now I know…'

Even now. That’s faith when the prayer wasn’t answered. That’s trust when the outcome looks final.

Faith doesn’t deny disappointment — it holds on in the middle of it.

Think of Abraham, who was told he would be the father of nations. Yet the years stretched on, his body grew old, Sarah’s womb was barren. Where was God? Abraham held on.

Think of Job, who sat in the ashes scraping his sores, after losing everything. Where was God? Job held on.

Think of David, who fasted and prayed for his dying child. The child still died. Where was God? And yet David got up and worshiped.

And think of the disciples, hiding in fear after the crucifixion. Jesus was dead. Their dreams were buried. Where was God? But on the third day, He rose.

Sometimes faith is nothing more than showing up, like Martha did. Walking out to meet Jesus even with questions on your lips. Even with hurt in your heart. Even when you don’t understand.

That’s the first lesson: Will you hold on when God disappoints? Will you keep walking toward Him, even with tears streaming down your face?

Point 2 – Look Beyond

When Jesus told Martha, 'Your brother will rise again,' she answered quickly: 'I know he will rise in the resurrection at the last day.' That was her theology speaking. It’s the right answer, the memorized line. It’s what you say at funerals when you don’t know what else to say.

And haven’t we all done that?

- Someone’s grieving, and we murmur, 'Well, God’s in control.'

- Someone’s sick, and we say, 'God won’t give you more than you can bear.'

- Someone’s bewildered, and we quote a verse like a bandage.

It’s not wrong. But it’s not enough.

Because underneath Martha’s words is a cry: 'Lord, where were You? You should have been here.'

Jesus doesn’t scold her. He meets her in it. He takes the abstract and pulls it down to earth: 'I am the resurrection and the life.'