РJohn 11. 41 Р“Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew
that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people
standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”
Previously some of the leaders had said that Jesus had a demon,
and others asked, “Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Now
Jesus does something that they all know, no matter how hard
hearted they may be, that no demon could ever do. And they know
that for something of this magnitude, God would never listen to a
sinner.
Jesus showed a lot of humility in calling on the Father. I don’t
want to say that though, because there is an arrogant or prideful
tone to saying someone “showed a lot of humility”. He deferred to
the Father for the Father to get Glory from this event. When
Moses got angry and struck the rock, he said, “Shall I bring
water for you out of this rock?” and God was upset with him
because he did not “Bring glory to God.”
Jesus brings God glory by showing to everyone around that this
miracle is at the request of a man to God. It is not luck,
chance, fate, God’s unstoppable do-what-He-pleases will, or the
work of demons.
I was in a class once and the prof was talking about praying for
people and then afterwards asking if they felt anything when he
prayed for them. A student in the class asked, “Weren’t you
afraid of God looking bad when they said, no, they didn’t feel
anything and your prayer wasn’t answered?”
The teacher answered something about how he left God’s reputation
up to God and that he thought he’d be lying if the made the
person think that God answered every single prayer we pray
instantly. I think another aspect of it is what happens here with
Lazarus. There are many times that I tell people that I’m praying
for this or that, and I really am, because I don’t want God to
answer my prayer and them give credit anywhere else.
The Father wants us to know that He listens to us. He wants us to
know that He deserves glory and credit and attention for the
things He does, and that we do not benefit in any way by trying
to skim some of it off for ourselves.
There are a lot of situations and events that I think people are
afraid to ask God about. They may be afraid to be honest with Him
or afraid that if they get what they ask for, it may require
opening a tomb that stinks. The fact is, that’s underestimating
Him and selling Him short. How much better to be over the top in
our confidence and dependance on Him, so that when He does more
than we ask He will get even more glory?
