What Sorrow Produced in You

"Just see what this godly sorrow produced in you!" (2 Corinthians 7.11a)

A little out of context but it reminds me of the story of Y'shua raising Eliezer (Lazarus) from the dead (John 11). The dear friend that Y'shua loved was sick. Two days later, he leaves for Bethany. In that time, Eliezer has died. By the time, Y'shua arrives he has been dead four days. The mourners are still wailing.

Y'shua and Martha, Eliezer's sister, have an interesting conversation. At one point, she says, "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask." Most of my friends read this as a statement of faith and that she's implicitly asking Y'shua to raise her brother from the dead. We think this only because we know the end of the story.

Y'shua responds, "Your brother will rise again."

"Yes," Martha said, "he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day."

So has she decided not to ask Y'shua to raise her brother from the dead? Even later, she raises an objection when Y'shua commands the tomb's stone to be rolled away.

So what is Martha saying in her statement of faith--"God will give you whatever you ask"? In the midst of her knockdown/dragged out grief, perhaps even a little disappointment and anger at Y'shua for being so tardy, I believe Martha is saying, "But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask. Even though my circumstances have made my faith in you wobble, it is not destroyed. Even though my eyes are puffy with weeping I look to you as my Rabbi. Even though my voice is raw from wailing, I will praise you because you and God are so close and Yahweh loves you so much. I still love you, Y'shua, and will follow you even though I wish you had gotten here at least five days ago to prevent this tragedy."

Can we have that faith in the midst of sorrow? Can our sorrow be godly, in spite of the challenging circumstances, that we still praise Him? Will we still maintain commune in worship?

In 2 Corinthians, Paul applauds the church there for welcoming Titus even though they were dismayed at the harsh words Paul wrote. But their gift of hospitality and welcome was reciprocated by Titus in his affection for those believers. And Paul was proud of them. In spite of the circumstances in the strained relationship with Paul, they had enough faith in God and trust in Paul to overlook that and welcome Titus.