John 11:37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?
If you are a praying person, the reason you are praying is probably because you want a “yes.” God’s reasons for your praying and your reasons for your praying may be two different things. Obviously the high end of praying is fellowship with God, submission to God, and other things that are good and noble. The problem is that I am not noble. I am needy. So, when I pray, I am praying because I need an answer. I want a “yes.” God’s reason for my praying is different. I’ve often said that we wait on God to get something we want, and our waiting on God is what God wants.
In John 11 we have a story of two ladies with a great need who asked Jesus to heal their brother Lazarus. The Bible says that Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus who was ill, and He said “This sickness is not unto death.” He meant that this sickness is not for the purpose of Lazarus dying. Lazarus did indeed die, so what He meant was that death was not the end of the story.
Then, in verse 6 it says, “When he had heard therefore that Lazarus was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.” Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, and instead of hurrying to be with him, He delayed, it appears, precisely because Lazarus was sick.
Well, what came of that was that Lazarus died. Both Mary and Martha knew that he could have been healed if Jesus had come. They said, “Lord, if you had been here earlier, he wouldn’t have died.” Of course, this was clearly the case. Verse 37 brings it to a head. It says, “And some of them [who saw this and knew about Jesus’ coming] said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?” The answer is, “Yes!” Jesus could have healed Lazarus, but He intentionally did not.
Maybe that is where you are this morning. Maybe you have been praying for an answer which you are not receiving. What we can learn from this story is that regardless of what you are asking for, God’s “no” is not negative. There are three observations you can make from this story that I hope will encourage you.
First, Jesus’ answer was different than the request. Could not this Man Who healed the blind have caused Lazarus not to die? The answer is clearly “yes.” But repeatedly Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but… that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Several times in the ensuing verses He says that this was done that people might believe. Verse 45 says, “Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.” They believed not just about what He could do, but Who He is.
Second, Jesus’ answer was better than their request. He didn’t merely raise Lazarus from a sickbed. He raised Lazarus from the dead, and thereby many believed on Jesus who might not have believed were it not for Lazarus’ testimony. For you, it may be that you are asking for the wrong things. How do you know if you are? Just keep asking until God plainly says “no,” at which time we can be submissive.
Third, Jesus’ answer was because of their asking. Did He give what they asked? No, they asked for Lazarus to be healed, but Jesus raised him from the dead. But, though Jesus answer was different and better than what they asked, Jesus’ answer to this family was because they had asked. For us today, I don’t know what will come of my praying. I don’t know what God wants. I only know what I want, and until God shows me what He wants, I am going to keep asking. Why? It is because God’s “no” is never negative.