I think she was probably tired and stressed out too. She was grieving and looking at her personality from the other scripture, she was probably the one who had taken on the responsibility of the household to make sure everything was getting done after Lazarus had died. “Why did you not come sooner?” She was upset. Later in Scripture in John 11, we again see Martha questioning Jesus with a why question. “Why do you not care that my sister is not helping me?” Jesus told Martha not to worry about making everything perfect, but to spend time with him, just as Mary was doing. We see that in this scripture Martha questions Jesus with a why question. This passage is important for what happens next. This Scripture sets the stage for us to see how Jesus was making disciples out of these two sisters with the relationship he was building with them and their brother Lazarus. Then we see her type B sister Mary who sits at Jesus’ feet. Here we see type A Martha running around the house trying to make sure everything is perfect for Jesus. This is probably a more familiar parable to us. In Luke 10, we read once again the Scripture about the sisters Mary and Martha. Our Gospel lesson from Luke 10 shows the relationship Jesus developed with Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus, and how later he responded to their suffering with compassion and action. Kate reminds us that there are better actions that can be taken while someone is suffering that will remind them of God’s presence and embody our identity as the community of God. They said many things to her including: “God has a better plan…At least you have you son…At least you’ve had an amazing marriage…God needed another angel.” Yet responses like this, as Kate reminds us, are not helpful to utter to someone who is suffering, nor are they biblical. When Kate was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer at age 35, she shared that people wanted to make meaning out of her diagnosis. Kate Bowler, the author of “Everything Happens For A Reason and Other Lies I’ve Loved” gives us some additional examples in her book of actions we can take instead of saying these words. I believe that the desire of our heart while using this phrase is to connect with those who are suffering. What happened was, when a school shooting would happen people would respond with this phrase, but after multiple shootings occurred in a short period of time, people started saying that thoughts and prayers were not enough, and that action needed to be taken to save future lives.Īs we reflect on this phrase: “You will be in my thoughts and prayers,” we will see how Jesus Christ calls us to respond to our neighbors who are suffering. Īlthough we do not know the exact origin, we can mark in history when there was a shift in how this phrase was being used and received. In my study of this phrase, I also learned that it is uniquely American and not in other countries. It seems these were the only words we were able to utter as a nation after this unspeakable tragedy. We do think about our loved ones and we do pray for them.Īlthough the origin of this phrase is unknown, it gained momentum after the Columbine shooting in 1999. I also believe that when we say this phrase, we really mean it. We say this phrase to communicate with those we care about that we will continue to think about them and lift them in prayers of intercession. More than any other week, I think all of us have said this phrase: “You will be in my thoughts and prayers.” I know that I have. This Sunday, July 21, we will start the second week of our “Stick and Stones: The Things We Say” Sermon Series.
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