There is story in the Book of John that talks about two women whose brother has died. Jesus comes to them, but not in enough time to save their brother. They are sad and frustrated that Jesus was delayed in coming. Jesus goes out to the cave where the brother’s body has been placed, and a stone now covers the entrance. “ Jesus said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days.” (John 11:39)
I have always wondered about Martha’s response. She has seen Jesus do miraculous things in His ministry and now He appears to want to see her brother and she is most worried about the smell. It is an odd bit of information to include in the story when so many biblical stories are lacking details. If it is there, I always think we should not ignore it. The stone is rolled away and Jesus brings her brother back from the dead after he has been gone for four days.
That is truly amazing. What if Jesus would have listened to her and not raised her brother because of the smell. Was avoiding the embarrassment of a smelly body more important than the possibility of new life? How often do we avoid true healing because we are afraid the process might be embarrassing like a smelly decaying body. How often do we avoid hard conversations because we are worried about the awkwardness or the hurt feelings when we tell the truth. How often do we simply say nothing and essentially leave the stone in front of the cave blocking any chance of maturity and growth.
It is important to note that Jesus did not accidently arrive late to the home of the sisters. In fact, before he arrived his said this to His disciples, Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. For your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there so that you can believe. Let’s go to him.” (John 11:14-15). I think we often forget that Jesus is in the business of bringing new life to us. That should always be our expectation. Jesus wants to heal us. Yet we must be willing to roll back the stone even if we are worried that the process of healing will embarrass us.