Tuesday, September 10, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
John 11:17–29

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. (NRSV)

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Reflection

This morning I’m thinking about close friends: those who share holidays, whose closeness and company I value most, friends I can confide in with complete candor, knowing that they care. I imagine Jesus, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus as those kind of friends.

Putting myself in Martha’s place in this passage, grappling with loss as my friend, Jesus, appeals to my faith and what I know to be true. He helps me find the strength and resolve to trust my faith, to trust myself, and to trust him. He is God incarnate after all.

Friends help us find our grounding with reason and truth, and they also care deeply. In the same chapter, Martha’s sister, Mary, dissolves in tears when she sees Jesus. She is overcome by pain. Jesus, her compassionate friend, weeps with her. It’s so much the response of a close friend. So human.

My closest friends are my companions on life’s journey: my go-tos and my rocks. Just as I can’t imagine life without them, I can start to imagine Jesus, one of my close friends, sharing life with me, guiding and supporting me, and consoling me. Even when we aren’t together we’re close. We trust one another. We trust the love we share.

So for me, the wonderful thing about today’s passage is that it helps me imagine Jesus, God incarnate, alive on earth and present in my life — as a close friend.

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Prayer
Jesus, I want to know you and open myself to you, remembering that you are a part of my life, today and every day, among my closest friends. Amen.

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Written by Laura Sterkel, Member of Fourth Presbyterian Church

Reflection and Prayer© Fourth Presbyterian Church

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