{"id":37160,"date":"2014-10-21T06:00:34","date_gmt":"2014-10-21T14:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/?p=37160"},"modified":"2014-10-19T09:32:23","modified_gmt":"2014-10-19T17:32:23","slug":"martha-believe-jesus-john-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redeeminggod.com\/martha-believe-jesus-john-11\/","title":{"rendered":"Did Martha actually believe what Jesus said in John 11:25?"},"content":{"rendered":"
We are all familiar with the story in John 11 of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead in John 11 and the little conversation that Jesus had with Martha before He raised Lazarus.<\/p>\n
Here is how I have usually read John 11:39-44:<\/p>\n
Scene:<\/strong> [Mary and Martha are upset with Jesus because they had sent a message to Jesus that Lazarus was sick (John 11:2), and Jesus had not come. Now, four days after Lazarus has died (John 11:39), Jesus decides to finally show up. Mary couldn\u2019t bear to face Jesus, but Martha went out meet Him (John 11:20).]<\/p>\n
Martha:<\/strong> Too bad you didn\u2019t get here five days ago \u2026 when Lazarus was still alive \u2026 when we called you to come. I\u2019m angry at you, but I still believe that God is with you (John 11:21-22).<\/p>\n
Jesus:<\/strong> Your brother will rise again (John 11:23).<\/p>\n
Martha:<\/strong> (Rolls her eyes and thinks, \u201cWhat a terrible thing to say at a funeral. How does that help me now?\u201d). Of course he will, in the future resurrection along with everyone else (John 11:24).<\/p>\n
Jesus:<\/strong> I\u2019m not talking about the future resurrection event. I am talking about me. I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, even though he dies physically, will then live physically, and will never die for all eternity. Do you believe this? (John 11:25-26).<\/p>\n
Martha:<\/strong> Absolutely! Of course I believe that (John 11:27).<\/p>\n
Scene:<\/strong> [Jesus goes and raises Lazarus from the dead. Big party ensues (John 11:41-44).]<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Is that pretty much how you have understood this event, and especially the answer that Martha gives to Jesus in John 11:27?<\/p>\n
Recently, I have begun to wonder if I have been reading this text wrong all along.<\/p>\n
John 11:27 and John 21:15-17<\/h2>\n
What got me wondering is the little conversation Jesus has with Peter at the end of John, where Jesus asks Peter three times \u201cDo you love me?\u201d and Peter answers three times, \u201cYes, you know that I love you\u201d (John 21:15-17)<\/p>\n
We all know, of course, that the first two times Jesus asks Peter this question, Jesus uses the word \u201cagape<\/em>\u201d for God\u2019s divine love, but Peter answers with \u201cphileo<\/em>,\u201d which is brotherly love. The third time, Jesus uses \u201cphileo<\/em>\u201d also, indicating to Peter that he knows that Peter\u2019s love will never be perfect, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n
But what got me thinking was that with the first two questions, even though Peter said \u201cYes\u201d what he was really saying was \u201cNo.\u201d Jesus asked, \u201cPeter, do you agape<\/em> me?\u201d and in saying, \u201cYes, I phileo<\/em> you,\u201d Peter was actually saying, \u201cNo, I do not, cannot, and will not be able to agape<\/em> you. But I do phileo<\/em> you, and that\u2019s the most I can honestly offer.\u201d<\/p>\n