Believing through unmet expectations

Life is often filled with difficult encounters. In such moments, our faith is tested. We may wonder why God has allowed certain things to happen or not happen, and it can be challenging to believe in His plan when we face disappointment.

In the biblical story of Martha, Mary, and the death of their brother Lazarus, we find a powerful example of faith amidst unmet expectations.

Martha and Mary had a deep and abiding faith in Jesus that had been built through their life experiences with him. They believed in His power to love, heal, and perform miracles. When their brother fell ill, they sent word to Jesus, expecting Him to come and heal Lazarus. However, Jesus did not arrive in time, and Lazarus died. When Jesus finally came, Martha went to meet Him, and the conversation that unfolded reveals a powerful lesson about faith and belief in the midst of unmet expectations.

Martha, in her grief and disappointment, initially responded to Jesus by saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." It was an expression of her disillusionment. She believed in Jesus' power to heal the sick, but in her mind, He had let her down by not arriving in time to prevent her brother's death. Martha's faith was being tested, and she expressed her disappointment and sorrow.

In response, Jesus said something profound that transcended Martha's expectations: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" Jesus was asking Martha to believe in Him not just as a healer but as the source of eternal life. He was inviting her to elevate her faith beyond her immediate circumstances and trust in His greater purpose. He was calling her to see his reality through her spiritual eyes of faith.

Martha wrestled with the healing power of Jesus versus his failure to rush to heal her brother. "Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world." She chose to believe in theological concepts of Jesus as Messiah, the Son of God, but missed the fact that he was with her and was able to act in the “here and now” versus only at the end of a prophetic time.

Mary, too, expressed her disappointment when she said the same words as Martha, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." How could Jesus let her down like he did? How could he heal others and not heal his best friend?

Jesus desired to transform Mary and Martha’s understanding. They had the biblical and theological understanding of Jesus. They had an experiential knowledge of Jesus both in their lives and seeing how he ministered to others. But they lacked one thing. Jesus is present now in our lives. Jesus is savior now. And Jesus is working in our lives now in ways and dimensions that we don’t see or conceive. The author of the New Testament book of Hebrews reveals what is needed for our transformation:

“What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.”  —Hebrews 11:1 NLT

In our own lives, we may face situations where our expectations are not met, and we question God's plan. Jesus wants us to know that we can choose to believe that he is working in ways beyond our understanding. We can place our faith in him as the source of life and resurrection, even when circumstances seem hopeless.

When we believe in Jesus, not just as a problem solver but as the Lord of our lives, we can find strength and hope in the face of unmet expectations. Just as Jesus ultimately raised Lazarus from the dead, he has the power to bring life and hope to our seemingly hopeless situations. Our faith in him can carry us through the darkest moments, helping us to believe in the resurrection and the life, even when we face unmet expectations.

—Terry Swenson, DMin, is director of University Spiritual Care.