God with us in the Middle Spaces
The struggle is real. In fact, riding on the struggle bus feels inevitable in this life. For some of us we live in the illusion (for a time) that the world is a safe place and that we might just be able to make it through unscathed…but that perception is quick to come crashing down when something you didn’t plan for rocks your world. The death of a family member, the loss of a dream, a failed marriage, overwhelming health complications, bullying at school. For others of us, the reality that the world is a place of deep suffering has been apparent since we were young. Perhaps you had an abuser. Perhaps you witnessed violence or harm of another. Perhaps you were in a car crash.
We’ve all been wounded
One thing is for sure. Each of us has been wounded. Jesus words ring to true:
“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33)
But growing up in Sunday school, we are taught that God is good, all powerful, and sovereign. How could this possibly be true?
How can we experience pain with a good God?
These two realities seem at odds. A good and sovereign God…. but a world full of suffering. How can this be?
My favorite story of the scripture reveals the tension and mystery of these two paradigms - the Story of Lazarus. It starts how we might expect:
“Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Both realities (suffering and God’s sovereignty/promises) are at play. Lazarus is sick. He is suffering and it is not looking good for him. So what do Mary and Martha do? They call out to Jesus for help. And what happens?
Jesus makes a promise. This sickness will not end in death. BOOM. Full stop.
Death will not win.
But let’s keep reading…
“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 and then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
17 On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
Lazarus is dead. Jesus said that this would not end in death. Can you imagine the agony and confusion Jesus followers were experiencing in that moment? Exactly what Jesus promised would not happen, has happened.
This is the reality we face today. God has promised us life to the full (John 10:10). But here we find ourselves, completely overwhelmed by the suffering of life. Abandoned, rejected, insecure, confused, angry, hopeless. Perhaps you relate to some or all of these experiences.
But praise God that this is not the end of the story. How Jesus shows up next is baffling.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Jesus is with us in our Grief
The sickness does not end in death! Jesus' original promise comes deeply true. And even more so, God’s glory is magnified, revealing his love and power in a way that is still impacting us 2000+ years later.
And just as much as the miracle itself, what I found most comforting is how Jesus is WITH Martha and Mary in the middle space. Jesus' empathy and ability to provide each of them with exactly what they needed in that moment is unparalleled.
Jesus Wept. I find this to be one of the most surprising and powerful verses in all of scripture. Jesus knew that he was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He could have been like “Stop crying, start praying, Mary. Watch me perform a miracle”.
No. He sits with her in grief. Jesus Wept. Perhaps that is all you need to hear today. Jesus is weeping with you in your suffering. No matter how the story ends, Jesus is weeping. That is the essence of who Jesus is - Immanuel. GOD WITH US. He is with us in our suffering.
Sometimes we are suffering so much we can’t even imagine the end of the story. It’s ok, you don’t need to convince yourself to pull yourself up by your own bootstraps. Often the most powerful work God does is in the middle space between death and life.
Be where you are. Invite Jesus into that place of pain and suffering. He wants to comfort you. It is his true heart and nature.
“Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
This is the story arc of Jesus. This is the truth the cross and grave declare.
The Cross
a Poem by Richard Mattingley
When we look a the Cross
We should see ultimate trauma
Beaten
Mocked
Abandoned
Crucified
But instead we sacrificial love
A life laid down
Blood and grace poured out
A gift beyond measure, forgiveness forever
Death that brings life
And if this is true of the cross
Could this be true of our traumas too?
Our deepest wounds
Not minimized or forgotten
But perhaps the very place
Where we begin to experience grace
Not because it’s ok
But because in our woundedness
We find ourselves in need of a healer
And from this place of vulnerability and helplessness
We come to our knees, begging “Lord, please!”
And it’s then we start to realize
There is one who has been there all along
Who cries with you
Who never leaves you
Who understands your true heartache
Who can weave the ultimate story
Of redemption and restoration
Not leaving out justice
Yet fully gracious and forgiving
So when you look to the cross, may you know
Your story is not over
You are just in between
Friday and Sunday
Every slate whipped clean
Every heartache redeemed
So no need to hide your scars
Every one tells a story
Of his love and grace
Redemption and glory
Share the Struggle
At Share the Struggle, we understand that life's challenges and mental health struggles can feel overwhelming. We meet these needs for the Kingdom in two ways:
1. Mental Health Informed Coaches that can be a source of truth in helping you understand and identify your thought life as the greatest way to understand the truth God says about you. Our coaches use our captive thoughts model, the foundation of which was taken from Jesus’ charge for us to “take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV).
2. Expert Led Video Courses created by industry experts on a variety of topics made to help you heal in community. Our courses are made to facilitate vulnerability and connectedness with others struggling with similar things so you can know you are not alone and can walk in freedom together.
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To get into contact with the Share the Struggle team, send us an email about any of your questions, concerns, and comments.
