A savior, not a hero: Jesus never shows up too late
I know what Jesus is doing in this story; I have three small children. He's dawdling.
The story of Lazarus in the Gospel of John describes a God who comes too late. Mary and Martha, concerned for their brother Lazarus, send word to Jesus, but he does not go immediately to their home in Bethany. He stays where he is for two more days.
When Jesus and the disciples finally get near Bethany, Martha runs out to meet Jesus and to tell him that Lazarus has died. “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.”
Martha is a faithful woman. She says Jesus could have saved Lazarus before he died, but she also asks implicitly for Jesus to save him now. Lazarus by now has been in his tomb for four days, and Martha still believes Jesus can save him. Jesus does not respond by granting her request. Instead, he preaches to her: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live.” Martha then runs back to get Mary.
