“Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone,’ he said. ‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odour, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me.”
John 11:38-41 NIVUK
We human beings are natural beings living in a natural world. We see with our eyes and hear with our ears. We taste, feel and smell. But there are many things in this world that we cannot experience with our senses. Take the air around us, for example. We know it is there, but we cannot appreciate it with any of our senses. We cannot appreciate another person’s thoughts or see their inner turmoil with our natural senses. Concepts and theories are real but beyond our physical abilities to experience. Of course, the scientists and technologists invent devices to enhance our natural abilities but there remain huge gaps in our knowledge. In John 3:8 Jesus said to Nicodemus, “The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit”. How can a natural body invade the spiritual realm and sense what is there?
God’s glory is not something we can measure because it is the fullness of who He is. In Exodus 33:18, we read about a question from Moses, “Then Moses said, ‘Now show me your glory.’” God’s reply was, “And the Lord said, ‘I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But,’ he said, ‘you cannot see my face, for no-one may see me and live’” (Exodus 33:19-20).
Jesus reminded Martha that earlier He had told her that she would see the glory of God. We remember that He said to her, “ … I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this? ” (John 11:25-26). God’s glory is His ultimate and perfect goodness and an experience of it will change our lives. There was a time of natural instability and Isaiah did what many do at such times – he went to church. There he experienced God in a way that changed his life. He received a vision that we can read in Isaiah 6. “It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. They were calling out to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” Their voices shook the Temple to its foundations, and the entire building was filled with smoke” (Isaiah 6:1-4). The glory of the Lord filled that place and Isaiah was never the same again.
Martha’s life was never the same again. She was about to experience the glory of the Lord in a very personal way. We don’t know anything about the rest of her life, but we can be sure that it was never the same again. Perhaps we pilgrims long for such a time when we too will experience at first hand the glory of the Lord. But we look up into Heavenly places and see the Lord there, and He smiles at us. One day we will be with the Lord sharing with others the glory of the Lord. And we will say and sing with them, “You are worthy, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honour and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased” (Revelation 4:11).
Father God. We give You all the glory today for all You have done for us through Jesus. We worship You today. Amen.
Being a Pilgrim 