“Roll the stone away.” Jesus told them.
But Martha protested. “Lord he has been dead four days. The smell will be terrible.”
Jesus responded. “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?” So they rolled the stone aside. Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come forth! And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in grave clothes, his face wrapped in a head cloth. Jesus told them. “Unwrap him and let him go.”
As I read this familiar story in my office at the Hope Center, I noticed something new or something I had not noticed before. (I love the way the Word of God is often like this. Don’t you?) Before Jesus could act and give new life, the labor of a stone being removed had to happen. I suddenly saw a process I had always overlooked. He needed laborers to do some work before the new life came about.
We are those laborers for Jesus today! Typically before a person experiences a new life in Christ, there needs to be some labor done by people like us. We may need to remove a stone of doubt by an act of loving-kindness. We may need to remove a stone of hurt through building a personal relationship. We may need to remove a stone of unbelief through sharing a genuine testimony from our lives.
I thought of many kinds of labors of love happening regularly with the residents at the Hope Center, and I know this makes a huge impact. In fact, the far majority of our residents come to Christ when they stay with us. May we always be alert to watch for loving labors needed in the harvest.
“Do all the good you can; to all the people you can; in all the ways you can; as long as you ever can.” John Wesley
Then Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:37
Written by: Dr. Carolyn Knight
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