Have you ever experienced a season when you seemed to face one loss after another? If so, describe when and what it involved.
“Thankfully, no, not yet. I do dread the potential approach of one now that Mom has joined Dad in the eighties.”
Have you ever experienced feelings of grief that surprised you or almost seemed inappropriate through a change in jobs, homes, health, or relationships?
“No – not that I can think of – except maybe some of my grief over growing up, especially outgrowing favorite clothes.”
Read John, 11:1-44. List every evidence you can find to suggest closeness of relationship between Christ, Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.
“Mary poured perfume on Christ’s feet (v. 2), Jesus loved Lazarus (v. 3), Jesus loved all three (v. 5), Lazarus was Jesus’ friend (v. 11), Jesus was ‘deeply moved in spirit and troubled’ to see Mary weeping (v. 33), when He saw the tomb, he wept, too (v. 35), others commented about His love, (v. 36)”
What reasons did Christ cite or imply for waiting until Lazarus was dead before He returned to Bethany?
Verse 4: “God’s glory, and that God’s Son would be glorified through it.”
Verse 11: “so He would ‘wake him up.’”
Verse 15: “for the disciples’ sake, so they would believe.”
Verse 40: “to reveal the glory of God to those who would believe (and honor Martha and Mary’s belief in Him)”
What other reasons can you safely assume based on verses 19 and 45? “so that many others would put their faith in Jesus”
The most debilitating loss for a Christian is not the loss of a loved one, but the loss of faith.
How do you think the loss of faith could turn into a form of bondage?
“I suppose if you lose faith in God’s love and protection of you, you live your life in fear of everything He might do to you or allow to happen to you.”
Has the enemy turned any of your losses into bondage?
“I suppose a few minor losses of stuff I wasn’t ready to give up, and perhaps also the loss of my childhood I wasn’t ready to leave, have contributed to my excessive attachment to and collection of stuff. (Example – especially the time Mom and Dad gave away some of my toys. 3/8/14)”
By what new name did Christ reveal Himself to Martha in John 11:25?
“the resurrection and the life”
Dearest Rachel –
To argue that any Bible study referencing loss and grief among these letters could be considered ironic is definitely overstating things; eventually, there would be a point when you dealt with the topic in discussion. It is slightly disorienting to see you refer to the fact that, at this point in your life, you hadn’t had to deal with much in the way of serious loss, apart from certain things (which you admitted even at the time may have contributed to your hoarding tendencies) that basically served to represent pieces torn from the childhood you so desperately wanted to cling to.
It’s also shockingly strange to bear in mind that the truly serious losses in our lives hadn’t yet began at this point, and wouldn’t yet for another three years after your penning the answers to this particular topic, with your father’s passing in early 2017. From there, things just snowballed, culminating in your departure, and finishing (for now) with Kevin’s. And that is where the real irony factors in; to see this reference to Lazarus’ resurrection only a couple of days after hearing about it by Kevin’s final resting place is disconcerting in its coincidence, to say the least.
Did it shake your faith when this series of losses began? It didn’t appear to, although I won’t claim to have perfect insight into your heart and what you were thinking at the time, especially in the loss of your father. If nothing else, as they aged (particularly your mother, who you admitted to having lost months before her passing), it was at least expected, if not exactly welcome. We knew that it was coming, even if we didn’t rush to embrace the inevitable.
Did losing you shake my faith? I don’t know; perhaps no more than it would have anyone else, for whatever that may be saying. I know that God doesn’t grade in a curve, so comparing myself to others is pointless, but what else is there to compare to?
At the very least, I can acknowledge with Martha that I will see you “on the last day,” thanks to the fact that He is “the Resurrection and the Life,” and that is worth looking forward to.
Until then, honey, keep an eye on me, and wish me luck; I’m going to need it.
Letters to Rachel 