Awakenings 3

The last thing I noticed in this movie was that the doctor, and the nurse and the orderlies, never gave up hope, even when those around them already had. Like in the initital scenes, the doctors care more about where the salt is on the table than about the diagnosis of these patients. It also would have been easy for the patients to give up too. They knew no one saw anything special in them.  That their situation wasn’t going to get any better. Yet, they still believed that if this Dr. could help them, they had a shot at getting better. Turn to John 11:17-27. -On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. ¹⁸Bethany was less than two miles^{a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]} from Jerusalem, ¹⁹and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.²⁰When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.

 ²¹"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."

 ²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."

 ²⁴Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."

 ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

 ²⁷"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,^{b]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[b]} the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

A different verse used on the concept of hope than you are probably used to seeing.  But, to me, it is one of the best.  Here is the hope, don’t blink or you’ll miss out. It is in 2 words in verse 22. The words are EVEN NOW. Even when I don’t understand what’s going on. Even when the situation isn’t getting any better.  Even when I did everything you asked, and you were my friend and you didn’t do what I asked of you or expected of you. EVEN NOW  I know who you are.  Not only do I know who you are, I believe it. I think we can all take a lesson from Martha and her blind obedience to Christ.