Impossible?

Who learns more, the student or the teacher? I thought I had learned the lesson a month ago when I studied the eleventh chapter of the gospel of John. It’s the chapter where Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. Fast-forward six weeks. January 26 I was teaching a group of ladies at the homeless shelter from the Gospel of John chapter 11. We didn’t get past verse six, “Yet when [Jesus] heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.” At first the ladies were indignant, “how mean” and “Doesn’t He care about their feelings?” were some of the comments, but as we discussed it, Monisha, one of the ladies said, “I guess it had to look impossible for Mary and Martha before Jesus would step in.” That is when it really dawned on me, too. So often our prayers tell God how to help, rather than simply, “help!” Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to heal Lazarus; Jesus wanted to do the impossible, to raise him from the dead! Right now we are in need of another vehicle since our car was totaled. We were so thankful for the money from the insurance but were wondering how far it would really go. One of our friends at our church knows the owner of one of the car dealerships in town. He pled our case and now we are driving a brand new Dodge Caravan!! God does like to do the impossible. We never dreamed this. We were only asking for something reliable. God did more than we could think or imagine! “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his Power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:20,21