Jesus calls for you

Last week, I took this photo. It followed a wonderful weekend of ministry In Zurich, capped by visiting a Niagara Falls sized chocolate fountain! I was walking by a sparkling Swiss lake to the sound of cowbells and the scent of spring. It wasn’t hard to trust God’s goodness. If only all of life was like that.

Not all our days are perfect day. Some days, chocolate doesn’t flow and sweetness is harder to find. Grey skies clamp down, prayers remain unanswered, grief invades, dear ones are in pain and we call on the name of the Lord with no apparent response.

John 11 recounts that kind of day - Martha and Mary called for Jesus because their beloved brother was ill but hours ticked by, the Lord didn’t appear and Lazarus died. No wonder when Jesus finally showed up, Mary didn’t come to greet him.

Have you ever been so upset that you withdraw from God? I have. How does the Lord respond? Martha tells her sister, “The Teacher is calling for you” (v28).

Our Saviour calls for us. Especially when we are hurting.

He could have waited to present her with the solution - raising Lazarus - but instead, he sought her in her pain and wept with her.

He asked for her because she was his friend and he wanted to comfort her. Today, you are his friend and he is calling for you.

After calling for Mary, he called “Lazarus!”, calling him out of the cold tomb into life. And what looked like abandonment turned into glory.

As we approach Easter, you may be like Mary at her lowest, living her own Easter Saturday, when resurrection looks impossible. Can you hear Jesus asking for you?

Or maybe you are like Lazarus, joyfully waking into new life as the Lord calls your name.

The Good Shepherd calls his sheep by name. Wherever you are today, Jesus loves you and he is calling for you.

And he promises that one day, every day will be even better than our most perfect day.