Daily devotional, June 25, 2024 The cave
"For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
There was a story about a Thai football team that got stuck in a cave for 18 days, facing the threats of drowning due to rising floodwaters, and dying of hunger and thirst. They only held on to each other and to their soon-to-die out battery powered torches that allowed them to see through the darkness.
The darkness of grief and despair can almost be blinding. Extreme sadness pushes people to want to just close their eyes and sleep for days on end. And as followers of Jesus, who have living hope, it is our duty to help out those who seem to be stuck in their own cave of darkness and depression. As the Lord charged St. Paul the Apostle to bring His good news to the gentiles, we too should follow our Messiah’s command:
"To open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me."
Acts 26:18
In the New Testament there was a story about a man named Lazarus who got raised from the dead. His story was one of the turning points in our salvation history as it is Jesus’ last public miracle before He was put to death. Likewise, it is also meant to bolster the faith of people who cannot understand why bad things happen to them even if they try their best to follow Jesus. It is also a story of getting out of the pitch black net that grief and regret cast on the depressed.
"Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
John 11:21-23
In this devotional, we will focus on the latter part of the story, when Lazarus, the best friend of Jesus, was finally raised from the dead. Prior to Jesus’ arrival in Lazarus’ home, he had been dead for four days and his body was placed in a cave-like tomb. His sisters pleaded for Jesus to come to their home back when Lazarus was gravely ill, but Jesus did not. Instead, the Messiah chose to come after his friend died. And upon arriving at Lazarus’ village, and meeting his mourning family, Jesus cried too.
"When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply movedin his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.”When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go."
John 11:33-35, 41-45
So what does this story mean to us? In this present age where more and more people are stuck in an emotional blackhole of depression and anxiety, followers of Jesus like us should move to help them get out of the darkness. While science has developed medical interventions that could help the depressed recover, part of the suggested treatment plan for most cases include talk therapy and meditation as ways to overcome their mental state.
And while we ordinary people may not have medical degrees or certifications in professional counselling, we are in possession of a solution that could permanently take them out of the dark place that they are in — hope in Jesus. As we allow them to talk, listen to them, and arm them with God’s truth that they can meditate on, we get to help them recover.
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."
2 Corinthians 1:3-4
When we decide to help others by listening to them without judging or condemnation, and telling them about God and His words, we give them a beacon of hope that could help them see their way out of their dark cave of despair.
In the story of the raising of Lazarus, Jesus could have chosen to just raise Lazarus from afar, and we know He will be alive again. Jesus could have also chosen to remove the stone himself that blocks Lazarus’ tomb, but he asked others to roll it away. The Messiah could have also gone inside the cave to take Lazarus out so he could finally see the light, but He chose to just command Lazarus to come out all by himself.
In short, Jesus chose to ask Lazarus and the other people around Him to do their part. For people to roll the stone out and unbind him. For Lazarus to stand up again, brave the darkness, follow Jesus’ voice, and come out by himself.
It is the same with us present-day followers of Jesus. We should help others come to Jesus by working together with other followers to remove the barrier that keeps the desperate people from coming to Jesus. This could be sin, grief, or regrets. And we can do this by trying to listen to the depressed person, and helping them understand God’s truth by intentionally and consistently studying His word. We should invest time in them, and be patient with them just as God has been merciful to us and gave us hope.
"save others by snatching them from the fire; to others show mercy, mixed with fear—hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh."
Jude 1:23
As for the depressed, he has to help himself too. Yes, Jesus can make a miracle and fix his situation in a snap of a finger, but God wants us to learn to be dependent on Him and choose to strengthen ourselves in Him and in His words. The depressed person must make the decision to stand up, move on, accept other people’s help, and move towards the light. He must make an effort to follow Jesus’ voice, so He can come out of the dungeon of depression.
"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31
We may not be able to help every depressed or grief-stricken person in our life get better, but we can always pray for them and try to give them hope in Jesus. We must pass God’s goodness forward, especially to those who need it the most.
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to ponder on John 11:1-44 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Is there any person in your life who needs help to overcome His depression?
Conversation with the Lord: Heavenly Father, thank you for healing me and allowing me to help others get to know you, and be healed by you too. Empower me to lead the depressed and the grief stricken to your feet so that they may seek comfort in you. Amen.
