Testimonies

Growing up in Sunday school, I heard the story of Lazarus being raised from the dead many times. It’s got to be on the top ten Sunday school lessons list. It’s up there with the crossing of the Red Sea, the Lion’s den, the fiery furnace and Peter walking on the water. It’s one of those my brother Michael could have told backwards. When he was in the beginner Sunday school class and was less than enthused to hear the same story again, he complained to his teacher that he could tell it backwards. To which she quickly replied, go right ahead! He did. 

Sister Williamson



Aunt Claudie

As a young lady, I heard many lessons and sermon’s about Lazarus’s sisters, Mary and Martha. Most of them included a warning not be a Martha. Martha, the one who fussed too much over things and missed opportunities to sit at Jesus feet. I must admit I always felt Martha was cast a little unfairly. But then I always admired hard working women. Some of my favorite ladies growing up were sturdy women, women who worked hard and served the Lord with gladness. Women like Kitty Lee Williamson, Gerturde Brown and my dad’s aunt, Claudie Lewis. (You just have to love those names!) These were the ladies whose dishes emptied first at church dinners! My favorites were Aunt Claudie’s chicken and dumplings, Sis. Brown’s mexican cornbread and Sis. Williamson’s rich chocolate cake. Makes me hungry just thinking about it!

None of these ladies ever taught my Sunday school class, took my friends and I to church camp or sponsored my Missionette club, but they taught me life lessons. These women had lived. They had raised children and some grandchildren, cared for dying loved ones, and buried husbands and some siblings. Yet, on Sunday evening when it was time for testimonies, these ladies would stand and declare their belief in the goodness of God.


That’s the very thing I love most in Martha’s story is her unwavering faith. When her brother was sick, she sent for Jesus. And when he died, she still believed. She believed that Jesus could have prevented his death, she believed that He could raise him from the dead and that He would on the resurrection day. She testified to her belief, “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.” (John 11:27 NLT) I admire a belief that doesn’t waver when one is disappointed or unsure of details. (Are you sure you want to roll away that stone? It’s going to smell, she said.)


I am blessed to have know some Martha’s in my life. I admire their service and their belief. Women who relate to the father who said “I do believe, help me overcome my unbelief!” Women who understood the truth spoken through the prophet Isaiah, “As the heavens are higher than earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9 NLT)


When I married, the ladies of First Assembly in Haynesville made me a patchwork quilt from fabric remnants. When I look at that quilt I see pieces of the double knit dresses worn by Sis. Williamson, Sis. Brown and Aunt Claudie. Women who showed me faith; mature, productive, sturdy faith. 

My favorite quilt!


Below is a first person script I wrote several years ago for Women’s Ministry Day service at First Assembly in Hugoton, Kansas. A place, by the way, where I became acquainted with some more Marthas.

Thanks for listening
See you next Sunday,

Ronda

Good Morning. My name is Martha. I am from Bethany, a community just outside of Jerusalem. Several years ago, my brother, Lazarus, my sister, Mary and I became acquainted with a man from Nazareth named Jesus. He became one of our dearest friends and often spent time in our home. My sister and I would often prepare meals and serve him - or should I say I would often serve him. Mary preferred to sit and visit. I recall one day when I got frustrated with Mary and asked Jesus to tell her to get up and help me. In response to my frustration, he said Mary had chosen a better way to spend her time, listening and learning from him. He said I should not fuss so much over meals and things. He said he would only be with us for a little while. Well, then someone had to do the work and fast, if he only planned to stay a little while. It bothered me a little the way he said that, after all I was doing these things for him.

Recently, my brother had become very ill and was near death. Mary and I had sent word to Jesus of the seriousness of his illness. But he did not come, until four days after we buried Lazarus. At first I was very hurt that he had not come. You see, we had come to understand that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the very Son of God. He had been traveling around our region, preaching and healing the sick. He had caused the lame to walk, cleansed lepers and even recently he had healed a blind beggar’s eyes! Why would he not have come and healed our brother, whom he loved. But he didn’t.

Four days after we had buried Lazarus some of the mourners came into the house and said Jesus was coming. I got up and went to meet him. I said, “Lord, if you had come my brother would not have died.” He said to me that my brother would live again. I assumed he was referring to the resurrection on the last day. But he said to me, “ I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.” Then he asked me if I believed this. I said, “Yes, I believe you are the Christ.” I did believe, but I didn’t understand.

I went to get Mary, because Jesus was asking for her. She went with me quickly to Jesus and the crowd of people who gathered at our house followed us. She said the same thing I had said, if only you had been here. Jesus began to cry. We took him to the tomb to show him where we had buried our brother.

And then the most extraordinary thing I ever witnessed happened. Jesus told the men that had come with us to take away the stone from the tomb. I tried to stop him; it had been four days, there would be a terrible odor by now. He turned to me and said, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?”. I stepped aside. They moved the stone. Jesus prayed and called my brother back to life. Lazarus walked out of the grave!

Then I knew why he had come at this time, rather than when I had asked for him. Many of the people who had come because of his death, saw this miracle and put their faith in Jesus.