Being Late

Timing is very important. I had a job that was as likely to require me to report to work at 3:00pm one day as 3:00am the next. My alarm would go off, and I would wake up trying to remember whether it was daytime or nighttime. The longer I studied the situation, the more likely I was to go back to sleep. I nearly lost the job because of frequent tardiness.

Jesus is frequently guilty of being tardy according to our clocks. Sometimes He is so late it is measured by calendar instead of clock. But from His perspective (which is, of course, the correct one), His timing is always perfect. Our perspective could be the correct one, too, if we listen to His instructions regarding timing.

He was so late in responding to a request to come heal His friend Lazarus that He didn’t even make the funeral. But He was making a point, and He couldn’t make it if Lazarus was alive.

Obedience to His instructions about what to do includes the timing. Our faith regarding His help includes trusting Him about the timing. He knows best, and we can too, if we listen to Him.