Silent witness

 “Jesus therefore six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus raised from the dead. So they made him a supper there: and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at meat with him. Mary therefore took a pound of ointment of pure nard, very precious, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment” (John 12.1-3).

“The common people therefore of the Jews learned that he was there: and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. But the chief priests took counsel that they might put Lazarus also to death; because that by means of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus” (John 12.9-11).

In these passages of Scripture we see that Martha was there at the home in Bethany, Mary was there, and Lazarus too was there. What did Martha do? As always she served the Lord. Mary did what she had always formerly done too, which was, to perform an act of consecration. What about Lazarus? What do you think he should have been doing? Martha was loved by the Lord Jesus; Mary was loved by the Lord Jesus; Lazarus too was loved by the Lord Jesus. At that time, Martha served the Lord, Mary offered to the Lord, but Lazarus was simply sitting there. Yet what was the effect of this merely sitting there? We learn from these Scripture passages that many Jews believed on the Lord Jesus that day because of Lazarus. The latter did nothing. He did not offer anything but simply sat there quietly. Yet in that simple act of sitting quietly by, God was glorified!