Was Jesus Lazy?

This is Part 2 of Let It Go.

Was Jesus too lazy to finish the job?

Here’s the story:
A good friend of Jesus named Lazarus died. By the time Jesus got to Lazarus, he was already in a tomb. Jesus called Lazarus out of death and out of the tomb. What happens next carries a significant lesson for you and me.

"And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, 'Unwrap him and let him go!'"(John 11:44, NLT).

It is interesting to me that after performing an awesome miracle, Jesus looked at the people who were watching and told them to finish the job. Was Jesus too lazy to finish what He started? Was He trying to make a statement that this was beneath Him?

Well, He was making a statement all right, but that was not it. Jesus was communicating these things to those around Him on that day, as well as to you and me today,

1. Jesus is saying,“I will do my part and you do yours.”
Notice after Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He instructed those watching to “unwrap him and let him go.” Obviously, Jesus was the only one who could perform such a miracle. But He was not the only one who could unwrap Lazarus.

Jesus did not command Lazarus to come forth, then fold His arms and lean on a big rock while doing "the look," saying, “Oh jack, I am good” like some teenage baller. Instead, He was teaching us a valuable lesson on how we spend our time and energy.

Jesus has a part and we have a part. We do our part and let Jesus do His. There have been times in my life when I tried to do my part and Jesus’ part. No, I have not tried to raise the dead, but more than once I have tried to make things work the way I wanted and in my timing instead of doing my part and then waiting on Jesus to do His.

2. Jesus is saying,“I am not going to do everything for you.”
We cannot sit back, do nothing, and expect Jesus to do everything. He loves us too much to enable such laziness. We were created with a purpose and a destiny. God the father invested certain gifts and talents in each one of us and He expects us to use those gifts. When we do, He enables and strengthens us to successfully accomplish “our part.”

You do not think Jesus was excited to see Lazarus alive? Of course He was excited, but He was not surprised. He knew He could speak life into that human body. He cared so much about Lazarus that I believe He was genuinely excited. He probably wanted to pull the burial cloth off himself, but in His wisdom, He used this as a teaching moment to involve those around Him. He could have done it himself, but He chose not to in order to include the others around Him and to give them an opportunity to do what they could do. Are you and I doing the same with the people around us?

3. Jesus is saying, “You cannot do everything.”
You cannot do it all. Hello, you are not Jesus. Ask yourself this question: What are the things that only I can do? And trust me, this is a tough question. Think through the things no one in your church can do but you. Now, everything else that did not make the list needs to be given to someone else. Then let it go.

Jesus wants us to do our part because He is not going to do everything for us. He does not expect us to do everything.

Something to think about.

Steve Adams has been the Children’s Pastor at Saddleback Church since 2007. He has served as Children’s Pastor for over 20 years and is a leader and mentor to many children’s ministry leaders around the country and into the world. God has blessed him with a creative mind, a true pastor’s heart and a passion for serving God and others through Children’s Ministry! Steve and his wife, Stephanie, have two sons – Tyler and Matthew. @stevenjadams