Microcosm = "The World in Miniature"

I believe we see a microcosm in John 11 surrounding Lazarus’ sickness and death.

#1 Jesus openly states that Lazarus’ sickness and death have a specific purpose-

“This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it”, John 11:4.

#2 The wisdom of Jesus’ decision to return to Judea and fulfill this purpose is questioned by his apostles- “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”, John 11:13.

#3 His words are misunderstood by those who do not have the whole picture – “Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep”, John 11:13.

#4 Jesus’ “lack of a presence” is questioned even by one who loves and serves him – “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died”, John11:21.

#5 Those who do not get the whole picture often superimpose their own inferior ideas over what God actually has planned to do – “Jesus said to her, ‘Your brother will rise again.’ Martha said to Him, ‘I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day’”, John 11:23-24.

#6 Jesus’ “lack of a presence” is once again questioned by another who loves and serves him – “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died”, John 11:32.

#7 Jesus’ lack of action is now seemingly questioned as if to ask and even accuse, “Why didn’t you do something?” – “But some of them said, ‘Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?’”, John 11:37.

#8 Bound by past experience, even believers lack faith in God’s judgments“Jesus said, ‘Remove the stone.’ Martha, the sister of the deceased, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days’”, John 11:39.

#9 Ignorance and self-concern prevents unbelievers from seeing the infinite value in God and his love for them and so they reject him outright – “If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation”, John 11:48.

Sadly, I can see myself behaving as others do in the miniature "world" above. How about you?