⏱ 7 min read

• Today we’ll first share briefly on honour and then share some inspired words titled “It’s asleep!”
• The first portion on honour was adapted from “Those who honour” by Bishop Dag Heward Mills. Let’s dig in!

Honour rewards! God rewards honour!

• Mary and Martha are examples of people who reaped the benefits of honour. They honoured Jesus and He also honoured them with great friendship and love (v5).
• They reaped many, if not all the rewards of honour. Martha received Jesus into her home (Luke 10:38); Mary anointed the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair.
• The honour they bestowed on Jesus was unparalleled! Up till today, we sing about it (eg. Alabaster Box) and we remember them for it.

• Dear friend, Jesus used to go and visit them like we visit our friends. He’d go over there to sit, talk and fellowship with them specially (Luke 10:38-42). May God visit us one of these days!
• In today’s passage, they had their dead brother raised to life! I think that is perhaps the ultimate miracle – a resurrection! Jesus did it for the people who received Him properly and honoured Him.

Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word (Luke 10:38-39).

• Mary and Martha were close to Jesus because of their honour! (v3, 5). May the Lord draw you closer in relationship as you honour Him.
• In fact, Jesus altered His plans; stopped His traveling and went to attend to their problem.
• Even more, the Jews wanted to kill Jesus, but He still risked His life for Mary and Martha (v8, 16). May God go all the way out for you because of your honour!

Mary and Martha are memorialized today because of their honour (dare I say, they are more known or popular than many of the disciples of Jesus). All because of the honour they bestowed on Jesus! 

1. Those who honour experience supernatural power: Honour is rewarded with mighty works from the one you honour. Jesus could not do mighty works when He was with people who did not honour Him (Mark 6:4-5). Those who do not honour are eliminated from mighty works of miracles and healing.

Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them (Mark 6:4-5).

2. Those who honour receive great miracles. Jesus did not go where people had needs, but to where He was honoured! There were many other problems, sick people, and dying people everywhere.

• But Jesus went to the place where He had been received, loved and honoured. Mary and Martha loved Jesus Christ!
• They received Him properly, cared for Him personally and ministered to Him directly.

3. Those who honour will have personal access: It is not easy to get close to great people. Imagine how difficult it will be in your lifetime to meet a president. Indeed, it can be very difficult to meet a great person, but honour made it possible for Mary and Martha.

• Mary and Martha had access to Jesus Christ. They had His texting number and they could send Him WhatsApp. They sent Him a message that their brother was not well.
• Honour got them to interact with Jesus directly. On other occasions, they had access to Jesus when He was eating or relaxing. Mary could actually sit at the feet of Jesus (Luke 10:39).

May our honour of the Lord give us unrestricted, personal access! May our honour for those to whom honour is due grant us all these benefits also. God will reward your honour!

---

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” ~ John 11:11-15 #Bible

• I’ve noticed that sometimes the more God loves you or you love Him, the more you go through some tough times in life.
• Lazarus was the one Jesus loved; His friend. Yet when Jesus heard he was sick, He stayed four(4) more days.
• [So let’s remember this whenever we sing, “I am a friend of God, He calls me friend…”]

Jesus waited four days; He made sure that the guy was dead and buried. That was Mary and Martha’s younger brother, and he was gone. Yet at the time when it seemed all hope was lost, Jesus then said, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep.”

• Dear friend, whatever you think or even know is dead, to Jesus, it’s only asleep. “Ssssh..!”
• Whatever situation you’re in which seems to be hopeless, beyond redemption, to Jesus it’s only asleep. “Sssh..!” He’s going to raise it up.
• In the passage, Jesus made an interesting statement: “I am glad I wasn’t around, so I can do a public show for my friend” (Paraphrased).

Beloved, God wants to make a public show of our lives. And He’s going to do just that for you and me. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined the things that God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

In v25 Jesus said to Martha, “I AM the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live…” Jesus used the present tense and said, “I AM the resurrection and the life!”

• Both Mary and Martha thought it was late, four (4) days was too late.
• But hey, God is not limited by time, and when it seems late, He is on time.
• I pray that the present I AM God will always be on time for you. May He come through for you with His great grace. Heyy… you’re blessed and highly favoured and dearly loved!