In the Lazarus account in John 11, does the emphasis fall on how much Mary and Martha loved Jesus or how much He loved them?
The emphasis in John 11 falls on how much Jesus loved Mary and Martha, not on how much they loved Him. All through the Lazarus account, the point is His love. When Jesus wept, the Jews said, “Look how He loved them,” not how much they loved Him.
Les teaches that John 11 is used to emphasize divine love. Throughout the chapter, the spotlight is not on Mary and Martha’s love for Jesus but on His love for them. Even at the little short verse, “Jesus wept,” the Jews in the area of Lazarus and Martha’s home responded, “My, look how He loved them,” not how much they loved Him. Les applies this constantly: it is not how much we love Him, but how much He loved us, and has saved us, and has kept us. He contrasts this with the widespread misunderstanding of God’s grace, saying God is not waiting to zap frail humans; His attitude is total love, mercy, and grace.
More Questions
In the story of Lazarus, does the Bible emphasize Mary and Martha's love for Jesus or Jesus' love for them?
In the Lazarus account, the point is not how much Mary and Martha loved Jesus, but how much He loved them; likewise, it isn't how much we love Him, but how much He loved us and has saved and kept us.