In the story of Lazarus, does John 11 emphasize how much Mary and Martha loved Jesus or how much Jesus loved them?
John 11 emphasizes how much Jesus loved Mary and Martha, not how much they loved Him. The chapter and the Jews' response to Jesus weeping show the point: Look how He loved them. It is His love for them that is highlighted.
Les teaches from John chapter 11, the account of Lazarus, that the emphasis is not on how much Mary and Martha loved Jesus but on how much He loved them. When the text says Jesus wept, the Jews in the area of Lazarus and Martha's home responded, in effect, 'Look how He loved them,' not 'Look how much they loved Him.' Les applies this by saying we must constantly remember that it is not how much we love Him, but how much He loved us, saved us, and kept us. The focus remains on His love, mercy, and grace toward us.
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.
In John 11 and the Lazarus account, whose love is emphasized—Mary and Martha's or Jesus'?
Throughout John 11 and the account of Lazarus, the emphasis is not on how much Mary and Martha loved Jesus but on how much Jesus loved them.