Sinabi ni Marta, “Panginoon, kung kayo po ay narito, buháy pa sana ang kapatid ko.

Juan 11:21

Ito ang slogan ng campaign ng isang pizza place during the 2000s. Layunin nito na ipakita that they are punctual with their delivery times. It was a successful campaign — being copied by other restaurants during that time.

Bagama’t tayong mga Pilipino ay kilala sa tardiness, ayaw natin kapag tayo ang nasa receiving end ng delays. Late payments, late deliveries, and even delayed answers to prayers irritate us. Maybe it’s because of the fear of losing something significant. Sa istorya ni Lazarus, the Healer he’s waiting for came late, and it cost him his very own life.

Jesus was four days late in visiting Lazarus. Sa 11th chapter ng book of John, Mary and Martha asked Jesus to come earlier. But He didn’t. Jesus loved Lazarus, pero nung kinailangan niya si Jesus, hindi Siya kaagad dumating. When He arrived, Lazarus was already dead. According to their tradition, a human spirit stays on earth for three days, and after that, resurrection is impossible. But Martha was hopeful. She had faith in Jesus at kanyang sinabi, “Subalit nalalaman kong kahit ngayo’y ipagkakaloob sa inyo ng Diyos ang anumang hingin ninyo sa kanya” (John 11:22).

We may be experiencing the same situation as Martha. May mga panalangin tayong hindi pa nasasagot. At tingin natin, huli na ang lahat. It’s four days late. But Jesus came to do the impossible. In this story, nagawa Niyang buhayin muli si Lazarus. And that can also be true with our requests and petitions before God.  

When God delays answering our prayers, He may be doing something beyond our imagination. Or maybe His answer is different from our expectations. Nevertheless, lagi nating tatandaan na walang imposible sa ating Panginoon. He is always on time.