“Seeing isn’t Believing, Believing is Seeing”
By Krystal Montgomery
This weekend we encounter a powerful moment in the Gospel: the raising of Lazarus. The story begins with grief and confusion. Mary and Martha send for Jesus to let Him know that their brother is ill, but Jesus delays. By the time He arrives, Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. From our perspective, all hope is gone. Death is final.
When Jesus finally arrives, Martha’s words are so real and human: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It’s the kind of thing many of us might say in a moment of grief or frustration with God when we don’t understand His plan. Martha does believe in Jesus, but she’s still trying to make sense of what He can do within the limits of what she understands. Jesus shifts her perspective with a powerful reminder: “I am the resurrection and the life.” In other words, He’s asking her—and us—to trust that God is working even when we can’t see how things could possibly change.
This reminds me of a line from the movie The Santa Clause: “Seeing isn’t believing; believing is seeing.” While the line is playful in the context of the film, it echoes a deep spiritual truth. We often think faith should come after proof. We want to see the miracle first and then believe. Yet throughout the Gospels, Jesus calls people to trust before they fully understand.
Faith does not ignore reality. Jesus Himself weeps at Lazarus’ tomb. He enters into the pain of the moment. Yet He also reveals that God’s power is not limited by what we see or what seems final. The resurrection of Lazarus becomes a sign pointing toward the greater victory of Christ over death itself.
In our own lives, we may stand before stones that seem impossible to move: grief, fear, uncertainty, or doubt. The Gospel invites us to trust that God is already at work, even when we cannot yet see it.
And when we believe, our eyes begin to open. “Seeing isn’t believing; believing is seeing.”