Lazarus' death was such a shock to His two sisters; so too was Jesus' apparent indifference to their call for help.  When Jesus did come, four days after the funeral, Martha confronted Him with her grief and frustration.  But Mary refused to come out of the house.  Perhaps she felt so let down by Jesus, rejected by Him when the family was in their greatest need (John 11:17-22).
 
But then Martha came back from meeting with Jesus on the road outside the village.  She did not rebuke Mary for staying away from Jesus; neither did she relay the theologically dynamic words of Jesus, "I am the resurrection and the life ..." (John 11:25).  Instead, Martha gently told Mary that Jesus had specially asked her to come and meet Him.  “The Teacher is here … and is asking for you”, were powerfully wonderful words, reaching deep into her distressed and despondent heart (Matthew 11:28).

How quickly Mary’s mood changed!  When she heard that Jesus wanted her to come to Him, she immediately got up and left the house - confident that Jesus really did love her.  Her village friends were amazed at the transformation but did not know why.  They assumed she was engulfed by a sudden impulse to honour her dead brother, but it was the call of the loving Life-giver which gave her new energy (Psalm 119:41).
 
Grief, in its various forms, will dominate our horizon and make us unresponsive to other voices.  But the call of Jesus is different.  Knowing that our Creator loves us, will stir our hearts; knowing that He who knows all about us, and still wants us, gives a fresh confidence to break out of the cocoon we weave around ourselves.  The voice of Jesus is the call of love which draws us away from our self-absorption into a new hope.  But like Mary, many people have shut themselves away and cannot hear anything other than their own thoughts.  They need someone to relay the message, giving them courage to walk towards Jesus, the Jesus who loves them.  That person could be you!