It's not too late

Jesus, help me see that it's never too late to help someone! Amen.

When Jesus heard His friend Lazarus was sick, He went to see him. But when Jesus and the disciples got there, Lazarus had died. "I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus told everyone. "If you believe in me, even if you die, you'll live again." He yelled into the cave where Lazarus was buried, "Lazarus, come out!" And Lazarus walked out of the tomb, alive and well.

"Too late" are two words that can really upset a kid. You come home to watch your favorite TV show -- but you're too late; it's over already! You open the refrigerator, looking for something good -- too late; your brother already ate what you wanted!

People miss out on a lot of things because they're too late. But in this week's Gospel (John 11:1-45), Jesus says the words "too late" don't apply to God.

You probably feel sometimes like you spend your life being too late for things. Why did your sister have to be born first, so she could boss you around? Why didn't you smile quickly when someone took your picture, so you didn't end up looking weird?

When Jesus finally arrived at His sick friend Lazarus' house, everyone said that He was too late -- Lazarus was dead. They even said that if Jesus had just gotten there a little sooner, He could have helped Lazarus, but no one could do anything now.

It's true that you can't do anything to change being too late to watch a TV show or have a perfect picture taken every time. But Jesus showed us that for the really important things, it's never too late -- like helping someone.

If it wasn't too late for Him to make a sick friend feel better even when the guy had died, it's never too late for us to help make the world a better place!