Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus

 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and You are going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."  These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."  Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.  Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.  Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."

- John 11:1-27

Yesterday's reading began at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles (an autumn festival), where Jesus' sayings had caused a division among the leadership. And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad.  Why do you listen to Him?"  Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon.  Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"  Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.  And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch.  Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, "How long do You keep us in doubt?  If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."   Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe.  The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of me.  But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch then out of My Father's hand.  I and My Father are one."  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.  Jesus answered them, "Many good works have I shown you from My Father.  For which of those works do you stone Me?"  The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God."  Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, "You are gods"'?  If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?  If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."  Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.  And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed.  Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true."  And many believed in Him there.

  Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.  It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.  Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick."  When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."   My study bible tells us that the resurrection of Lazarus is the seventh sign in John's Gospel; today's reading begins chapter 11 in which we read of this final sign.  It is this sign that sealed the religious authorities' decision to put Jesus to death.  Bethany is on the slope of the Mount of Olives, approximately two miles from Jerusalem.  Lazarus is the same name as "Eleazar" which literally means "God helps."    Similarly to the man blind from birth, whose healing formed the sixth sign of John's Gospel, and whose blindness was not because of any sin but meant so that the works of God would be revealed in Him, Jesus tells us here that Lazarus' sickness is for the glory of God, that the Son might be glorified by it.  This message, says my study bible, was sent back to Mary and Martha in order to strengthen them at Lazarus' death, so that they might take confidence in Jesus' words.  It says that the Son of God being glorified must not be understood to be the cause of Lazarus dying.   Rather, Christ is glorified as a result of Lazarus' death -- occurring from a natural illness -- and his being raised from the dead.

 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Then after this He said to the disciples, "Let us go to Judea again."  The disciples said to Him, "Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and You are going there again?"   Christ deliberately delays His trip to Bethany, and in doing so secures the fact that Lazarus is confirmed dead, the corruption of death setting in to the body.  Thereby, there can be no doubt of the miracle.  My study bible says, "The might of the Lord would be clearly seen by all."   Now is a short time before Passover.  At the time of the Feast of Tabernacles (almost six months earlier), the religious leadership sought to stone Him.  They accused Him of blasphemy after He stated, "Before Abraham was, I AM."

Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.  But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."   This teaching echoes again Jesus' words just before He "enlightened" the eyes of the man blind from birth.  At that time, He said, "I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."  

These things He said, and after that He said to them, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up."  Then His disciples said, "Lord, if he sleeps he will get well."  However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.  Then Jesus said to them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.  And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe.  Nevertheless let us go to him."  Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."    To sleep is often used as a reference for death in the New Testament, as it is associated with a temporary state:  true death can only occur after Judgment.  All will awaken for that time.  (See Acts 7:60,1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6.)  My study bible says that Thomas's statement here is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It also illustrates the path that all believers must take -- that we die daily to the world for the sake of following Christ (Luke 9:23-24).

So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.   The notation that Lazarus has been in the tomb four days is very important.  My study bible reports that at the time there was a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days.  After four days, however, resuscitation would be impossible.

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away.  And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.   It's in important understanding conveyed here concerning just what other witnesses are present.  This is a prominent family; many among those ranked with the leadership have come from Jerusalem to comfort and to mourn with them.  Mourning, says my study bible, began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation lasted one week, and general mourning lasted for thirty days.

Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  This verse characterizes the two sisters, reflecting the stories we know about them elsewhere (Luke 10:38-42).  Both react differently to Christ's arrival.  My study bible tells us, "Martha, being inclined to active service, rushes out to meet Jesus, while Mary remains in mourning until called by Christ" (which we shall read about tomorrow).   Mary is sitting in the traditional posture of mourning and receiving other mourners (Job 2:8, 13; Ezekiel 8:14).

Now Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."   My study bible suggests that while Martha possesses great faith, her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Christ.  There's a limitation on what Christ can do, according to her statement, "If You had been here, my brother would not have died.   If Christ is God, he did not need to be present to heal (contrast 5:46-54).  In saying that "whatever You ask of God, God will give You," she shows a lack of understanding that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills.

Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."  Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.  Do you believe this?"  She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world."     Regarding Jesus' statement, "I am the resurrection and the life," my study bible says that to correct Martha's misunderstanding, He declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.   A note says, "Such is the power of these words that Martha is immediately led to her great confession of faith.  Do you believe this? is a question directed not only to Martha, but to all of us."

It's interesting to think about the differences between Martha and Mary in character, and the ways in which each is a friend of Jesus.   John's Gospel tells us (above) that Jesus loved each one of them:  Martha and her sister and her brother Lazarus.  Each plays a unique role, and each sister has strikingly different characteristics, but true to the things Jesus has been saying about each one of His sheep, that He knows them by name and that they love and know Him, Jesus loves each one of these very different people.  Over the course of the reading, we'll get a chance to delve more deeply into the differences of character, and also to see how Jesus loved these people.  But what we remember today is Christ's love for each one, that He knows each one (as Good Shepherd He "calls each one by name") and has stated in chapter 10,  "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own."  (See John 10:1-18.)  In Jesus' dealings with this beloved family, we can see His interaction with each one.  They're not just a "group" to Him; they're not just a prominent family.  They are all, or each, individuals who are loved and given what each one needs.  This is the illustration in action of the Good Shepherd, and all those who wish to be good pastors (whether laypeople or clergy) should take note.  In Jesus' interactions, even as He will perform the most spectacular miracle or sign possible, he behaves in ways that teach us what it is to truly practice love in action.  There's no formula here, but He meets each one where they must be met, and His teaching and instruction are also forms of love in action as each one needs them.  This characterizes all interaction in the Gospels between Jesus and these sisters and brother.  So well known, in fact, is Mary to the readers of this Gospel that John refers to an episode at the beginning of today's reading that is actually given later in the Gospel (John 12:1-8).  John tells us that Mary is the one who anointed Christ's feet with fragrant oil; thus we know not only of her great love for Christ but even an important and essential role she plays in the Gospels.  (She's also aware that she is anointing Him for burial, as that takes place just before Passion Week.)  It's an alternative reading for today, and worthwhile reading even though space confines us to one reading today.  But love in action is what we see today, and what we will continue to see in tomorrow's reading.  For now, let us consider what Christ does and how He does it, let us consider what love is and how it does its interaction among us, for each of us -- as the Gospel says, by name, knowing who each one of us is.  Let us consider these very different sisters and the role each plays, their beloved brother, and the love of Jesus, both human and divine.  Let us strive to be like Him in this way in which we may learn that kind of love, too.  In today's reading, Jesus says that Lazarus' illness and "sleep" "is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it."  When we choose to emulate His love, all situations can be ones in which we glorify God, via His grace.