Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her

 

 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."   And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."

 

- Luke 10:38–42 

 

Yesterday we read that a certain lawyer stood up and tested Jesus, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  He said to him, "What is written in the law?  What is your reading of it?"  So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'"  And He said to him, "You have answered rightly; do this and you will live."  But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Then Jesus answered and said:  "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road.  And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was.  And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.'   So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?"  And he said, "He who showed mercy on him."  Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."  

 

  Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house.  And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word.  But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, "Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?  Therefore tell her to help me."   And Jesus answered and said to her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things.  But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her."   Mary and Martha are the sisters of Lazarus, the one whom Jesus raised from the dead (see John 11:1-44).  My study Bible comments here that Martha is not rebuked for serving, but for complaining and for being distracted, worried, and troubled.  In following Christ, it says, we serve in order to facilitate the spread of the gospel (see Acts 6:1-4).  

 

Martha and Mary have much to offer us in their story.  First of all, there is the commentary of my study Bible, that the object of service is Christ and the spread of His gospel in following His command.  But no character study would be remiss for looking at these two sisters, and their different personas and the ways in which they address the world.  Consistent throughout the Gospels (especially within the story of the raising of Lazarus in John 11), Mary is the one inclined to more contemplative behavior, while Martha is a model of hospitality.  Although here Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen that good part,  we should not be dismissive of Martha's hospitality.  In the story of Lazarus and Christ's seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, the same character traits are on display in Martha and Mary.  When Jesus comes to Bethany, their hometown, Martha goes out to meet Him on the road to their house, true to her character of hospitality, while Mary remains seated in the home with others who mourn, the proper attitude of mourning in her time and place.  Martha is the more outgoing, while Mary is the one who is observant, we could say.  Hospitality, in Christian tradition, is one of the most important virtues of what it means to practice our faith, for hospitality is one form of active love.  Of course, as my study Bible comments, this is done not to be ostentatious, to impress, or simply to follow custom; but ultimately we seek to serve Christ in all that we do.  Here, according to that commentary in my study Bible, Mary has chosen the better part because she sits at the feet of Christ, listening to His word, while Martha is worried and troubled about many things.  The passage in St. John's Gospel that tells us of the raising of Lazarus also teaches us how much Jesus loved both of these sisters and their brother (John 11:5).  In some sense, we could also look at Martha as the one fulfilling her social role, and doing what is expected of her, while Mary sits at Christ's feet -- perhaps with the other, male disciples.  But again, as our Lord indicates most clearly, it is she who has chosen that good part, and even those who choose "outside the box" in following Christ are the ones He praises in this context.  Perhaps one of the most important things we can take from this understanding of these two quite different sisters is the compatible and complementary way that these women fit into Christ's supporters, and those who surround Him in His ministry.  It tells us that there is room for all to fulfill their places as followers of Christ, for to serve Him and to serve the spread of His gospel does not require that we each all be "the same," for there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter saint, so to speak.  That is, saints are called to serve each in their own way, just as we each have our own unique cross to bear in terms of how we serve and the ways in which our lives are transfigured by faith in Christ.  Mary has chosen that good part, setting us an example, but Martha also serves, and supports, and is loved by Christ.  Today, let us note that it is her distracted, worried, and troubled countenance that Christ takes an issue with, but Mary has chosen to hear His word.  Let us follow what this teaches us, and choose to put the good part first in whatever we do.  

 

 

 

 

 

Loose him, and let him go

The Raising of Lazarus.  12th century, St. Katherine's Monastery, Mt. Sinai

 

 And when she had said these things, se went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  

 

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  

 

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  

 

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

- John 11:28-44 

 

Yesterday we read that 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 are You 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.  Then 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."

 

  And when she had said these things, se went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."   Once again, we observe here the difference between these two sisters.  In yesterday's reading (above) we observed Martha, one more inclined to active service, and her efforts at hospitality (similarly to the story found at Luke 10:38-42), as she greeted Jesus while He was still on the road approaching their home, while Mary remained in mourning, in the traditional posture inside the home.  Now that Mary is called by the Teacher, Jesus, she arose quickly and came to Him.  The Jews who were with her in the house are those who have come from Jerusalem and have some connection with the ruling classes of the temple.  They likely reflect that Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are from a prominent family.  

Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  Here Mary approaches Christ with the identical words used by her sister Martha (see yesterday's reading, above).  While Jesus engaged Martha with words, my study Bible notes, here in today's reading He engages Mary with deeds -- the raising of her brother from the dead.  John emphasizes that Jesus wept and groaned in the spirit.  These show that Christ had fully taken on human nature, and that He was subject to grief as any human being would be.  Weeping, my study Bible says, is the natural human response to the tragedy of death.  Today is Lazarus Saturday, and in the Compline service in the Orthodox Church, it is sung, "Shedding tears by Your own choice, You have given us proof of Your heartfelt love."

 

 Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Although Martha's faith had increased, she still understood neither Christ's will nor His power, my study Bible comments.  The spices and oils used to anoint a dead body would only hold the stench of decomposition at bay for a short time.  In many icons of the raising of Lazarus one can observe bystanders depicted covering their noses, which illustrates both the reality of Lazarus' corrupted flesh and the fact that many did not believe that Christ could raise the dead.

 

 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  To show that His divine will is one with the Father's, my study Bible says, and that His human will was freely subject in every way to the Father's, Christ prays aloud for the sake of the people.  

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"   My study Bible notes that Christ calls Lazarus forth, not in the name of God the Father, but by His own authority.  What it shows to the people is that while Christ came from the Father, He fully possesses divine authority in Himself.   This event is a fulfillment of Christ's words from chapter 5, spoken to the religious authorities who questioned Him, "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29). 

 And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."   My study Bible comments that the detail that Lazarus was wrapped in his graveclothes is seen as significant in patristic literature.  Many Church Fathers view this as an indication that Lazarus will need them again, that his resurrection continues an earthly life which will once again end in death.  By contrast, it notes, the Savior's graveclothes would be left in the tomb (John 20:5-7).  Unlike the resurrection of Lazarus, Christ's Resurrection transfigures human nature.  Jesus will never die again.  My study Bible further comments that this sign not only prepared the disciples to believe in Christ's Resurrection, but in the words of the hymn for the day, it also "confirmed the universal resurrection," proving Christ has the power to fulfill the promise given to Ezekiel that all the dead will one day rise again (Ezekiel 37:1-13). 

 

 It seems that we don't get a proper sense of the significance of Christ's power without the awe that would accompany this scene, of Lazarus walking out of the tomb in his graveclothes, four days dead, and even smelling of death as well.  Awe may combine vast respect, admiration, fear, wonder, and even terror, and it seems that this event would combine all of those things for the people who witnessed it.  Awe is a product of exposure to something incomprehensible, outside of our realm of experience, unexpected, and belonging to something much greater than ourselves and our lives.  When Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life" in yesterday's reading (above), it is easy to take His words, as they have become familiar to us, as statements declaring an identity for Christ in an intellectually descriptive way.  But in this scene of the raising of Lazarus from the dead, we find the discernible elements of just how astounding -- and perhaps terrifying -- those words really are.  For they imply a kind of power that none of us can imagine nor encompass, but are clearly signs of the miraculous and the presence of God -- something much greater than we are or our experience can hold.  We don't have this power, much as we would like to believe that perhaps medical science can provide it to us.  For the people who are mourning with Martha and Mary, one can only imagine the impact of this experience as witnesses, and what a story they have to tell in Jerusalem.  Such is the visceral power of this scene that we have seen it used by others in novels and movies of the horror genre over and over again.  The story of Frankenstein draws on similar motifs of the dead walking again, bodies coming out of the grave and given life.  Inspired by archaeological interest in Egyptian tombs of the past century, films have given us stories of Egyptian mummies walking out of their tombs still wrapped in the bandages of graveclothes -- thus drawing upon this timeless text in John's Gospel, which does not fail to hit its mark and make its impact.  As my study Bible points out, Jesus responds to His friend Mary with action, a demonstration of the power of His identity as the resurrection and the life, as He told Martha in yesterday's reading, above.  Perhaps especially for those of us who have lost loved ones, this story touches upon the terrible mystery of death.  It should open up for us the importance of prayer for those who have passed as we consider that it is only our prayers which can reach into that mystery.  For it is Christ alone who has this power, who will release the captives of death and set the prisoners free; only Christ who has this power of life and death and judgment and resurrection.  When Jesus says about Lazarus, "Loose him, and let him go," we can also hear these words as the ones He will say in the realm of the dead, and for all the dead.  For, as we know, judgment is also about the power of resurrection, which we may note as we revisit His words from chapter 5:  "Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation" (John 5:28-29).  To Christ who has solely been entrusted with this power, we may pray for our loved ones and all who have passed, with a reverence that is appropriate to this image of resurrection in today's reading.  For, as He hears the pleas of Martha and Mary, and experiences so deeply their love and their loss, so He is the one who can also hear ours.

 

 

 

I am the resurrection and the life

 

 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 are You 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.  Then 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 

 

In the first few verses of yesterday's reading, Jesus was still in a dialogue with the religious leaders in Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles.  These verses follow the sixth sign of seven given in John's Gospel, the gift of sight to a man who was blind from birth.   Yesterday we read that therefore there was a division again among the religious leaders because of Christ's sayings.  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 them 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 I have 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 who 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 comments that this message is sent back to Mary and Martha to strengthen them so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in Christ's words.  The Son of God being glorified must not be understood to be the cause of Lazarus dying.  What this indicates is rather that Christ will be glorified as a result of his death (which occurred from a natural illness) and his being raised from the dead.  Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, about two miles from Jerusalem.  My study Bible explains also that Lazarus is the same name as "Eleazar" which literally means "God helps."  Note also that there is a reference here to Mary that notes an event not recorded in the Gospel until the following chapter (John 12:3).  

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 are You 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."   Christ delays in order for Lazarus to be dead long enough that the corruption of his body could set in.  In this way, no one could doubt the miracle, and the might of the Lord, my study Bible says, would be clearly seen by all.  The disciples reference an attempt to stone Jesus which occurred at the Feast of Dedication, reported in yesterday's reading (see above).  Jesus says, "Our friend Lazarus sleeps" -- compare to Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6.

 

Then Thomas, who is called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."   My study Bible says that Thomas' statement here is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It is also an illustation of the path that all believers need to 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.  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.  Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.   My study Bible indicates that mourning began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing lasted three days, it says; lamentation lasted one week; and general mourning lasted thirty days.  Here we see that, similar to the story recorded at Luke 10:38-42, these two sisters respond differently to Christ's arrival.  Martha is inclined to active service, and she rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary, by contrast, remains in mourning until she is called by Jesus (John 11:28-29).  Sitting was the traditional posture when 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."  While Martha possesses great faith, my study Bible comments, her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Jesus.  She says, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died," revealing that she doesn't fully understand that Christ is God, as she thinks He needed to be present to effect healings.  (Contrast this with John 4:46-54.)  When she says, "I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You" it shows that she lacks 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."  Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life."  In order to correct Martha's misunderstanding, Christ declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  My study Bible notes that such is the power of these words that Martha is immediately led to her great confession of faith.  "Do you believe this?" is not a question directly only to Martha, it says, but to all of us.  

 

Christ has the power of life and death.  Even before Holy Week, which we will celebrate next week, before His Crucifixion, death, and Resurrection, here in what is about to happen with Jesus' friends Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary, we will witness this power of life and death.  He tells us (and Martha) plainly, "I am the resurrection and the life."  Note how already, prior to the events that are about to take place, Jesus' emphasis is on belief, on faith.  He says, "He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.  And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."  Faith, then, allows us to participate in His life.  That is, in His life, death, and Resurrection.  But this is His power to share, to convey, to bestow.  And this is what will be on display in the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus.  In this story, we will see several things on display about Jesus.  Of course, we hear this monumental, staggering news:  that the One who is the resurrection and the life is present to us as one of us in this world.  But at the same time, what is on display in this story is also fully human.  He is the special friend to this family, to Martha, Mary, and Lazarus -- and we will see that much further along in tomorrow's reading in Christ's fully compassionate response to their sorrow.  In a certain way, the seventh and final sign in John's Gospel, the raising of Lazarus, will give us the fullness of the Incarnate Christ.  He will manifest the profound sympathetic depths of His humanity and the transcendent ineffable power of His divinity.  The seventh and final sign in John's Gospel will also be the one that decides the religious leaders once and for all that they must rid themselves of Jesus, and it will lead to His death on the Cross.  The fullness of His life as Jesus the Incarnate Christ will lead to what He will call His hour of glory (John 12:23).  Let us, through our faith, abide in Him, and He in us, as the resurrection and the life. 

 

 

 

If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead

 

 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom.  

 

"The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.'  

 

"Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"

 

- Luke 16:19–31 

 

On Saturday, we read that Jesus taught, "He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.  Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?  And if you have not been faithful in what is another man's, who will give you what is your own?  No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon."  Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him.  And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts.  For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.  The law and the prophets were until John.  Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.  And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail.  Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery." 

 "There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.  But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.  Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.  So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom."  Abraham's bosom means heaven, my study Bible tells us.  It notes that Abraham is mentioned among all the righteous because, in stark contrast to the rich man, Abraham showed hospitality to strangers (Genesis 18:1-8).   Jesus tells us that the rich man . . . was buried.  In patristic literature this image is seen as illustrating the state of his merciless soul, buried by the pleasures of the flesh.  My study Bible cites St. John Chrysostom as teaching that this man was already buried in life by "couches, rugs, furnishings, sweet oils, perfumes, large quantities of wine, varieties of food, and flatterers."  That the rich man remains unnamed indicates that he is ultimately forgotten, my study Bible says (see Psalm 9:6).  

"The rich man also died and was buried.  And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  Then he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'  But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.  And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.' "  This rich man's appeal to Abraham as a spiritual father is not rejected, my study Bible notes, Rather, it says, Abraham accepts this role.  He calls the rich man son and shows himself to be compassionate even towards the most wretched of people.  The great gulf isn't a geographical divide, but rather it's the complete separation between virtue and wickedness, a separation that cannot be overcome after death.  Also, my study Bible asks us to note that torments have not changed the rich man's heart, as he still sees Lazarus as a servant who exists for the sake of his own comfort.  Moreover, Christ's account in this story is a revelation of the communion of the saints, for here a man who is not even a believer calls out from Hades and speaks with Saint Abraham.

 

 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.'  Abraham said to him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'  And he said, 'No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.'  But he said to him, 'If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.'"   My study Bible comments that some patristic sources see this parable being set after the final judgment, citing the punishment and reward received by the two men respectively.  But others see the parable as being set at a time after death, but before the second coming of Christ.  This is evidenced by the man interceding on behalf of his brothers who are still living.  The torment the rich man experiences would be then only a foretaste of his final state.  From that perspective, we learn that the souls of the departed have awareness of and concern for the state of those still alive on earth (see Luke 9:30-31; Matthew 2:18; 2 Maccabees 15:12-16).  However, my study Bible notes also that the intercessions of a wicked man are heard, but avail nothing (contrast James 5:16).  

Clearly, in the context of all of our recent readings, Jesus is telling this parable -- particularly to the Pharisees, whom we were told in Saturday's reading were "lovers of money" -- to illustrate that what we share of our worldly goods with the poor becomes treasure in the heavens (Luke 12:33), or more particularly it allows us to "make friends" for ourselves who "may receive us into an everlasting home" (see Friday's reading).  But the communication between the parties involved, especially after they have passed from life in our world, is really what is intriguing me today.  Christ illustrates His point about the importance of life beyond this world -- and how much we take it into consideration -- by making it clear that life doesn't end when we think it does, but we go on in another state, and what we do or do not do in this world has something to do with where we wind up, and what that life will be like for us.  In a very secular-oriented world, we're not conditioned to think about that very much.  Once upon a time, it was common practice to consider the end of our lives, that we will all pass from this world.  But a modern mindset does not want to admit of disability, deterioration, infirmity, or death, as if we can find ways to avert these things.   But Jesus' repeated emphasis on charity emphasizes the importance of what our lives will be after we pass from our worldly lives.  Perhaps all of us would be better off if this were the message we take to heart, and begin to consider that life isn't simply over when we pass from this world, but rather continues with new circumstances and under new conditions, which depend upon how we've lived our lives as well.   Christ's emphasis on compassion here stresses that those of us who fail to practice compassion will not be able to realize or receive God's compassion extended to us -- another way to understand the practice of mercy.  "For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13).  Perhaps Christ's repeated stress on charity can also be understood in terms of the practice of forgiveness.  As we've discussed in the past couple of readings and commentary, Jesus' teachings on forgiveness are linked to debt, as in the Lord's Prayer, in which we consider forgiveness as a kind of wiping away a debt, considering it paid.  He teaches us to pray, "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" and after giving the prayer, adds, "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (see Matthew 6:12-15).  The communion of saints shown in the communication after the rich man's death gives us a sense also of that life that continues under new conditions and circumstances, a sense in which the rich man's place is diminished so that he is now one of less importance and very limited agency, and in which Lazarus has become of higher stature.  This is a picture of the weight or substance that Christ has pronounced on both of them, how God sees these two people, also a consequence of their lives.  The final pronouncement of Abraham is very important, because what that does is give us a type of end to mercy, an understanding that it is, in some sense, limited, for God has exhausted the efforts possible to reach the unrepentant:  "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."  At some point, a closed mind creates that limit, in which one is no longer reachable, and this we must also take to heart.  It's interesting that the rich man at least pleads for his brothers, teaching us that he does care for someone.  But it emphasizes Christ's point about the practice of mercy:  "For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?" (Matthew 5:46).  Even the rich man's concern for the brothers of his earthly father's house doesn't weigh much in the outcome of his life in this place of his torment.   Let us weigh these matters carefully, and consider how our orientation to our own lives and what we count as important play out according to these teachings.  

 

 

Hosanna! "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!" The King of Israel

 

 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus. 

The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:

"Hosanna!

'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'

The King of Israel!"

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written:

"Fear not, daughter of Zion; 

Behold, your King is coming,

Sitting on a donkey's colt."

His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.  

 

Therefore the people who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing.  Look, the world has gone after Him!" 

 

- John 12:9–19 

 

Yesterday we read that the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.  (This marks the third Passover reported in John's Gospel, and gives us our understanding of Christ's three-year period of earthly ministry.)  Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think -- that He will not come to the feast?"  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.  Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.  But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."

 

 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.  But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.   Once again, we note that the term the Jews is most often used in John's Gospel to indicate the religious leadership.   Some comment that it might be better translated as "Judeans," and indicating people from this region, as juxtaposed against Galilee, where Jesus is from.  But it seems quite possible that, given those who had come to grieve with Martha and Mary, and so witnessed the raising of Lazarus, this term here indicates people from Jerusalem and so those connected with the ruling classes of the temple.  All of the people in our reading are Jews, including Jesus and His disciples, which included the author of this Gospel.   Clearly what the Gospel describes here is a falling away to Christ of even those in Jerusalem and perhaps among the families connected to the ruling Council, in a very real sense rejecting the opposition of the religious leaders to Jesus.

 

 The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out:  "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!'  The King of Israel!"  This day is known as Palm Sunday, for the branches of palm trees the people carried as went out to meet Him.  It is the beginning of Holy Week, the final week of Christ's earthly life.  The scenes in today's reading mark what is called Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  This cry of the people comes from Psalm 118:25-26, which was associated with messianic expectation.  It was recited daily during the Feast of Tabernacles, my study Bible tells us, and seven times on the seventh day as branches were waved.  The Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot in Hebrew) commemorates the time Israel wandered in the wilderness following Moses toward the promised land, and is also called the Feast of the Coming Kingdom.  Hosanna means "Save, we pray!"

 

Then Jesus, when He had found a young donkey, sat on it; as it is written: "Fear not, daughter of Zion; 

Behold, your King is coming, sitting on a donkey's colt."  His disciples did not understand these things at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written about Him and that they had done these things to Him.  These verses, recognized later by the disciples as fulfilled in Christ's riding on a young donkey in His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem, come from the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.  

Therefore the people who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead, bore witness.  For this reason the people also met Him, because they heard that He had done this sign.  The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing.  Look, the world has gone after Him!"  The raising of Lazarus from the dead, the seventh and final sign performed by Christ in John's Gospel, becomes a sword which separates people.  Let us note the details mentioned here.  John speaks of "the people who were with Him when He called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead," and it is to these details they bore witness.   On the one hand there are these faithful witnesses who testify to the truth of this event, and the people go to meet Jesus because of the testimony of these witnesses.  But on the other hand, the Pharisees can only think that Christ is in their opposition; they haven't vanquished Him, but the people follow Him.  Therefore they are "accomplishing nothing."

One thing is clear to see in today's text:  the people are waiting for a Savior, the Messiah.  That is, someone who will deliver them from Roman rule, and establish Israel as a sovereign and prosperous state.  The people's shout, "Hosannah!" sets the tone for this plea.  And so, as the people welcome Jesus into Jerusalem, it is clear that the raising of Lazarus -- spread through the testimony of the witnesses to this final sign of John's Gospel -- has had the effect of convincing people that Jesus has to be the one.  But expectations are tricky and possibly devious things.  While in our faith, we understand that Christ is indeed, the Messiah (this is what the word "Christ" means in Greek, the "Anointed One"), the expectations of just what the Messiah will do are not necessarily fitting to what He is and who He is.  He is a Deliverer, and a Savior, but what does that deliverance look like, and what is salvation?  All of these meanings, essential to Christianity, taught in His ministry, will have to be understood and apprehended by the faith and trust people put in Him, and through the revelation of the Holy Spirit in the evolution of the Church.  In the gospel of St. Matthew, when Jesus cleanses the temple, the children shout "Hosannah to the Son of David!" (Matthew 21:14-16).  This "Hosennah" again suggests the cry for a Savior, a Deliverer, and the title Son of David is a messianic title.  But we understand it as akin to the words of welcome to Jesus in today's reading, "Hosanna!  'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!' The King of Israel!"  The King of Israel would have to be the Son of David, as the true King and Messiah, one from the lineage of David, and that is Christ.  But what are the expectations of this king? What do the people want?  In commentary on the passage from Matthew, my study Bible notes that in the eyes of the Church, the children's praise is perfect (and we know Christ's own response to the criticism of the children by the chief priests and scribes: "Have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise'?").  But by contrast, the expectations of the adults are different and earthly in nature; when these are left unfulfilled, my study Bible says, they would be led to rebel against Jesus just five days later.  In John's chapter 6, we read that, after feeding the multitudes with bread in the wilderness while still in Galilee, the people tried to take Him by force to make Him king (John 6:15).  But Jesus responded, "Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.  Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him."  And so, Jesus' ministry has been filled with His efforts to teach the people what His messiahship means, what kind of King He really is, and what sort of Kingdom He brings into the world.  He asks for faith, but what does this faith look like?  Is it the same as obedience to Caesar?  Is it different?  How do we worship Him; most importantly, how do we trust in Him?  The people's improper expectations of Him have been a concern expressed through Christ's ministry all along.  What do we expect from Him?  How do we trust Him?    At this time, lots of people seem to be searching for a Deliverer or a Savior, as perhaps people always have.  What does He teach us about that?  How does He teach us to live our faith in Him even when we cry out to Him?  In whom or what do we place our trust?  The chief priests and scribes complain, "Look, the world has gone after Him!"  What does the world go after today? These matters are still with us, and we need to consider them carefully, and ponder how He answers to us all. 

 

 

 

 

 

For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always

 

 And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.  Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think -- that He will not come to the feast?"  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him. 

Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.  But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."

 

- John 11:55—12:8 

 

On Saturday we read that many of people from Jerusalem who had come to Mary when mourning Lazarus, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him (see this reading for the raising of Lazarus).  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, "What shall we do?  For this Man works many signs.  If we let Him alone like this, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."  And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year, said to them, "You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."  Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation, and not for that nation only, but also that He would gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.  Then, from that day on, they plotted to put Him to death.  Therefore Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went from there into the country near the wilderness, to a city called Ephraim, and there remained with His disciples.

 

  And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went from the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves.  Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, "What do you think -- that He will not come to the feast?"  Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him.   My study Bible tells us that, because Jesus is the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the connection between the Passover, when lambs were slaughtered to save the Jews from death (Exodus 12:1-13), and the death of Jesus, which saves humankind from sin and death, is continually emphasized.  This is the third Passover of Christ's earthly ministry, and it is the final year of His earthly life. 

 

 Then, six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was who had been dead, whom He had raised from the dead.  There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.  Jesus comes early toward Jerusalem as pilgrim for the Passover, and arrives in Bethany which is east of Jerusalem, and the home of His friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  (See John 11 for the story of the raising of Lazarus, Christ's seventh and final sign given in John's Gospel.)  As noted above, this is the third Passover mentioned in John's Gospel (see John 2:13; 6:4), and frames the setting for the final week of Christ's earthly life (Holy Week).  The following week will be given to us in careful detail.  My study Bible comments that Jesus had already been glorified through His signs and words; at this stage it remained for Him to be glorified through His death and Resurrection.  Note that Martha served, in keeping with the consistent portrayal of her character in the Gospels.  Lazarus is now a person who is the object of tremendous attention from both the people and the religious authorities (as we will read in tomorrow's lectionary reading); here he sits at table with Christ, clearly alive and well.

 

  Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair.  And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.  But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, who would betray Him, said, "Why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii and given to the poor?"  This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put in it.  But Jesus said, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."  My study Bible comments that the other disciples said to the same thing Judas said, but with a very different motive (see also Matthew 26:6-13).  Judas spoke from greed, it notes, while the others spoke from the virtue of charity.  That Jesus had put a thief in charge of the money, it says, shows that by every means Jesus attempted to save Judas:  He fulfilled his lust for money; He allowed Judas to exercise apostolic authority (John 6:11; see also Mark 6:7); He washed Judas' feet with the other disciples (John 13:5); and He allowed him to partake at the table of the Mystical Supper (John 13:26).  But Judas could never overcome his greed.

Given our recent readings and commentary, perhaps the first thing we might notice is once again the contrast between these two sisters.  Martha, the one consistently portrayed by the Gospels engaged in active service, serves her guests at the table.  But Mary is silent in today's reading; she's not reported saying a word but takes a pound of very costly oil of spikenard in to the place of this supper.  One might suppose that a pound of such costly ointment would truly be very high in value; however, it is more the quantity that seems quite impressive here.  An entire pound of any type of essential oil is a very large quantity, and there is no doubt of that the fragrance surely filled the house.  Spikenard, according to this article, is made from a type of plant related to honeysuckle.  Mary's astonishing act needs no speech; it is so eloquent that it speaks for itself.  But Jesus does speak up for her, and declares that "she has kept this for the day of My burial."  To save an anointing oil for burial must have been quite an act of love in and of itself, a testimony to the depth of friendship among these people, and to Mary's reverence for Jesus.  For such oils were used to prepare a body for burial, a final loving act.  Indeed, the first ones to receive the good news of Christ's Resurrection will be the women who come to Christ's tomb to anoint His body for burial, and they are known as the Myrrh-bearing women to us in the Church.  But this Mary, perhaps knowing already what is to come (perhaps she is aware the religious leaders already plot against Him), and that it is the result of His raising her brother Lazarus from the dead, anoints His body with this oil she has been saving for the day of His burial.  Wiping His feet with her hair, she enacts the great pose of giving Christ supreme honor, showing that she understands who He is, and perhaps even a sense that He will die for the love of them all.  Theodore of Mopsuestia comments that Mary’s act of love should be seen for what it was, an honor given to our Lord, who would not be long among them, rather than pitted against the idea of caring for the poor, which (according to John's Gospel) was not really Judas’s primary concern.  St. Ambrose comments that Judas valued Mary's act of love at a much higher price than he would be paid for the very life of Christ, writing, "O traitor Judas, you value the ointment of his passion at three hundred pence, and you sell his passion at thirty pence. Rich in valuing, cheap in wickedness!" (On the Holy Spirit).  Clearly Christ Himself pronounces this extravagant act of love on the part of Mary to be quite precious, saying, "Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial.  For the poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always."  And so it is, and so we understand.  May all our generous acts of love be as precious and, indeed, priceless -- and so very graciously received as by the author of grace Himself. 

 

See how He loved him!

 

 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"  

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."

 

- John 11:30-44 

 

In yesterday's reading, we read that when Jesus came to the home of Martha, Mary and Lazarus in Bethany, He found that Lazarus 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.  Then 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."  And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

 

  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and came to Him.  Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him.  Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, "She is going to the tomb to weep there."  Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."   My study Bible points out that Mary approaches Christ with the identical words Martha used (see yesterday's reading, above).  It notes that while Jesus engaged Martha with words, here He engages Mary with deeds -- the raising of her brother from the dead which is to come. 

 

 Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  And He said, "Where have you laid him?"  They said to Him, "Lord, come and see."  Jesus wept.  Then the Jews said, "See how He loved him!"  And some of them said, "Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?"   My study Bible comments that John emphasizes that Jesus wept and groaned in spirit, in order to show He had fully taken on human nature, and He was subject to grief as any human being would be.  It says that weeping is the natural response to the tragedy of death.  At Compline of Lazarus Saturday, the Orthodox Church sings a hymn that declares, "Shedding tears by Your own choice, You have given us proof of Your heartfelt love."  Once again, we reiterate that the term the Jews is most often used in John's Gospel to indicate the religious leaders.  In this case, these are people who have come from Jerusalem, likely among prominent families, to mourn with Martha and Mary. 

Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone."  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days."  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Although Martha's faith has increased, my study Bible says (compare to yesterday's reading, above), she still understood neither Christ's will nor His power.  It notes that the spices and oils used to anoint a dead body would only hold the stench of decomposition at bay for a short time.  In many icons of the raising of Lazarus, we see bystanders covering their noses, which illustrates both the reality of his corrupted flesh and the fact that many did not believe Christ could raise the dead.

  Jesus said to her, "Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?"  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  In order to show Christ's divine will was one with the Fathers, and that His human will was freely subject in all ways to the Father's, my study Bible says that Jesus prays aloud for the sake of the people. 

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  My study Bible cites the passage in John 5:25-29 for reference here.  It notes that Christ calls Lazarus forth, not in the name of the Father, but by His own authority.  This shows the people that while Christ came from the Father, He fully possesses divine authority in Himself.

And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, "Loose him, and let him go."  That Lazarus came out bound in his graveclothes is frequently seen in patristic literature as an indication that he will need them again; in other words, Lazarus' resurrection continues an earthly life which will again end in death.  Christ's graveclothes, by contrast, will be left in the tomb (John 20:5-7).  Unlike that of Lazarus, my study Bible says, Christ's Resurrection transfigures human nature.  He will never die again.  My study Bible adds that this seventh and final sign of John's Gospel prepared the disciples to believe in Christ's Resurrection.  But in the words of the Orthodox hymn for the day, it also "confirmed the universal resurrection," proving Christ has the power to fulfill the promise given to Ezekiel that all the dead will one day rise (Ezekiel 37:1-13). 

Today's passage gives us a number of indications of Jesus' deep feelings of love for Martha and Mary and Lazarus.  We're told of Jesus' encounter with Mary, who fell down at His feet.  We're told that when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.  The shortest verse in the Holy Bible is Jesus wept.  Those who have come from Jerusalem to mourn with the sisters say, "See how He loved him!"  As Jesus approaches the tomb of Lazarus He is groaning in Himself.  Each of these things are indications of love, and moreover they are indications of compassion and also empathy.  How do we discern if these are Christ's human emotions, or they also encompass His divine persona?   The Gospel doesn't seem to distinguish a difference.  At any rate, we know that our Lord has experienced all of what it is in our human context to feel anguish at another's pain, to experience mourning and sorrow and all the effects that death has on community and family.  We can see His response to the weeping of His friend Mary, and that He groaned in spirit and was troubled, and groaned as He went to the tomb.  These things indicate turmoil based on His friend's death and the mourning of the others.  But then He says, "Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me."  This seems to indicate that what transpires, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, is done at Jesus' request of the Father.  It indicates a deep love between Father and Son that goes both ways, and a deep gratitude on the part of the Son, Jesus Christ.  This final astounding, decisive sign in John's Gospel, which will more or less effectively complete Christ's earthly ministry is an act requested by Christ, and fulfilled by the Father who has put all authority and the power of life in Christ's hands.  We know once and for all who He is, and so do the religious leaders who will now plot to kill Him.  His is the power of life, as He has said to Martha, in yesterday's reading:  "I am the resurrection and the life."   In human terms and earthly life, it has been conventionally observed that "power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely" (Lord Acton).  But in our Lord, we see something entirely different.  Christ has the power of life and death, and He has it absolutely, because it has been given by the Father.  But in Jesus, we see compassion and love, we see a man moved by grief because His friends whom He loves are suffering, because His friend Lazarus has died.  And in terms of the use of His power, it is used to express compassion and love, and to proclaim to the world the truth about who Jesus is, and that He is sent by the Father.  We faithful are left with an indelible understanding of Christ's power of life that reigns over all, of His love, and His deep and touching tenderness and compassion for human suffering -- and His capacity for the bonds of friendship.  In these we take heart and place our trust.

 

 

 

 

 

The Teacher has come and is calling for you

 

 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.  Then 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."  And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.

 

- John 11:17–29 

 

Yesterday we read that 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 are You 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. We recall that in yesterday's reading, the Gospel told us that Jesus had delayed His coming to Bethany by two days; in this way Jesus did not arrive before Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days.  My study Bible explains that there existed a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but after four days resuscitation would be impossible.  

And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.   In Jewish practice, mourning began on the day of a person's death.  My study Bible notes that weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation for one week; and general mourning lasted 30 days.  Here we see the prominence of this family, as John's Gospel most frequently uses the term the Jews to denote those among the Jewish ruling classes of the temple in Jerusalem.  Bethany, the town of Martha and Mary, was nearby, to the east of Jerusalem.  

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  My study Bible asks us to compare this description of the two sisters and their different reactions to Christ arrival, with the passage in Luke 10:38-42.  They respond consistent with their characters as described in the incident recorded by Luke.  Martha is inclined to active service, and she rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary remains in mourning until she is called by Christ.  Sitting, my study Bible says, was the traditional posture when 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."   Even though Martha possesses great faith, nevertheless her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Christ.  My study Bible notes that in saying, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha reveals she does not fully see that Christ is God, believing that He needs to be present to heal (compare this with the healing of the nobleman's son, at John 4:46-54).  When she says, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she shows her lack of understanding that Jesus as Son 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."   Jesus teaches, "I am the resurrection and the life."  My study Bible comments that in order to correct Martha's misunderstanding, Christ declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  It notes that such is the power of Christ's words that Martha is immediately led to her great confession of faith.  My study Bible adds that Jesus' question, "Do you believe this?" is a question not only directed to Martha but to all of us. 

And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you."  As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him.  Once again, we are led to observe the consistent difference of character between these two sisters, beloved and dear friends of Christ. 

The contrast between Martha and Mary is important, if only so that we understand how God calls us to live our faith.  As these two sisters are both loved by Christ, along with their brother Lazarus (see yesterday's reading, above), we must come to understand how He calls and relates and loves each one.  Each sister expresses herself in a different way.  Martha is consistently portrayed in this story, and also in the passage in Luke (Luke 10:38-42) as one devoted to hospitality, and outward expression of service.  In going out to meet Jesus, she expresses the deep hospitality practices of the region, receiving an honored and beloved guest.  But Mary is the more reserved, and perhaps we may call her studious, in some sense.  She remains in the house, also following tradition, but in the position of mourning due to her brother's passing.  Note that she has also remained with the guests and friends who have come to join and comfort the sisters in their mourning.  Each one in her own way expresses her character, and each is serving in roles fitting to their religious tradition.  Each is beloved of Christ.  While Jesus takes the time to explicitly teach Martha something about Himself and the reality of His divinity (just as He taught her something important about the faith He preaches in the Luke passage), Mary has awaited Christ's call to her.  But as soon as Martha secretly tells her, "The Teacher has come and is calling for you," she arose quickly and came to Him, just as she devotedly sat at His feet and heard His teaching in the passage in Luke, in which Jesus taught Martha that Mary had chosen "that good part."  So each one has her part to play.  It seems to me important that we observe that Christ never teaches these sisters that one has to play the same role as the other.  He never says to them that one has to be more like the other.  He doesn't teach Mary that she should be more hospitable, but He also defends Mary when her sister Martha demands that He tell her to help serve the guests in the passage from Luke.  Neither does He, in that passage, demand that Martha also sit and listen to Him.  But this teaches us how Christ loves and guides each of us.  We will each be called with a particular role to play that suits the uniqueness of our creation by the Lord Himself, for He calls us as we know Him and are known by Him ("My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me" - John 10:27).  While most certainly we follow traditions and practices in the Church, sharing the things given to all of us as Christians in community, honoring the saints in the great communion of saints, and knowing the teachings of Christ about Himself, the Father, and the Holy Spirit, there is also a sense in which God's great creativity extends to each one working within this great collective harmony of service in salvation.   The Church in its broadest sense is made up of people from all backgrounds.  St. Paul writes, "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him" (Romans 10:12).  This doesn't mean that people cease being Jewish or Greek, but faith in Christ makes of us a new entity in which everything works in synergy for renewal; grace is always at work but expressed both within us and among us (Luke 17:20-21).  If we look at the dynamism of the Church in her myriad saints, we see that there is no cookie-cutter pattern that each fits in terms of expression and persona.  What saints share in common is a deep devotion to faith and love of God, and God's grace working through them.  Each one, no matter how unique their life circumstance, no matter from which time period, teaches us something about our faith.  And this is what we must take from these stories of Martha and Mary, both of whom Jesus loved and they loved Him.  For the Gospels tell us how different and unique each were, yet each was devoted and a friend to Christ, and each grew in faith.  Let us pay close attention to how we are called by the Teacher.