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.

 

 

 

 

 

We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament

 

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:  

    'We played the flute for you,

    And you did not dance;

    We mourned to you,

    And you did not lament.'

"For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."

 

- Matthew 11:16-24

 

In Friday's reading, the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus, asking if He is the Coming One, or if they should look for another, for John was imprisoned at this time.  On Saturday we read that when they departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed, those who wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  For this is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.  And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.  For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.  And if you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come.  He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" 

 

 "But to what shall I liken this generation?  It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their companions, and saying:   'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; We mourned to you, and you did not lament.'   For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."  Jesus compares His and John the Baptist's critics to children playing a popular game among Jewish children of the time.  The children would divide into two groups.  One would pretend to play musical instruments (for dancing) or to sing (for mourning), and the others were expected to respond.  In this case, He compares them to children complaining that the second group responded in a manner opposite of what would have been expected.  My study Bible comments that Christ draws a parallel to the Jewish leaders who responded wickedly both to John the Baptist as being too ascetic and to Christ as being too liberal in mercy and joy.  But, as Jesus says, wisdom is justified by all her children.  That is, both the ascetic John, and the merciful Christ.

Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:  "Woe to you Chorazin!  Woe to you, Bethsaida!  For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.  But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you.  And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.  But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you."  My study Bible comments that it is a far greater sin to have seen Christ's works and rejected Him than never to have known Him at all.  

In today's reading, Jesus speaks of the proper response to the grace of God.  Both He and John the Baptist have ministries in which they serve God as they are called.  John was himself deeply ascetic, living in a kind of chosen poverty in order to devote all of his life to God's call.  Christ's ministry appears to be quite different.  As He Himself says, He is criticized for eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners -- those with wealth, even gained by what are considered to be sinful means (see this reading, in which Matthew the tax collector, our Evangelist, is called by Christ the Physician).  Their ministries bear very little resemblance  to one another, and yet both serve as they are called to do.  For this is the message of God's grace.  In John's chapter 3, Jesus explains to Nicodemus, an important member of the Council who also becomes Christ's follower:  "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8).  In other words, God's grace -- the ways in which the Spirit of God works -- is not predictable nor accountable to worldly human standards.  Jesus and John bear very little resemblance to one another in terms of the appearance and type of their ministries, but in fact both work together for God's kingdom, and each is necessary in the unfolding of this story.  Nicodemus himself is an unlikely candidate for us to expect as a devoted follower of Christ, as He is a prominent member of the Council and a Pharisee, and yet he becomes a disciple as well; like Joseph of Arimathea, another wealthy man from Jerusalem, he will show heroism in service to Christ.  What all of these figures have in common, and indeed all the figures we read about who serve Christ and the kingdom, is just that:  a faith that exchanges one life for another, worldly expectations for the service of God, however they are called to do so in life.  For this is the life of faith, and of taking up one's own cross.  Of course, the wonderful message hidden in Christ's words that "wisdom is justified by all her children" is that in the great and awesome creativity of Christ, each unique life and personality gives us a sense of the magnificent beauty and variety of God's kingdom.  As unique and different as each person we read about who serves God, each is called to play their own part in the Body of Christ.  This is the unsurpassed creativity of God, and why we just keep our hearts open to discernment.  The astonishing beauty of God can also be misunderstood and rejected when we allow our own expectations to cloud what grace is revealing to us.  We think of repentance as mourning for sins of the past; but truly another form of repentance is opening one's eyes to God's unexpected grace, and opening to receive as it is given and revealed.  In order to do that, we discard the limitations God challenges within ourselves, and embrace God's way for us.  This is also the way of the Cross, of taking up our own crosses and following Him.  Jesus' great signs do not move the cities He names to that kind of repentance, or "change of mind."  This in itself, as He reveals, becomes a kind of judgment.  They are witness to His miracles, but cannot accept His gospel -- and both are gifts from God.  This is the danger of wanting a god in our own image, one who will simply conform to our demands.  But wisdom is justified by all her children.

I am the resurrection and the life

 

 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 as 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 

 

On Saturday, 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 remember from our previous reading on Saturday (see above) that Jesus had delayed His trip to Bethany after hearing the news that Lazarus was very ill.  John the Evangelist tells us that Jesus loved Martha and Mary and their brother Lazarus, and so this delay is intentional, "that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (again, see Saturday's reading, above).  My study Bible says that there was a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but after four days 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.  My study Bible tells us that mourning began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation lasted one week, and general mourning lasted 30 days.  Here we are told that many from the temple in Jerusalem, likely from the religious Council (John's Gospel frequently uses the term "the Jews" to indicate members of the religious leadership, especially those among them hostile to Christ), came to comfort Martha and Mary and to mourn with them.  Therefore they will be witnesses to the sign that is to come.  From this passage we can possibly understand that Martha and Mary and their brother were from a prominent family, certainly known to many.

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 comments that, not unlike the incident of Luke 10:38-42, the two sisters react differently to Christ's arrival.  Martha, who is inclined to active service, rushes out to Meet Jesus, while Mary is in mourning until she is called by Christ (verses 28-29).  Sitting is 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 as of God, God will give You."  While Martha possesses great faith, my study Bible says, her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Christ.  In saying, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha reveals she does not fully see that Christ is God, thinking He needed to be present to effect healings (contrast this with John 4:46-54).  By saying, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she shows her 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."  Jesus says of Himself, "I am the resurrection and the life."   This powerful statement is a declaration of divine authority, even to raise the dead at the last day, but also applies here in this world.  This corrects Martha's misunderstanding:  my study Bible comments that such is the power of these words that Martha is immediately led to a great confession of faith.  Do you believe this? becomes a question directed not only 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.  Again, we note the differences in character of Martha and Mary, whom we note arose quickly once she is told the Teacher "is calling for you."  We can understand this as responding to a command.

We can't help but remark upon the differences in character between the two sisters, shown to be consistent throughout the Gospels -- especially in the context of the story in Luke which is noted by my study Bible (see Luke 10:38-42).  Martha is conscientious about performing the duties of hospitality; she goes out to meet Jesus as He approaches their home.  Mary is more concerned with the duties of piety; it is she who sits in mourning according to custom and tradition, and yet it is also Mary who responds quickly when she knows she is being called by the Teacher.  In the story in Luke, it is Martha concerned again with the duties of hospitality, no small thing in the context of culture (and indeed, all the cultures of the Middle East), as well as in the eyes of Christian monastic tradition that would follow, in which the duties of hospitality to visitors at the door would take precedence even over prayer.  It is important that we not minimize hospitality to a concept of mere social nicety or form, and understand it in the context of charity that shaped and defined cultures of the Middle East, and also in the tradition of the story of Abraham, who "entertained angels unawares" (Genesis 18:1-10, Hebrews 13:2).  Hospitality, especially in a desert climate where conditions could be harsh, was a tenet of mercy, especially toward strangers (see also the parable of the Good Samaritan, also in Luke's chapter 10 -  Luke 10:25-37).   Mary, on the other hand, sits at Christ's feet in the story of the two sisters in Luke, which Jesus calls "that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (again, see Luke 10:38-42).   In that context, while Martha served and performed duties of hospitality, Mary sat as a disciple, listening to Jesus teach, something considered to be possibly outside of the norm, as evidenced by Martha's complaint to Jesus about her sister not helping her.  But in both sisters, we can read facets of Christianity and Christian service; each has a way to Christ, Christ loved both, as well as their brother Lazarus.  Martha and Mary have quite different personae, as sisters often do, but each one has her own way of learning from Christ, of being a friend to Christ, calling Him Teacher, and coming to Him in faith.  Each has her own way to a confession of faith.  What we should learn from these sisters, it seems to me, is of the many-faceted living jewel that the Church is, that our faith is, and that each one has a way to come to Christ unique to personality.  Each is called, but our direct path is not necessarily the same even though the goal is the same.   As we have had many occasions to remark of late in our commentaries, when St. Peter made his confession of faith, Jesus told him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 16:17).  Perhaps our Father in heaven, who has created each one of us in unique manner each with unique soul and spirit, also has a way to draw each of us in important ways so that the expression of unique personae becomes a part of our pathway to faith.  One might say that we can see in the saints unique ways that each is called to express faith, that holiness becomes a dynamic expression of potentials that are in that personality, as one is called by God.  For today, the Teacher approaches with His own plan and under the Father's guidance; Martha, the one skilled in hospitality duties, comes out to meet Him, while He calls Mary to Himself.  Each is called to a confession of faith, to the realization of who Jesus truly is.  Jesus says, "I am the resurrection and the life."   This is an offer of the fullness of life, of life which transcends even death.  He says to Martha, "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?"   This is the path of faith, to which we are all called -- but in each unique life that faith will work with us to reveal Christ's power of immortality, like light hitting the facets of a jewel.  For we each need the power of His life in our life.

 

 

 

 

Now 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 are You going there again?"  Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day?  If anyone walks int he 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

Yesterday we read that there was a division again among the religious leaders because of Jesus' teachings at the Feast of Tabernacles.  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 the, "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 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."   Chapter 11 concerns the resurrection of Lazarus, which is the seventh of seven signs in John's Gospel.  It is the sign that sealed the Jewish authorities' decision to put Jesus to death (verses 47-50).   Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, approximately two miles from Jerusalem.  Lazarus, my study bible reminds us, is the same name as "Eleazar" which literally means "God helps."  Jesus sends the message that Lazarus' sickness is not unto death back to Mary and Martha.  My study bible says that this will strengthen them so that when he dies, they may take confidence in Jesus' words.  Like the blindness from birth for the purpose of the glorification of God (9:3; see this reading), Lazarus' natural death from illness, and his being raised from the dead, will glorify Christ.

 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 int he 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."  Jesus repeats the emphasis from His teachings at the time of the healing of the man blind from birth (this reading):  "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."  He is the light of the world; those who follow Him do not walk in darkness (8:12).  Jesus stays two more days so that Lazarus will be dead long enough that his bodily corruption will set in; therefore there will be no doubt regarding his resurrection from the dead.  The power of God will be clearly seen by all who witness.  John also tells us about Christ's love for His friends, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.

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."  Sleep is frequently  used in the New Testament as a metaphor for death (see Acts 7:60; 1 Corinthians 11:30, 15:6).  As the resurrection of Lazarus will imply, our physical death is akin to sleep as we await resurrection and judgment.  My study bible says that Thomas's statement here is an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It comments that this 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.  My study bible comments that there existed a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but after four days 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.   In Jewish custom, mourning began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing, my study bible explains, lasted three days; lamentation lasted one week; and general mourning lasted 30 days.  Clearly Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are from a prominent family in Bethany, as many of the Jews (meaning those among the prominent members of the Jewish leadership at Jerusalem) joined the women around Martha and Mary in mourning for their brother.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Like Luke's story about Martha and Mary (Luke 10:38-42), which reveals their differing characters, so John also gives us an understanding of who they are.  Martha, who is inclined to active service, rushes out to meet Jesus, fulfilling the duties of hospitality.  Mary remains in what was considered to be the proper position for mourning (sitting in the house), until she is called by Christ (verses 28-29).  My study bible comments that 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."  Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."  My study bible says that while Martha possesses great faith, her statements here indicate a lack of understanding regarding Christ.  When she says that "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," she reveals that she doesn't truly see that Christ is divine -- otherwise she would understand that He does not need to be present to effect healings (see 4:46-54).  Also, she tells Jesus, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You."   This shows that she does not perceive that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as He wills.

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 corrects Martha's misunderstanding.  He declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, and also here in this world.  Christ's words are so powerful that Martha is led to her confession of faith.  My study bible says that Do you believe this? is a question that is directed not only to Martha, but to each one of us.

What is faith, and where does it come from?  Although we may not have the ties with Jesus that Martha and Mary and Lazarus do, there is something of those ties in which we also share.  The Gospel tells us that Jesus has close worldly ties to this family.  They are His friends.  But moreover, we are told explicitly that Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.  At the beginning of chapter 12, we will be given a great expression of that mutual love by Mary (12:1-8).  What we should understand is that, similarly to this family and Christ, we, too, experience a love from Christ that is not separable from our faith in Him.  Jesus will die a human death on the Cross not just for His friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, but also for each one of us.  John's Gospel assures us that Christ became the human Jesus not simply to fulfill a splendid mission, to claim followers, and to establish the Church.  The reason we are given for the life of Jesus Christ in the world is because God so loved the world (3:16).  Going even further into the understanding of this love is our journey with Lazarus and with his resurrection, because 3:16 declares that God's love seeks to give us everlasting life -- a life of resurrection through which we will abide with Him.  Christ's love -- as divine Son -- is inseparable from the Father's love, from His mission into the world, and His desire that we will live with Him.  At the Last Supper, He will tell the disciples, "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love."  This is His message for each one of us.  We see His love displayed for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus.  He is not only the one who will glorify God through the resurrection of Lazarus, but He's also the patient teacher and older brother to Martha and Mary as well.  He is God, and Martha at the end of today's reading recognizes His divinity, and yet, as living God, He remains the patient, close, loving friend.  His interaction with these sisters is tender and even intimate; He knows them better than they know themselves.  And this is what we take with us in our faith, the God who loves us intimately, is infinitely patient with us and tender, the older Brother for each -- the One who laid His life down for each of us who are His friends.  We cannot separate our faith from love.  It is what we must take with us each and every day, if we do as He teaches and abide in Him and in His love.  This is the true testimony of His life and of this Gospel.

Do you believe this?

 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb for 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

 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 for four days.   My study bible explains that there was a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but that after four days resuscitation would be impossible.  We recall from yesterday's reading, above, that Jesus has intentionally delayed His travel to Bethany in order for His arrival to be on this day.

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.   Mourning began on the day of a person's death.  Weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation lasted one week.  General mourning lasted thirty days. 

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  We note, as in Luke's Gospel, the contrast in the character of these sisters, both of whom are beloved by Jesus.  Martha is the one inclined to active service.  She rushes out to meet Jesus, fulfilling the duties of hospitality.  Mary remains sitting in the house, which is appropriate to mourning, until she is called by Christ (v. 28-29).  Sitting is 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."  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 explains that while Martha possesses great faith, her statements reveal a lack of understanding about Christ.  When she says, "If You had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha expresses the idea that she does not fully see that Christ is God.  She believes that He needed to be present to effect healings (contrast this with 4:46-54).  By saying, "whatever you ask of God, God will give You," she shows that she lacks understanding that Christ possesses full divine authority to act as he wills. 

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."  In order to correct Martha's misunderstanding about Him, Christ declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day as well as here in this world.  The power of His words is so profound that Martha is led immediately to a great confession of faith.  Do you believe this?, my study bible says, is a question that is 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. We observe Mary's obedience to Christ.  As in the story in Luke 10:38-42, Mary responds to Christ with an understanding that His word is above all custom.

I'm always intrigued by the characters of Martha and Mary, and grateful that the Gospels show them so clearly.  They are such different sisters.  Martha is consistently assuming the duties of hospitality in the incidents in which we see her across the Gospels, while Mary is the more contemplative, called to something that seems to be in contradiction to custom and to what is expected of her socially.  Yet, we need to understand, Jesus loves them both.  He gently corrects Martha when she wants her sister to be commanded by Christ to help her in Luke 10, and here she is also gently corrected as to His authority and her faith (to which she responds with a great confession of faith).  As such, He reveals to her His power and authority as God and divine, a tremendous revelation indeed.  In Jesus' love for these two sisters, so much is revealed to us.  His relationships with women are revelatory and contradict all custom.  We recall that John has also given us the story of the Samaritan woman in chapter 4, to whom Jesus first revealed Himself and the power of worship in spirit and truth.  Here in this story of Martha and Mary, we see His closeness to both of them -- how important He is to them, and how important they are to Him.  Indeed, John shows how important they are to the whole story of Christ and His ministry through this last seventh sign that will seal His fate with the authorities.  In His love and regard for these sisters, Jesus shows us that each of us have a pathway to our faith in Him.  It matters not at all that Martha is the one concerned with social service and hospitality, while Mary's character is so different.  Both must come to faith in Him and both are beloved by Him.  Neither does it matter, even in the traditional culture in which they live, that they are women.  Faith is for all of us, our relationship to Christ is equally strong and personal.  We are all called to the same confession of faith.  We must also comment on the relationships here with women, and recall that it was John the author of the Gospel who would become child to Mary, the mother of Christ, according to His word on the Cross (19:26).  John's revelation to us of Christ's own expression of identity to the various women in this Gospel is important in this light; it tells us about the relationship to Mary, and her traditional role in the Church as one who fully and first of all accepted faith in Him.  John illustrates this with her role in the first sign in the Gospel, at the wedding in Cana (2:1-12).  There, Mary's faith is fully evident in her promptings to the stewards and to her Son; she needs no convincing nor education as to His identity.  Let us consider the variety and richness and wisdom we receive in the Gospel.  As each of us is to receive Christ, let us understand that our Church is not to be one that produces cookie-cutter followers.  The saints of the Church emerge as individuals with unique personas and a myriad of expressions of full faith, an ongoing revelation of the Holy Spirit and Christ's ministry in the world, male and female and from all walks and ways of life.  It is the ongoing revelation of holiness in the world.  Do you believe this?

Wisdom is justified by all her children

 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:

'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.'

For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."

And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:

'We played the flute for you,
And you did not dance;
We mourned to you,
And you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'  But wisdom is justified by all her children."

- Luke 7:18-35

Yesterday we read that when Jesus concluded all His Sermon on the Plain in the hearing of the people (the readings from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday), He entered Capernaum.  And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die.  So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant.  And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, "for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue."  Then Jesus went with them.  And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, "Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof.  Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You.  But say the word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."  When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, "I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!"  And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well who had been sick."  Now it happened, the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd.  And when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow.  And a large crowd from the city was with her.  When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, "Do not weep."  Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still.  And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise."  So he who was dead sat up and began to speak.  And He presented him to his mother.  Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen up among us"; and, "God has visited His people."  And this report about Him went throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region.

 Then the disciples of John reported to him concerning all these things.  And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?"  When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'"  And that very hour He cured many of their infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight.  Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard:  that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.  And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me."   John the Baptist was imprisoned shortly after Jesus was baptized (Mark 1:14).  Although John has directed his disciples to follow Christ (John 1:29-31, 35-37), there are those who have remained with him.  While John's own faith was no doubt strengthened by the signs that Jesus performed, says my study bible, the Fathers universally see this encounter as a means John used to convince his remaining disciples that Jesus was truly the Coming One.   The things Jesus names are those acts identified in the sayings of the prophets of Israel as those forms of grace which will characterize the time of the Messiah (see for example Isaiah 35, 61.

When the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak to the multitudes concerning John:  "What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  But what did you go out to see?  A man clothed in soft garments?  Indeed those who are gorgeously appareled and live in luxury are in kings' courts.  But what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.  This is he of whom it is written:  'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.'  For I say to you, among those born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he."  Jesus quotes from Malachi 3:1, tying John as well into the eschatological news of this time of the coming of the Messiah, and the prophesies that foretold the time.  Although John was the greatest prophet, his earthly life and ministry remain in the period of the old covenant.  The new covenant so far surpasses the old that the least in the kingdom is greater than the greatest outside it.  This doesn't imply that John won't be resurrected to the Kingdom, but rather that his earthly life came before something much greater.  Jesus asks the crowd about John with words that hint at the false prophets of old, who lived in palaces in luxury and told kings what they wanted to hear.  "A reed shaken by the wind" is not a mighty prophet driven by the Holy Spirit, but rather a weak man submitting only to the whims of rulers.  The true prophets of Israel are those with whom John may be closely identified by his rigorous life outside of the society and his ascetic way of living, devoted fully to serving God.

And when all the people heard Him, even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John.  But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.   The text gives us the paradox of faith, the importance of choice, repentance, and the inner heart -- and the effectiveness of the ministry of preparation and baptism by John.  For comparison to these verses, see Mark 11:27-33.

And the Lord said, "To what then shall I liken the men of this generation, and what are they like?  They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, saying:  'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;  We mourned to you, and you did not weep.'  For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.'  The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, 'Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!'"  Jesus refers to a popular game played by children.  The children would divide into two groups:  one group would mime musicians who would play music either for mourning or dancing.  The other group of children responded.  In Jesus' example, they refuse to respond appropriately to the type of music being played.  My study bible tells us that the Pharisees were so rigid in their religion that they were unable to respond and engage the world around them.  They rejected John, therefore, as being too mournful and ascetic, while Christ was rejected as too merciful and joyous.

"But wisdom is justified by all her children."  Although both John and Christ are rejected by the Pharisees, they are both justified, says my study bible -- not by the opinions of people, but rather by their children, those who would come to believe and be faithful.  Children are also an image of works.  This is an echo of Jesus' recent teaching in the Sermon on the Plain, that "every tree is known by its own fruit" (see Thursday's reading.)

Today's reading gives us the perspective of the paradox of holiness, in its juxtaposition of John the Baptist and Jesus.  One is rigorous and extremely ascetic, living in the wilderness, dependent only upon God.  But the other feasts with tax collectors and sinners.  How can they both be holy?  How can they both be holy men of God -- and Jesus even the Messiah?  But when Jesus teaches that wisdom is justified by all her children, then we come to understand a great truth, both about Scripture and the entire nature of holiness and the work of God in the world.  If we take a look at the saints, we see men and women who are anything but seamlessly identical.  Saints are those who in one way or another have distinctive and powerful personalities, even those known for their great humility, who withdrew into deserts not to be seen for decades, who lived for the simplest act of kindness.  Many of them had personalities that others would criticize as full of flaws; none are cookie-cutter perfect.  But wisdom is justified by all her children.  That is another way of saying that by their fruits you shall know them.  Saints are those through whom God works in the world, whose "yes" to God is perhaps most archetypally given in the words of the Theotokos, that is, literally, the God-bearer, the Virgin Mary, "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).  Saints are those for whom everything in their lives is geared to hear God's word and to do it, whatever form that may take, however strange it may appear to others, for whom the reliance on God is all-important.   The Gospel teaches us that for each person, this holy road may appear quite different, even contradictory by worldly standards, but it is God's unfolding work in the world that is transcendent, and by whom all are justified.  The word "wisdom" is sophia in the Greek.  It is a feminine word in Greek.  But Wisdom is also the word for the Lord, for Christ Himself, the One who is incarnate as the human Jesus, but who speaks throughout Scripture.  Let us look, as Jesus teaches us, at all the children of wisdom scattered throughout Scripture and throughout history, and come to know their work, their participation in what He offers to us, and join in on that holy road -- His way.

Lazarus, come forth!

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 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 11:28-44

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.  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."

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 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."  We recall that Martha has gone out to greet Jesus, while Mary was sitting in mourning inside the house, together with those who've come from Jerusalem to mourn with her.  (Once again, we recall that the term the Jews in John's Gospel is used like a political term.  It denotes those from Jerusalem who belong to households of members of the ruling parties.   All the people in this story are Jews, including Jesus and the author of the Gospel.)   And we also note again the different characters of these sisters, consistent with all the Gospel stories we know of them.  Martha is concerned with hospitality, while Mary sits in the house in the position of mourning.  But Mary responds immediately when she's told that Jesus is calling for her.  And then we see that her words are those of her sister, Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.  But Jesus' response to the two sisters differs.  He engaged Martha with words.  But He engages Mary with deeds, as we read farther along in the text.

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?"  Jesus wept is the shortest verse in the Bible.   John's writing emphasizes that He wept and also groaned in spirit to show He had fully taken on human nature and was subject to grief as any human being would be.  Weeping, says my study bible, is the natural human response to the tragedy of death.  In the Orthodox Church calendar today is known as Lazarus Saturday.  An Eastern hymn of the Compline service sings of Jesus,  "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 did not understand Christ's will nor His power.  We note that John's Gospel often shows us the evolution of faith in the people who interact with Jesus.  The spices and oils that were used to anoint a dead body would only keep away the stench of decomposition for a short time.  In icons of the Eastern Church that portray this event, many include bystanders covering their noses, illustrating both the time that has passed since Lazarus' death and the resulting decay, and also the fact that many did not believe Christ could raise Him after four days.

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."   Jesus expresses the fact that His divine will is one with the Father's, and that His human will is freely subject in every way to God the Father.  He prays aloud for the sake of the people who are standing by -- and by implication, for everyone.

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"  My study bible notes here that Christ calls Lazarus to come forth, not in the name of the Father, but by His own authority.  This is a clear command from God the Word.  It 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."   The picture of Lazarus walking out of the grave, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face wrapped with a cloth, is a sort of indelible image.  Many Church Fathers hold that it's an indication that Lazarus will need these graveclothes again.  His resurrection continues an earthly life which will again end in death.  This is contrasted with the fact that Jesus' graveclothes would be left in the tomb (20:5-7).  My study bible says that unlike Lazarus's, Christ's Resurrection transfigures human nature.  He will never die again.  This seventh sign in John's Gospel of the raising of Lazarus prepares the disciples to believe in Christ's Resurrection.  My study bible also cites more words of the Eastern hymn for this day:  it "confirmed the universal resurrection."  This proves that Christ has the power to fulfill the promise given to Ezekiel that all the dead will one day rise (Ezekiel 37:-13). 

Tradition in the Church teaches us more about Lazarus' subsequent life after he was raised by Jesus.  The Gospel goes on (in chapter 12) to say that because of this extraordinary miracle witnessed by many from Jerusalem, the plot to kill Jesus also included the plan to put Lazarus to death.  In fact, it tells us that many in the crowd who come to greet Jesus on Palm Sunday do so because of the miracle of this seventh sign of the raising of Lazarus, and this gives another motive for the leadership to put both of them to death.  The Pharisees exclaim in frustration, "You see that you are accomplishing nothing.  Look, the world has gone after Him!" (see John 12:9-19).  Lazarus' pivotal place in the story of Jesus' life and death placed him in grave danger, and Tradition teaches that he eventually fled Jerusalem and came to Cyprus.  There, he was made bishop by Paul and Barnabus in what is now Larnaca, Cyprus.  He lived for thirty more years.  Tradition says that he never smiled after his miraculous resurrection by Jesus, and gives the reason as being the souls he saw awaiting redemption during his four-day stay in Hades.  There is one story in which he smiled on a single occasion.  Seeing someone steal a pot, he said, "The clay steals the clay."  We can't imagine what it was like to be Lazarus, friend of Jesus, among this family of close friends to Jesus.  We know that this great miracle was the occasion for greater persecution, and for a life, it seems, marked by the experience of seeing what most people never understand.  But the understanding of our own mortality is not seen as a negative in the spiritual tradition of the Church.  It is something which monastic tradition has held is an important reality for us to contemplate, keeping us aware of the here and the now -- the mindfulness of the present moment and the importance of our choices and in what (and Whose) light we make them.  It seems also important to understand that this supernatural power of Jesus has effects that none of us can foresee nor contemplate.  The great miracle of Lazarus' resurrection is the final one of seven in John's Gospel, occasion of affirmation for those who believe, but also spurring on the plot to kill not only Jesus, but also Lazarus, and eventually leading to the persecution and martyrdom of many followers of Jesus.   It teaches us that the power of God will not necessarily force those to believe who wish to reject what is on offer in that power.  Rather, it instead works as Jesus has said in the previous chapter, "For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind."  God's power does not persuade in the sense that it destroys our free will. No one is compelled to love God.  But the power of God at work in the world does, in fact, accelerate and heighten the effects of our choices, at least as told in the story of the Gospels.  Intrigues swirl and heighten the degree of instability, the suggestions of injustice and murder and false witness, the strategies of those who live for their own power instead.  All of these things add up, not to compel us to follow one way, but to make our own choices:  in what or Whom do we put our trust?   We will find that the world remains in this place, right here and right now.  It is the allegiance that we choose, the trust with which we choose to align.   These choices are always with us.  Uncertainty and instability are times of danger because they invite in the illusion of false, easy choices which seem expedient, but deny the spiritual values of truth and justice and mercy.  Let us be alert and endure, His way.

I am the resurrection and the life

 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."  Marta 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

On Saturday, 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 remember that Jesus delayed His trip to Bethany by two days.  My study bible says that there existed a rabbinic opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days, but from the fourth day on there was no hope of resuscitation.

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.   My study bible tells us that "official mourning began on the same day as death and burial (immediate burial was necessary in warm climates).  Weeping and wailing lasted three days; lamentation lasted the rest of the week; general mourning lasted 30 days following death.  During this time mourners constantly came and went from the home of the deceased."  Here, the text indicates that this family is prominent enough so that many in the religious leadership have joined in their mourning.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.   A note here reads:  "Not unlike the incident of Luke 10:38-42, the two sisters react differently to what occurs.  As the one busily responsible for the duties of hospitality, Martha heads out to meet Jesus, while Mary remains at home.  sitting is the correct posture when mourning and greeting mourners (see Job 2:8, 13; Ezek. 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."  Marta 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?"   A note says, "Your brother will rise again is misunderstood by Martha as indicating the final resurrection.  Thus Jesus declares, I am the resurrection the life.  Whoever believes in Christ already has eternal life and therefore shall never die spiritually."  As is typical of John's Gospel, a misunderstanding due to common perception develops into an opening for Jesus to reveal yet more truth about Himself.

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.  Martha, the sister of hospitality who went out to Jesus, confesses her faith.  In her own way, Mary, who is sitting in the house in mourning, immediately responds to Jesus' command.  If we think about these two sisters, we can see different ways that we go about living our faith.  These sisters are often pointed out as being "two ways to God."  Often, for women themselves, these two sisters exemplify different ways of being Christian, one for the extrovert (Martha) and one for the introvert, Mary.  In still other ways we find Martha and Mary becoming icons for different ways of serving the Church, depending upon temperament.  Martha is always the one in charge of hospitality:  in Luke's Gospel, she's serving, while Mary is sitting at Jesus' feet.  Here in today's reading, she's the one who goes out to greet Jesus as He comes as guest to their house, while Mary is sitting inside mourning their brother.   Some might contrast the two sisters by labeling Martha as the example of  active works while Mary is the one who prays, a more contemplative character.  In Luke's story, Mary is praised by Jesus as the one who chose "the better part" while Martha is "distracted" by the many things concerning her good works.  In either case we find two women who are both loved by Jesus and who are both faithful.  I find it interesting though that there is something in common in both stories regarding the actions of the two women.  In Luke, Mary sits at Jesus' feet listening to His word (presumably with the rest of the disciples), and Jesus said she has chosen the better part, the one thing needful.  While Martha is actively going about the duties of hospitality (serving the guests), she complains that her sister isn't helping her.  Mary awaits Jesus' word (again in sitting position, we note), while Martha actively is reaching out, through duty, but in so doing, encounters Jesus' word for her.  Both come to His word, His teaching:  one in correction, and the other in receiving as a student or disciple.  In today's reading, it is Martha who reaches out again in the duties of hospitality, receiving a guest, albeit a beloved and highly respected one.  In so doing, although she initially misunderstands in the common perception of the time, she is instructed by Christ.  As Mary sits inside in customary mourning, she also responds immediately when the word or command of Christ comes to her -- and again, it comes to her as from the "Teacher."   In some very subtle way, the text seems to be saying that either way, it's Christ's word that comes to us.  Whether we are at prayer awaiting His word, or we are reaching out in some way with a dutiful kind of a work, Christ's word, the word of the Teacher will come to us to instruct.  Mary, perhaps, in Luke's version, chose "the better part" as Jesus said.  But both receive His instruction and teaching.  The important part here that illuminates this text for us is Martha's confession of faith, while Mary, perhaps, already believes.  In the next chapter, we shall read about Mary's extraordinary faith in her act of love.  Let us remember that the Holy Spirit has room for each one of us in our uniqueness.  As unique personalities, each created by God, we come to Christ one way or the other, but we are united in our faith, in our relationship to Him.  He calls us as we are.