Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain

 

 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.  But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.  Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."

 

- John 12:20–26 

 

Yesterday we read that a great many in Jerusalem knew that Christ was there for the Passover; 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!"

 

 Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.  Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.  But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified."  These Greeks, my study bible explains, are Gentiles who believed in the God of Abraham, and have come to participate in the Passover feast.  Since they are still called "Greeks" it indicates that they were not yet full converts to Judaism.   As Jesus had taught His disciples not to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5, 15:24), the disciples approach Him first before bringing these inquirers to Him.   The hour that He should be glorified is the time of His death on the Cross.  My study bible adds that Christ's obscure response indicates two things.  First, that the answer these Greeks seek will not be found in words, but in the Cross; and second, that the Cross will be teh event that opens all manner of grace to the Gentiles.  

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also.  If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."  My study bible comments that the image of the grain of wheat dying in order to bear fruit signifies that Christ's death will give life to the world.  It is traditional in many Orthodox denominations to serve boiled whole grains of wheat, sweetened and spiced, at memorial services for the departed faithful.  It's an affirmation of God's promise that those who have died in Christ will rise again to life.

In today's reading, it's almost as if the meeting of the Greeks from abroad who wish to see Jesus sparks in Him an understanding that this is the sign of His approaching death, the time in which He will be glorified.  In that context, His statement about the grain of wheat that dies in order to produce much grain is sad and wistful, although it is the truth of what will happen.  We can read into it at once the deeply human desire for life, to thrive, and at the same time the acknowledgement that what is to happen will happen for a reason, in order to give life to many.  Have there been times in your life when the Cross came in the form of asking you to give something up, in order to reap a much greater harvest?  Have you made sacrifices in time so that there will be later on a greater abundance or harvest of something?  Speaking strictly of spiritual life and spiritual fruit, there are, of course, many ways this can happen, and each particular to an individual, and also to a particular time in one's life.  Indeed, one can look back upon life and mark intervals by such choices and such sacrifices.  I can remember making a choice to depart from a path of a particular career because I felt it was the way my prayer led me; I may have forgone some financial and other rewards, but my spiritual life had time and space to grow as a result.  I chose to give up development of a career using one particular talent, but found instead gratification in another -- and one which allowed me to use my skills to study and write about the Bible, such as I do on this blog.  And there have been many such choices along the way in which a time of "crisis" became a time of the Cross, a time for making choices, and one which in retrospect exemplified Jesus' example of the grain of wheat falling to the ground in order to give life to much more.  I was simply following my faith and my prayer, and had no idea what lay down the road when I made a change.  But I can look back in retrospect and see the growth Christ is speaking of.  The ultimate sacrifice is, of course, Christ's on the Cross.  He made the choice so that we may all benefit, and take what we receive from Him in so many ways that affirm that in Him is the power of life, and of rejuvenation, revival, resurrection.  Again, when the Cross comes in our own lives we can experience through our faith this process of death and rebirth, such as I did in the various career paths mentioned above.  But it can happen in so many ways.  We might find that life is full of deaths and resurrections, grains of wheat we allow to fall to the ground in order to bring about a harvest of more abundance.  What is most important is that, in following our own prayer to Christ, we place in Him our trust, and know that He went first to show us the way.  He taught us that we must each carry our own cross, and follow Him.  These Greeks who appear at the feast, and seek Him, are in some sense a sign letting Him know that His Gospel is already going to the Gentiles, and that the grain of wheat that will fall in Jerusalem will be one that spreads a harvest out to the whole world.  Jesus gives to His disciples -- and thereby to us -- an image which will serve posterity so that we understand what is happening, and what will happen, in the proper context of the faith and Jesus' broader mission.  Let us keep in mind that His ministry and mission remain ongoing.  The fruit of that grain of wheat continue to be produced and to spread, to be experienced in the world by more and more people, and in new and broadening ways.  When we participate in His life, so we also participate in this death and rebirth, this giving up of a little in exchange for so much more.  We enter into His life, and into the life of His ministry by laboring in these same fields He planted.  Jesus says, "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."  What of your life do you exchange for the greater life He promises to you?  Into which labor do you enter?

Look, the world has gone after Him!

 

 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.  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.  Not only Jesus, but also Lazarus is plotted against.  The chief priests seek to put Lazarus to death also because by the fact of his being raised by Christ, he is a sign of the power of God in Christ, and so many believe simply because of his life.  Also let us note that many also seek to see Lazarus because of the miracle (the seventh sign in John's Gospel) concerning him.

 

 

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!"  The people cry out from Psalm 118:25-26, which was associated with messianic expectation.  During the Feast of Tabernacles, this was recited daily for six days, and then seven times on the seventh day as branches were waved.  Hosanna means, "Save, we pray!"  It is associated with a deliverer.  The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated the time when Israel followed Moses toward the promised land, dwelling in tents (or tabernacles); this is also understood to be the feast of the coming Kingdom.  

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."  This is a quote from the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9.  Christ deliberately rides a young donkey, rather than riding in a warrior's chariot as symbolic of a king's victory.  This young donkey is a humble domestic animal used commonly for transportation.  This King is One who has chosen to be one of us, whose weapon is the compassion of God and the truth of the Gospel.

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!"  The people bore witness, the text tells us, emphasizing the significance of the miracle of raising Lazarus from the dead.  We hear also the exasperated response of the Pharisees, who clearly see Jesus as a rival for their positions of leadership.  For them, there is no compromise, only competition.  St. John Chrysostom comments that wealth is just as liable as power to destroy those who are not careful. The first leads into covetousness; the second, into pride.  The example, he says, is here, in how the multitude understands, while their rulers are corrupt.

It's quite interesting that the Gospel tells us that Christ's disciples did not understand these things at first.  They only understood after Jesus was glorified; that is, we can understand this as telling us that the disciples only understood after the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost.  The Gospels are clear where the disciples fail, where they do not understand, and that faith is a journey.  Some, like Judas, fail entirely.  That would include so many of the religious leadership, and especially those at the top.  But John also tells us about Pharisees who were faithful, and certainly it is presented that this crowd believed.  How many retained their faith we do not know.  But all of Jesus' earliest followers were Jews:  His disciples, the multitudes that followed, His friends such as Lazarus and his sisters, the women who supported His ministry, and these crowds who welcome Him to Jerusalem as Savior.   Tomorrow the Gospel will give us a reading that involves Greek-speaking proselytes who come to Jerusalem for the Passover, and their own desire to see Jesus.  So, once again, as we have observed throughout the past several readings, our Gospel does not give us a clean easy picture of what was what.  This picture is as messy as the real world always is, and we don't flinch from it, like the Gospels teach us not to flinch from it.  Life is complicated; there are always degrees of faith, just as there are those who believe and those who do not.  Quite clearly, when it comes to faith, we are to understand that we are on a journey somewhere.  No one comes to faith as a one-time, one-shot experience.  Instead, we are to grow in our faith.  Either that, or we come to some point where we need to make new choices and face hurdles that make our faith difficult, and we struggle.  This is all a part of the road of faith, and it is all a part of our world.  Repentance is the process of turning around, or making the choice to return on the path toward Christ.  When we struggle with dilemmas and difficult decisions, we can be said to be at a crisis point.  The Crucifixion of Jesus is one such crisis point.  All may look at the Cross, and Christ crucified upon that Cross, and make a strong and tough decision.  What will we go through in our own lives, and yet still come more deeply to faith, and to understand our faith in greater depth?  What are the hurdles we have to pass?  Are there difficult experiences on this road?  Do we have to sacrifice for our faith?  Will we lose friends, or income, or status of some sort?  Certainly for the people in this crowd, as for Jesus' direct disciples and followers, all of these decisions will come to the fore, and be crucial in their lives following this week Jesus begins here, which we now call Holy Week.  Let us remember that for the faithful, the Cross will always be central to everything, and it will be hidden "in plain sight" sometimes right in the middle of our dilemmas.  When we're caught between two places, sometimes in the middle there is Christ, teaching us to follow His way, and not to pay attention to what the world would offer us.  Just like these people who welcome Christ, who may feel at one point that it is clear their Messiah has arrived, but will soon hear from the leaders that He is, instead, a deceiver, we might have to make choices in difficult circumstances.  These crowds will neither be able to boldly proclaim Christ openly if they retain faith, but then if they have faith they also will not in good conscience be able to follow their leaders who have failed.  Instead, the early Church will find its own way through difficult circumstances and struggles, both within the context of the Jewish community and the wider Greco-Roman world of the Gentiles.   In short, the Gospels do not present us with a fantasy world or a fairy tale.  They teach us about what the real world is all about, and they teach us about the faith we have to find in a rather messy world, where things are not always completely clear.  Even the disciples, we're told, do not understand the things that are happening on this day, until after the Holy Spirit has come.  We are to make our way through the world doing the best we can, and clinging firmly to our faith.  Maybe most importantly, we are to do the things that shore up that faith and engage in participation of our faith, especially through prayer, so that we are ready to hear and learn how to more deeply participate in Christ's truth and what it is God wants us to see and to bear into the world.  The fruit of the Spirit, St. Paul says, is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).  These things are the prescription for what faith looks like in a struggling, complicated world where things aren't always clear.  It is these fruit that we fall back on, and that we seek to cultivate and to know.  These are the ways in which we may endure as Christ has taught us, even when things are unclear.  Let us remember who we are through it all.  Our Lord shows us His humility as Leader and Deliverer, Messiah and Savior, as He sits on a donkey's colt in this Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  By contrast, the religious leaders are furious in their helpless inability to stop Jesus -- and they will stop at nothing short of murder.  In these two contrasting parties is the only clear choice we're given in the Gospel reading for whose example we are to follow.  For it's not the struggles of the world in which we must engage, but the struggle for our faith.  For the struggle for our faith really is the struggle for our world.

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 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 the prominent people from Jerusalem who had come to Mary in order to mourn Lazarus, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  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 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 he did not say this 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.  This is the third Passover which is mentioned in John's Gospel (see also 2:13, 6:4).  This third and final Passover in the Gospels is the setting for the last week of Christ's earthly ministry.  It will be narrated to us in careful detail over the chapters that follow.  My study bible says that Jesus had already been glorified through His signs and words; now it remains for Him to be glorified through His death and Resurrection.  It notes also that because Jesus is the Lamb of God (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. 

 

 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."  My study bible emphasizes that the other disciples said the same thing that Judas said, but with a completely different motivation (see Matthew 26:6-13).  Judas spoke from greed, but the other disciples spoke from the virtue of charity.  That Jesus put a thief in charge of the money, it adds, shows that by every means He attempted to save Judas:  He fulfilled Judas' lust for money; He allowed Judas to exercise apostolic authority (6:11; see also Mark 6:7); He will wash Judas' feet with the other disciples at the Last Supper (13:5); and He will also allow Him to partake at the table of the Mystical Supper on the same occasion (13:26).  But Judas could never overcome his greed (Matthew 26:14-16).

I'm struck by the evil that surrounds Jesus, especially in the fact that at this point the leaders have given out an order that whoever spots Him should report it, so that they can seize Him.  It's as if they have issued a Wanted poster for Him.  They have given a command, the text says to us.   In the midst of this hostility from the leaders who hold power in the society as a whole, there are those faithful who nevertheless love Christ and do not hesitate to show us.  Since so many came from Jerusalem to mourn with Martha and Mary (and Saturday's reading specifically mentions Mary -- see above), I think the text indicates that Lazarus' family is also well-known, and prominent enough so that many came to them from Jerusalem to mourn, and hence witnessed the raising of Lazarus.  While those who hunt Jesus at the Passover festival represent the people in that they are the religious leaders, what we see is the importance of individual acts of faith in the anointing by Mary.  She is showing her love and devotion to Jesus, and even though virtually all of the disciples misunderstand the importance of what she does (see especially Matthew 26:6-13), Jesus nevertheless explicitly corrects them.  In Matthew 26, He tells them both what we read here, and more:  "For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always. For in pouring this fragrant oil on My body, she did it for My burial. Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.  For you have the poor with you always, but Me you do not have always" (Matthew 26:12-13).  It tells us that we are never to underestimate our acts of kindness and those motivated through love for Christ.  It also lets us know that it is Jesus who is the ultimate judge, and He who understands what is truly in the heart.  For we are not judged by the grandiosity of a deed, but rather by the depth of what is given through an understanding of the heart.  (Let us remember here the story of the widow in Luke 21:1-4).   It's possible I read very much into this text, but it seems that Christ is giving the highest praise He can.  Moreover, it is clear that at least He stands in deep appreciation of the gift; it is meaningful to Him, and it makes a great difference in the context of where He is going and what He is going to endure over the course of the next week and through His Passion.  And at the same time that we see the great gift of Mary, and the true love in her heart for Christ, we also observe Judas.  Judas says words that are nominally good, but his motivation is all wrong, and his perspective is selfish.  Even though the other disciples, ostensibly with good motive, criticize Mary, they also are mistaken and are corrected by Jesus.  So essential is the understanding of the heart to true judgment, that the Gospels give us this story exalting Mary for her act of love and true charity.  From the beginning, we're told, Jesus has known that one of those whom He has chosen is not entirely "right" in his heart. Just after Peter's confession on behalf of all that Jesus is "the Christ, the Son of the living God," John 6:70-71 tells us, "Jesus answered them, 'Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?  He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for it was he who would betray Him, being one of the twelve."  Perhaps we are to understand something more about judgment and the human soul, that no matter how great the kindness and grace shared with each person on the part of Christ, those who choose to reject this grace and love are still free to do so.  It may teach us personally that simply loving and kind behavior on our parts, no matter how well-intentioned or correct, is not enough to change another.  Each person has their own capacity to choose for love, just as Mary chooses for love, and the leadership among the Council choose to put Jesus to death and to reject the thought of even entertaining to hear His Gospel message, although there are others on the Council -- and they are prominent members as well -- who will come to discipleship and faith in Christ.    This is a highly significant teaching, for it tells us about the heart and the ways of the heart.  Perhaps this is our Creator teaching us that we must exhaust all possibilities of helping others.  Indeed, the Church does not expel nominal members, but always hopes for salvation for all (excommunication from the sacraments is not the same thing as expelling members).  In the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43), Jesus gives us an image of the world.  Even as we live side by side, so the weeds, which so closely resemble the good wheat, are growing side by side with the wheat.  It is a parable about judgment, which Christ says will take place at the end of the age.  Judas forms an image of which the weeds may be symbolic, in that he so closely resembles a devoted disciple.  But he has grown a particular way, and he will follow through to the end as one who does not accept the word of Christ.  But let us consider that in the fullness of our faith, we consider Christ to have descended into hades before ascending into heaven, and even so Judas remains with the possibility of repentance when he will meet Christ there.  The world is a puzzling and strange place, not least of which because of the mystery of human hearts and our capacity for belief:  that is, both for faith and the rejection of faith.  Christ comes into the world offering grace and love, but not everyone accepts this truth, nor the energy and present reality of grace.  We, as human beings, remain free also to reject, with hearts that may make choices to do so.  But in the midst of the world, there is also Mary and the saints who will follow her.  There are all the angels which serve God, and those who pray with the saints.  There is grace abounding.  So, once again, as we have observed in our recent readings and commentary, the world works within the realm of Christ, a created place which is an adornment of the heaven (for this is the meaning of the Greek word "cosmos" which so often indicates the whole world in Scripture), and we are placed in the midst.  Let us consider that even while we know there is Judas, we may also be those who love Christ like Mary, and nothing another does can take away that reward of love for a heart that remains capable of discerning and living in grace.  In a world filled with hate and rejection, we can still be the one who follows in the footsteps of Mary.  We can love Christ and share in her place as beloved of Christ.  And the world cannot take away that "good part" that we have chosen.

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

 

 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  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 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 he did not say this 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.

 

- John 11:45–54 

 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus had come to Bethany after delaying two days, so that by now Lazarus had been dead for four days.  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."   

 

 Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.  But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things Jesus did.  Once again, John's Gospel gives us the division among the people in response to Jesus.  Some believe, but some go to the Pharisees.  These are likely prominent people from Jerusalem who came to Bethany to mourn with Mary and Martha.  Also, let us note that the text mentions Mary, seemingly indicating she was a person of some notable standing in the community.

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 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 he did not say this 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.   My study bible notes that Caiaphas, being high priest, is given the authority to speak prophetically.   It says that the failings and even wickedness of the officeholder do not diminish the grace of the office itself.  Here, Caiphas' intent is simply to tell the Council that the death of Christ will spare the Jews from Roman intervention.  But in the prophetic sense, God's meaning is different:   the prophetic declaration of this statement is that all people will be saved through the death of Christ the Son.

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.   St. Cyril of Alexandria comments on this passage:  "As God, Jesus knows the secret plans of the Jews even though no one reported them to him, and He withdraws, not because He is afraid but so that his presence might not irritate those who were already seeking to kill him. Here, He also teaches us to avoid stirring up the passions of those who are angry and not to thrust ourselves into dangers, not even when it may be for the sake of truth. When we are overtaken by dangers, He teaches us to stand firm, but when we see them coming, since it is unclear what the actual terms of the conflict will be, it is best for us to get out of their way."  Ephraim means "fruitful," and this can be understand as an indication that Jesus' ministry will go among those who will bear fruit, a repeated theme in John's Gospel (see, for example, 15:8, 16).

How can we understand the prophetic nature of what Caiaphas says?  We have to understand it within the context of his position as the high priest.  The man Caiaphas may say one thing to the Council members, meaning it a certain way.  But inadvertently, and from his position as high priest, it is nevertheless a prophecy about Jesus, the Christ.  The Gospel tells us that "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."   And so this was clearly understood at least before the time of the writing of John's Gospel, considered to have taken place toward the end of the first century after Christ.  How is it possible, we might ask, that a person can make a prophecy meaning something entirely different?  In order to understand this, we have to consider the work of God in the world, and specifically the power of an institution, one established through the power of God and God's condescending love for humankind.  It is a clear link in the Gospel between the Old Covenant and the New, an affirmation of God's hand at work throughout the history of Judaism and leading into the Christian era.  But we can also understand this on a more personal level, as we observe that God works through any and all circumstances, whether we are willing or unwilling, whether we are cooperating with God's purposes wittingly or unwittingly.  Therein, for us, lies the importance of the mystery of God, for when we lose that mystery, we really do lose the great subtext of our faith.   We cannot approach faith with a merely literal mindset, nor was our faith considered to be one of simple rules, nor a simple set of codes or beliefs.  It has the power of God working through all things.  Once again, as we remarked in yesterday's reading and commentary, we must come to know our faith as that which touches us that God can work through all things.  This is but one powerful meaning of the Cross.  As we see these men's ambition hardening to rid themselves of Jesus, to put Christ to death, so we also see the prophetic power of God working through the position of the high priest, regardless of the aims, character, or ambition of the man who is speaking.  The same will be true of the Cross, because God will be working through the Cross.   These events teach us about our faith and the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Do we despair of good leadership and the qualities of human beings in authority?  God works through the circumstances in which the leadership wishes to kill Jesus, and reject His message.  But let us also pay attention to Christ, for He knows when it is time to act and when it is time to withdraw.  He, also, tells us a story about our own lives in trying circumstances.  We need prayer to negotiate any and all times.  He withdraws in order to prepare for the proper time, to avoid needless conflict, and in order to serve God's purposes.  He knows when it is time to act, and when it is wise and prudent not to force circumstances, and to allow time for things to become more clear, especially as St. Cyril indicates, the precise terms of conflict and danger.  Let us not withdraw from the world in fear, but follow the power of Christ and of God who works through all things.  We are called not simply to be prudent but also not to fear, and to endure.  We must have faith that God is at work through all things, stay always centered in our prayer and faith, and understand that whatever the circumstances, God is still in their midst and still calls to us for our discernment.  Let us follow Christ through all things, and remain spiritually fruitful.  We may find God working even inadvertently through those who are antagonistic to our faith, and through circumstances that call upon us to endure and be fruitful.

Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?

 

 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 11:30–44 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus came to Bethany, to the house of Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary, 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 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 notes for us here that Mary approaches Jesus with the identical words used by Martha (see yesterday's reading, above).  While Jesus engaged Martha with words, here He engages Mary with works -- the raising of her brother Lazarus from death.

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 that He groaned in spirit.  "Jesus wept" is the shortest verse in the Bible, and it emphasizes that Christ had fully taken on human nature, and was as subject to grief as any other person.   It further adds that weeping is the natural response to the tragedy of death.  One Orthodox hymn for the commemoration of this event proclaims, "Shedding tears by Your own choice, You have given us proof of Your heartfelt love."  What we also see on display here is another aspect of Christ's compassion.   Knowing what He will do, He nevertheless is moved to tears by human suffering.

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?"  My study bible tells us that although Martha's faith had increased, she still understood neither Christ's will nor His power.  The spices and oils which were used to anoint a dead body would only hold the stench of decomposition away for a short time.  Many icons of the raising of Lazarus include bystanders who are covering their noses, which illustrates both the reality of Lazarus's corrupted flesh, and also the fact that many did not believe 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."   In order to show His divine will is one with the Father's and that Christ's human will is freely subject in all ways to the Father's, He prays aloud for the sake of the people.  Remember that many of those gathered here are from Jerusalem, possibly including members of the ruling Council.  The union with the Father has been Jesus' constant emphasis to the religious leaders all throughout John's Gospel.

Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"   Citing 5:28-29, my study bible comments that Christ calls Lazarus forth, not in the name of the Father, but by Christ's own authority.  What it shows to the people is that while Christ came from the Father, He also fully possesses divine authority in Himself.  This will all no doubt be reported back to the leadership in Jerusalem.

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."    That Lazarus came out of the tomb bound in his graveclothes is understood by many patristic sources as an indication that he will need them again.  In other words, his resurrection continues an earthly life which will again end in natural death.  My study bible contrasts this with Christ's graveclothes, which, by contrast, would be left in the tomb (20:5-7).   Unlike Lazarus's, my study bible notes, Christ's Resurrection transfigures human nature.  He will never die again.

What is resurrection?  What does it mean to you, and what does it mean to me?  We, as human beings, can only look to resurrection as a sense in which death is, in some sense, meaningless and powerless.  But truly, resurrection is much more than that, at least when we understand it in the context of Jesus and His work in the world.  In the raising of Lazarus it is revealed to us truly that Christ has the power of life and death -- but possibly especially of life over death.  In the Resurrection Hymn of Easter, the Orthodox Church proclaims that Christ -- through His sacrifice on the Cross -- trampled down death by death.  Through His freely sacrificial death, Christ has destroyed the power of death for all of us.  But in the raising of Lazarus we find more in terms of the powerful symbolism of Christ's life-giving power for our own lives here in this world, and not just in the next.  Christ's display of healing power, even that which transcends and overcomes death, is one which affirms for us and for these witnesses from Jerusalem (who will spread the story to all, of course) that in Christ is life itself.  Over and over in John's Gospel, we have received images of light and life regarding Christ, that this very power of life in Christ is also the light by which we must seek to live.  It is the light by which we walk by day, so that we don't stumble in the darkness (see 11:9-10).  The power of the life Christ offers is one that can pick us up when we stumble.  It can lead us out of our own darkness, in the dark corners where we find ourselves stuck, out of the alleyways and byways we take because we don't know any better.  This is the life He brings to the world, and it is the power of life on display in the raising of Lazarus.  As with all things in the life of Christ, there is not simply one dimension within which we understand the power of God.  It applies in hidden and unknown and secret, yet-to-be-discovered ways for all of us, for each of us who cares to come to that light, and for each of us willing to give up a way that leads to death.  Even death we can understand also as having many dimensions:  our limited imaginations and understanding, our broken or misguided goals that don't really give us what we need or what we think they will, our desire to follow the world in ways that aren't really suitable, our own limitations of every sort.  It is Christ's light of life that comes to us to help us through all of that, to place us on a learning curve, so that we grow in our understanding and come closer to Christ in the process of doing so.   It is through Christ's power of life over death that we come to Him as we grow in faith, and walk on this journey that we can observe in the lives brought to us through the Gospels.  That is, in the lives of the disciples, in the growth of the faith of Mary and Martha, and still others like the Pharisee Nicodemus.  We also see the choice for darkness and death in the responses of many of the leaders, which will lead only to greater darkness -- and most certainly to death, especially when they hear of this extraordinary sign of the raising of Lazarus.  At this time, there are so many people beset with many hardships and viewing tragedies for both human beings and for nature as well.  Many of us are living under conditions we all find difficult.  But we should stop to think that for many of us there is a hidden and powerful message in the stress and difficulties, and that is the message of life in Christ.  We might view death all around us when we are visited with problems like a strange and frightening virus, with complex conditions set down for us we don't always understand.  We can see "death" in the difficulties we have coming together in traditional ways, in the fires that are burning huge portions of our forests, in the shutdown of business, work, and economies, and many other dimensions of what we're experiencing now.  But we should never forget the story of Lazarus especially at times like this.   Jesus said of Lazarus' death -- just like the blindness since birth of the man healed in chapter 9 -- "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it" (11:4).  While we do not have Jesus in the flesh walking among us, we have Christ present together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, the uncountable angels which surround us, and the unknowable number of saints who pray with us.  We mustn't forget that in every experience of death (of any sort), we also may find an opportunity to beat the devil through our own prayer and supplication and faith.  We might find ways at this time where the glory of God shines through what appears to be nominally tragedy.  This is such a time that was made for faith, for realizing where God is hidden for us behind the scene, around a corner, in the secret room where we pray, in our hearts capable of discerning and knowing God's word for us.  This is a time where we are discovering that Zoom classes and bible studies are connecting us together across a country, even across an ocean.  This is a time when we have an internet that allows us to hear a good word when we can't get to our church.  It is a time when we have a choice to pull together and help one another or to dissolve helplessly into the spirit of blame and spite and division we see around ourselves.  At this time possibly as at no other time, we have a choice to reveal ourselves in the light of faith and to reject the darkness.  We have faith in resurrection, not in death.  Let us walk in the light with Christ, for His is the light of life indeed.  Christ wept with us.   Our Lord became one of us to be with us, and so that we might be always with Him.  Wherever we are, He has been there with us, and remains with us.  Our God is the God of life and of love, and in that understanding we are kept in His light.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house

 

 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.  My study bible cites a rabbinical opinion that the soul lingered about the body for three days.  But after four days it was considered that resuscitation would not be possible.

And many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.   In Jewish tradition, mourning would begin on the day of a person's death, my study bible tells us.  Weeping and wailing would last three days, lamentation one week.  General mourning lasted thirty days.  It is important to know for the story of Christ's ministry that apparently many prominent in Jerusalem had come to mourn with Martha and Mary.

Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him, but Mary was sitting in the house.  Similarly to the display of their characters in Luke 10:38-42, these two sisters react in unique ways to Christ's arrival.  Martha, who is inclined to active service, rushes out to meet Jesus.  Mary remains in mourning until she is called by Christ (which we will observe in tomorrow's reading).  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."  Martha possesses great faith, my study bible says, but her statements indicate a lack of understanding about Jesus.  When she says, "if You had been here, my brother would not have died," Martha reveals that she doesn't fully see that christ is God, thinking that He needed to be present to effect healings (contrast 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.

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."   Jesus states, "I am the resurrection and the life."  My study bible says that in order to correct Martha's misunderstanding, Jesus declares His divine authority to raise the dead at the last day, as well as here in this world.  This leads to Martha's confession of faith here.  My study bible says that Christ's question, Do you believe this? is one that is 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.   Once again we observe the personality differences in the two sisters.  Martha is the more outgoing, who takes on the duties of hospitality and outreach.  Mary is the more inwardly focused, observing the traditional posture of mourning until she is informed by Martha that "the Teacher has come and is calling for you."

Some people would call Martha and Mary, two sisters, a study in contrasts.   I think of them here (and elsewhere in the Gospels) as a study of inclusion.  Martha and Mary tell us more about the variety of facets within our faith, all of which are included for our understanding and greater grasp of just what it is that Christ is all about.  Is one sister right, and the other sister wrong?  Do we prefer one sister to another?  The answer to both questions is really "No," although we're all tempted to side with one or the other, depending on our own orientation and understanding of our personalities.  Mary is the more introverted, to use a modern term, and Martha the more extroverted.  Mary is the one in Luke's Gospel (Luke 10:38-42) who sits at Christ's feet listening, while Martha is the one who takes on the work of hospitality.  Although Jesus tells Martha that her sister has "chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her," we should understand that both sisters do what is worthy.  Both roles are valuable to the ministry of Christ.  It is just the same in today's reading.  Martha goes out to meet Christ as He approaches their home, performing the duties of hospitality.  These works of hospitality are not just significant in today's world, as signs of graciousness, care, and welcoming to others, but they were even more necessary in the ancient world than what we might call a more casual attitude today.  Hospitality is an important sign of welcome, protection, and comfort, a signal of friendship and inclusion under a home or roof, essential especially to the ancient world.  Today we consider hospitality an extension of gracious behavior, even compassion, when we consider how we treat both friend and stranger.  So Martha's role is essential.  In the "home" that is the Church, those who serve through actions of hospitality and activism are equally necessary and their roles are countless.  At the same time, Mary, the one who sits and listens, is someone whose deep faith is also evident, and she is clearly as beloved by Christ as her sister.  They are both His friends, and we will see how He is moved with compassion when He sees their grief at the death of their brother.  Mary sits at Christ's feet and listens in the story cited earlier in Luke's Gospel, which Jesus calls "that good part" that she has chosen.  In yesterday's reading, John also identifies Mary as the one who anointed Christ's feet with costly oil (which we will read about in the next chapter), which Jesus says she has kept for the day of His burial.  It's important to understand from the Gospels, and in particular from the stories about these two sisters, that in the Church there is a valued and cherished role for each person.  Jesus says, "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you" (14:2).  There is a place in the Church for each; just as each are created uniquely by the Lord, so each has a place prepared for them to be with the Lord.  Studying the lives of the saints, one can find many seeming patterns of holiness -- but at the same time, each one is dynamic and unique, reflecting precisely the facets of persona as cleansed, magnified, made holy in the light of God and the living faith in Christ.  No one is left out of this faith of our Lord.  St. Paul writes, "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Galatians 3:28).  While we understand this to mean there are no divisions in our faith, we also know it to mean that each is welcome and each has a place in which they belong.  Let us think and be grateful for Martha and Mary, beloved friends of Christ, for without them both no picture of our faith is complete.

If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world

 

 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."

 

- John 11:1–16 

 

Yesterday we read that, after Jesus answered to the religious leaders, "I and My Father are one," they 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."   This chapter contains the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, which is the seventh and final sign given in John's Gospel.  It will prove to be the sign that seals the religious authorities' decision to put Jesus to death.  Bethany is on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives, approximately two miles from Jerusalem.  My study bible tells us that Lazarus is the same name as "Eleazar," which literally means "God helps."

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.   This message is sent back to Mary and Martha.  According to my study bible, it is given so that when Lazarus dies, they may take confidence in the words of Jesus.  The Son of God being glorified must not be understood to be the cause of Lazarus dying; rather, this is an indication that Christ will be glorified as a result of his death (occurring from a natural illness) and his being raised from the dead.

So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.  Christ delays so that Lazarus will be dead long enough that the corruption of his body could set in.  Therefore, there could be no doubt of this miracle, and the might of the Lord would be clearly seen by all.  

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."   Christ is again referring to Himself as the light.  He does not give up His life through the machinations of others, but at the time when it is proper.  

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."   In Scripture, sleep is frequently used as a word for the passing of a person, especially among the faithful:  my study bible suggestions comparison 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 calls Thomas's statement an unwitting prophecy of his own future martyrdom.  It is also an illustration of the path that all believers must take -- that we die daily to the world for the sake of following Christ (Luke 9:23-24).

What does it mean to fall asleep?  Frequently we will hear of someone who passed in the Church as one who has "fallen asleep in the Lord."  The word sleep, in the context of the Gospels, must be understood as a deliberate way of thinking about human death, and especially in the light of our faith and the promise of Christ.  In John's Gospel, Jesus has repeatedly made the promise that for His followers He offers life, and life abundantly.  In John 10:10, Jesus speaks of Himself as the Good Shepherd, contrasting Himself with those would-be shepherds who are thieves and robbers, and who do not love the sheep nor His Father.  He says, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."  In chapter 17, Jesus will pray to the Father that those whom the Father has given to Him may be with Him always:  "Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world" (17:24).  In the promise of life, and life more abundantly, Jesus offers an eternal promise.  In the notion of sleep, then, we understand death to be not a permanent state for those who live in Christ.  In the Gospel references given above by my study bible, we see "sleep" used for the faithful who have passed.   In chapter 11, we are given the entire story of Christ's resurrection of Lazarus.  Through this chronicle, we are to observe the truth of the very power of life in Christ, and the glory of God that shines through this seventh and final sign we're given in the Gospel.  Lazarus will live to die again, a natural human death.  But all are fallen asleep in Christ, for in our faith we know that all live to Christ.   Central to our faith are concepts of death and rebirth.  The Cross itself is a symbol of such.  Our Baptism is a death as we are immersed in water, and reborn to faith and life in Christ.  St. Paul writes, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life" (Romans 6:3-4).  As Jesus uses the word "sleep" for the death of Lazarus, let us consider the powerful messages hidden behind this term, both for our faith and for our very lives.  How are we, in living our baptism, constantly dying and being reborn in our faith (1 Corinthians 15:31)?  How does the Cross bring this into our lives, as we each carry our own cross?  In what way are you letting go of the "old man" in order to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:5-6)?  All of these concepts are things we consider through the story of Lazarus, and the revelation of the power of God at work in our lives.   John 1:4 tells us, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."  Let us walk in His light that we may have the life He promises.