Sunday, 4/6/14
The story of the raising of
Lazarus is valuable for the way it lets us see the human side of Jesus. It lets
us see how much friendship meant for him.
The story opens with Jesus and the
Apostles across the Jordan, out of Israel’s territory. They had fled there
after the Jewish leaders had ruffians throwing stones at them. The story took place at just this time
of year, and the Apostles were looking forward two weeks to when the melting
snows of Lebanon would flood the Jordan, making them much safer on the other
side.
Martha’s message about the final
days of Lazarus simply stated, “Master, the one you love is ill.” That has us
wondering about the possible depth of the friendship Jesus had for that family.
Such deep friendships usually put the parties on a level with each other, and
still, through the story. Both Martha and Mary call Jesus Master.
Still thinking of the human side
of Jesus, we could picture him and the Apostles on the four-day trek from the
Jordan up to Bethany. Sleeping at the roadside, did they use their cloaks for blankets and
pillows? Did they cook the food Judas purchased?
Mary wept as she was leading Jesus
to the tomb, and as though unable to control himself, Jesus broke into tears.
It caused the bystanders to
comment on the depth of his love for Lazarus.
Amazingly, before calling Lazarus
to come forth from the tomb, Jesus thanked God for bringing about that miracle
he had not yet called for.
Possibly, Jesus waited four days
because of the common belief that the soul of the deceased lingered for three
days.
When he cried out, “Lazarus, come
out” one might wonder as to how much familiarity Jesus had invested in their
friendship. Was it like he was calling, “My beloved friend Lazarus, come back
to us?”
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