Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, March 9, 2014 Read John 11:1-44 The story of Lazarus and his sisters, Martha and Mary, is unique to John’s gospel. It is clear, however, that Luke is aware of this family since he knows of a story of a visit by Jesus to the home of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42). Luke does not mention Lazarus. Luke does not provide a location for his story of Mary and Martha – to have done so would have necessitated moving Jesus to the area of Jerusalem far too early in the storyline that Luke inherited from Mark. Aside from this rather remote connection John’s use of this story is unique to his gospel. It is striking that Mark, Matthew, and Luke are completely unaware of this great occurrence. None of them mention it. Why do you suppose that is the case? Was it that they simply did not know the story? Or, was it that the story did not fit Mark’s storyline? Where was Mark to fit this story into the story he is telling about Jesus, the Messiah from Galilee who makes one journey to Jerusalem to suffer and die? Of course we cannot know for sure, but it seems to make sense to think of Mark omitting this story on purpose in order to preserve his proclamation. After all, the gospel writers were not simply reporters, telling everything that Jesus said and did. They were evangelists proclaiming a message meant to create believers. The story itself contains many of the techniques that John has been using. There is much misunderstanding going on – something John loves to exploit. Jesus is asked to do something which he refuses to do and then turns around and does on his own terms. There is growth in belief on the part of some in this story, as well as growth into unbelief on the part of others. All of this fits John’s style of writing. A sign is at the center of this story – but the sign does not guarantee belief. In fact, this is the last sign Jesus will do. It is the most powerful. And its outcome is as ambiguous as all the others. John introduces several new details into the story. For the first time John will speak of a disciple as “one whom Jesus loved.” Lazarus is the “disciple who Jesus loved.” We need to remember that the eye-witness authority behind John’s gospel is also spoken of as “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” This connection has led some interpreters to speculate that Lazarus is in fact the eye-witness of John’s gospel. While that is possible and it may even be tempting to go down that trail, there are reasons why Lazarus likely was not the eye-witness. It is best for us to leave the eye-witness anonymous. In the scene right before this one, Jesus is removed to the area beyond the Jordan. The reason for his removal becomes clearer in this story – Jesus says that he was glad he was not near Lazarus’ home with the implication that had he been there Lazarus would likely not have died. Of course, we know in John’s gospel that Jesus can heal from afar – the story of the healing of the royal officials son (John 4) – but the point here seems to be that Jesus’ absence facilitated the demise of Lazarus. In classic style John tells us that Mary and Martha send a request to Jesus to come and heal their brother. Jesus refuses. Then, on his own terms, Jesus returns to Mary and Martha. Also in classic style John tells of the misunderstanding of the disciples. When Jesus tells them that he is going to wake Lazarus they think Jesus is speaking of sleep from which Lazarus will awake on his own. In a caring gesture they seek to keep Jesus away from Jerusalem where they know full well his life is in danger. When Jesus tells his disciples that Lazarus is dead they faithfully pledge to follow Jesus back to the Jerusalem death trap. At this point John introduces us to the character, Thomas. Thomas has received such a bad report over the years – here he represents dogged faith since he is willing to go and die with Jesus if he must. This is no doubter. Once back in the territory of Jerusalem John provides us with a bit more data. Lazarus and Martha and Mary live in the town of Bethany – a small community just up and over the Mount of Olives to the east of Jerusalem. It is over that very peak that Jesus will come in Mark’s storyline as he enters Jerusalem. It is clear from the context that Martha and Mary, and presumably their bother Lazarus, are believers in Jesus. Yet, there is still much misunderstanding in this encounter. Martha encounters Jesus first. Her words are cutting. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died!” Who says that believers can’t question God? Yet, cutting as her words are, Martha is not without hope. Jesus promises Martha that Lazarus will rise from the dead. Martha appears to understand Jesus, but she really doesn’t. She proclaims her belief that Lazarus will rise on the last day. But Jesus is talking about a more powerful resurrection. So he says to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” This is language much like the promise to the woman at the well that she will never thirst again, or to those 5000 who Jesus fed who are promised that they will never be hungry again. On the level of this world, those promises make little sense, but on a spiritual level they make all the difference. People still die in the confines of this world, but Jesus’ promise is that those who believe in him will pass from death to life. This is language like that used by Jesus to speak of himself as being “from above” – language that Nicodemus misunderstands. Unless we can think beyond this world we will never understand Jesus. In this story, it appears that Martha has understood. She makes a bold and correct confession that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of God, the coming one!” But we will see that Martha really does not yet grasp what Jesus is saying. In the synoptic gospels it is Peter who makes the correct confession when Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is (Mark 8:29). But, Peter also does not fully understand – and is severely reprimanded by Jesus in Mark’s story. Now it is Mary’s turn to encounter Jesus. She approaches him with the same cutting words, “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died!” This time Jesus is reduced to tears of compassion for these friends – and also intense anger at the destructive nature of death. The words that are translated, “he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved” do not do justice to the emotion. Literally, “Jesus guts were ripped apart.” Jesus is moved to weeping. If we remember that, in John’s understanding, Jesus is the Word of God who was with God and was God – the Word who became flesh – the intensity of this moment is even more graphic and powerful. If somehow the very being of God is present in Jesus then it is God who weeps. It is God who is so deeply moved that his inner being is about to explode. There have been some over the years who have been intent on preserving God’s impassionate being. That is not the God we encounter in the Bible – the God of the Bible is “deeply moved” and “grieved” with the things of this world. This is a deeply passionate God! It is this God who now asks where Lazarus has been laid. And John cleverly reprises his words from the earlier encounter of people with Jesus – “come and see!” John interjects the dual response of the Jews to Jesus – some recognize the depth of Jesus’ love – others scorn Jesus and remark that someone who could open the eyes of the blind certainly could have prevented this man from dying. John has a way of tying his story together by referring back to the events in chapter 9. Once again Jesus is described as “greatly disturbed” – the same gut-wrenching emotional word as used before – when he arrives at the tomb. His command is to remove the stone, and now Martha’s misunderstand from earlier is revealed. She had made the right confession but it was a confession that needed to be deepened. Her response gives herself away – she remarks that there will be a stench because Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. The mention of four days is important. Jewish belief was that a person might yet revive within three days – but not after that. So the comment that Lazarus had been in the tomb four days serves to guarantee that he was really dead. Jesus’ comments when the stone was removed serve as commentary on the whole episode. The purpose of the sign of Lazarus’ rising was so that people might believe. The purpose of Jesus’ absence which led to Lazarus’ death is now clearer too. The whole episode was meant to lead to belief. In one sense this is not so much about Lazarus getting a “second chance” to live as it is about Jesus’ sign which has the potential of leading to belief. Lazarus will die again. The sign will persist. What will be the outcome of this great sign?