Interrupting The Interruption
Preaching
Your Faith Has Made You Well
Preaching The Miracles
Miracle Eleven
Interrupting The Interruption
The Text
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer 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, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said 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. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
This passage records the final and most dramatic sign in the Gospel of John. To our surprise the incident is not recorded in any other gospel. Because it is unique to this gospel it is instructive for understanding John's theology.
This text appears twice in the three-year lectionary cycle. In year A the church reads the entire account of the narrative (vv. 1-45) on the fifth Sunday of Lent. In year B (the subject of this book) the lesson for All Saints is verses 32-44 of this chapter. The context of the reading might influence the interpretation. During Lent, the emphasis in the passage might be on the struggle between the forces of life and death in the passage. On All Saints' Day the emphasis might be on the raising of Lazarus as a precursor of the general resurrection. Despite the length of the passage, I will comment on the whole story from 11:1-44.
Background
One important background to this narrative in John is the theme of life running through the whole gospel. From the opening verses of the Prologue (1:1-18) the Gospel of John interprets Christ (the Word made flesh) as the source of life. "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people" (1:3b-4). On one level the Gospel of John affirms the gift of life itself. The real emphasis in John is on quality of life or, in John's terms "abundant life" (10:10). The Gospel of John understands that existence in the world is difficult and that the church does its ministry in the world in a hostile environment (15:18-19). Nevertheless, the life Jesus offers is marked by peace (14:27), relationship with the risen Christ (15:5-7), and communal love (13:34-35). These qualities make life in the world abundant.
Part of the background to John's understanding of abundant life is the Old Testament wisdom tradition. John presents the divine word (logos) as an instrument in creation (1:3). In the biblical wisdom, tradition order was built into the creation. Recognition of the divine order in creation was a component of wisdom. Development of wisdom led one to fulfillment and harmonious relationships with others. Proverbs 8:22-36 is a poetic statement of this affirmation of wisdom theology. Verses 35-36 especially reflect the promise that wisdom influences the quality of life. "For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death." For John, a relationship with the risen Christ enables abundant life, even in the midst of hostility and persecution. The contrast between life and death in these verses from Proverbs helps us understand the conflict between life and death in John 11.
Another important theological term in the Lazarus narrative is "glory" (11:4, 40). The Hebrew term for glory (kabod) refers to weight or importance. To reveal God's glory is to make evident God's power, presence, and significance. In Exodus 16:7-10, the people see God's glory in a cloud that reveals God's presence. God's glory appeared later on Mount Sinai as a "devouring fire" (Exodus 24:17). In a bizarre and dramatic scene, Ezekiel declares that the glory of the Lord departed from the temple in Jerusalem. The glory of the Lord returns in chapter 43. The raising of Lazarus is a manifestation of the presence and power of God.
Literary Analysis
This narrative is quite rich. It is a relatively long piece, so John displays his artistic skill. It is filled with interesting characters, suspense, and dramatic tension.
Although we think of Lazarus as the "title" character in the story, he is really a flat character. He never speaks. His only acts are to become ill, die, and walk out of the tomb. His sisters interact with Jesus on his behalf. We infer from the narrator's affirmation that Jesus loved Lazarus and the grief of his sisters, that Lazarus was likable. Beyond those things, we know little about Lazarus. The plot of the story revolves around what happens to him, but he does not emerge as a developed character. By placing the emphasis on the sisters and on how Lazarus' death affects others, John focuses on the grief process in this passage. This story is not about fear or anxiety over our own deaths, but about how we grieve for the loss of those we love.
Lazarus' sisters, especially Martha, are the characters whose personalities are most well developed in the story. Early in the account they act as one character. The narrator attributes the sending of the message to Jesus to both sisters (11:3). When Jesus arrives on the scene the two women react differently. Martha comes out to meet Jesus while Mary stays in the house. The conversation between Martha and Jesus is poignant. The preacher must make interpretive decisions about this conversation. How should we understand Martha's comment to Jesus in verse 21? "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Was she angry that Jesus had delayed? If she wasn't angry what emotion did she feel? Does her mood change by the next sentence (v. 22)? Is she holding on to a strand of hope? In this exchange, Martha seems to be caught between despair and hope. She is in despair that Jesus did not arrive in time, but continues to hope even after Lazarus' death. In verses 24-27 Martha affirms a future resurrection and confesses Jesus as the Messiah. Her grief does not undermine her faith. If she held any hope that Jesus could revive Lazarus in verse 22, she seems to have accepted the reality of his death by verse 39. As the church of today experiences death, Martha represents a positive Christian stance toward the death of a loved one. She accepts the death, anticipates future resurrection, and maintains faith in Jesus. Within the story she represents the "realistic" attitudes of the world. Jesus bursts through that "reality" by raising Lazarus.
Mary's response in the passage is less developed. In verse 32 she says essentially the same thing to Jesus as Martha does in verse 21 (the Greek is slightly different). She then continues weeping. If Martha demonstrates good theology, Mary shows understandable emotion. Many readers can identify with Mary, who seems to be too overcome with emotion to continue the conversation.
John reveals a side of Jesus that does not come out often. Early in the passage, Jesus is in total control of himself and the situation. When he hears of Lazarus' illness Jesus seems unaffected. He intentionally remains where he is and confidently interprets the illness as an opportunity to reveal God's glory. Jesus explicitly and firmly tells the disciples that Lazarus is dead (verse 14). He shows no fear of those who might kill him if he returns to Judea (verses 7-10). After Jesus' encounter with Martha and Mary he weeps. We may not know the exact cause of Jesus' tears, but the reader knows that Jesus is moved. Jesus may weep because of the accumulation of emotion. He grieves for Lazarus; he sees the sorrow of the sisters; he recognizes the lack of faith of his opponents. Jesus is more human and vulnerable in this passage that anywhere else in John. Issues of life and death touch us at the deepest level. Jesus himself is not exempt from these powerful emotions.
The disciples are a minor character in the passage. They attempt to discourage Jesus from returning to Judea (11:8) and misinterpret Jesus' words about Lazarus (11:12). Thomas emerges from the pack to suggest that the disciples should go with Jesus to Judea to die (11:16). Lazarus' illness could end up threatening the entire movement!
The crowd consoles Mary and witnesses the reanimation of Lazarus. Some within the crowd scoff, wondering why Jesus did not keep Lazarus from dying (11:37). The crowd connects this story with chapter 9 where Jesus heals a blind man. Those members of the crowd represent skepticism and doubt.
Lazarus' death is not the only issue in the passage. The disciples bring up the possibility of Jesus' death in verse 8. Thomas bravely volunteers the disciples to risk death. Immediately following the incident with Lazarus Jesus' opponents plot to kill him (11:53). In a sense, death is a character in the story. Death causes fear, grief, possibly anger (Martha), and doubt. Death appears to have triumphed. At the end of the story (v. 44), Jesus has won the victory over death. This conflict creates the tension and drives the plot of the story.
Jesus' delay, the misunderstanding of the disciples, Lazarus' actual death, the grief of the sisters, and scoffing of the members of the crowd all work to heighten the tension and suspense in the narrative. Jesus' task seems more difficult the further the story goes along. The process of decay of a dead body seems to deny the possibility that Jesus will be successful (v. 39). All of the forces arrayed against Jesus make his eventual triumph all the more dramatic.
Theological Reflection
John calls Jesus' miracles and healings "signs." The signs point to Jesus' identity and inculcate belief in Jesus. At the conclusion of the first sign, turning water into wine at Cana, Jesus' glory is revealed and the disciples believed in him (2:11). Nicodemus cites Jesus' signs as evidence of God's presence (3:2). Those who witnessed a sign did not necessarily believe in Jesus because of the sign. Jesus opponents do not believe in him even though they accept the validity of a healing. In chapter 5, Jesus heals a man on the sabbath. Jesus' opponents do not question the healing, but still seek to kill him. Even those who accept the signs as evidence of God's presence with Jesus do not fully understand Jesus' identity. Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus' teachings about being born again/from above (ch. 3). The crowd that has just eaten the miraculous meal provided by Jesus misinterprets his role as a king (6:15).
In this narrative in chapter 11, Martha correctly acknowledges Jesus' identity before she sees the sign. She declares Jesus to be "the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world" (11:27). Even after the sign, Jesus' opponents do not recognize Jesus for who he is. They consider him a nuisance and a troublemaker. They fail to believe even though they use the term "sign" themselves (11:47). One would have expected that this dramatic and impossible-to-refute sign would have convinced everyone of Jesus' identity. Jesus' opponents and Judas do not come to belief even though they see the reanimation of Lazarus.
The term "believe" is a key concept in the Gospel of John. John tells us that the purpose of the book is to enable belief (20:31). John is not quite clear about the process of coming to belief in Jesus. The beloved disciple believed when he saw the empty tomb (20:8).1 He seems to come to belief suddenly. John does not tell us if the beloved disciple decided to believe at that point or if the experience of belief was beyond his control. In other words, perhaps the sight of the empty tomb was so overwhelming that any doubt or unbelief was swept away. Thomas consciously chooses not to believe until he sees and touches the risen Christ (20:24). The signs are an inducement to belief but do not guarantee belief. Through the lips of Jesus, John praises those who believe even though they have seen none of the signs. From the evidence we can conclude that we have some choice in believing in Jesus.
John's understanding of belief includes intellectual assent to a correct understanding of Jesus' identity as the Son of God, but it really is a deep personal trust in Jesus. Belief is an antidote to fear (20:19). Belief empowers the disciples for ministry (20:21). Belief leads to eternal and abundant life (20:31). Belief in Jesus reveals God (12:44).
The reanimation of Lazarus demonstrates Jesus' power over death. It foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection. The grave clothes Lazarus wears in verse 44 mark the difference between Lazarus' experience and Jesus' resurrection. Jesus brings Lazarus back to life, but he continues in life as we know it. His body still bears the grave clothes. Jesus' resurrection is a transformation. Jesus passes through the grave clothes, which lie empty in the tomb (20:5-7). The two narratives together (Lazarus and Jesus' resurrection) make an important point in John's theology. Eternal life begins now for the believer. This is the emphasis in the Lazarus story. Jesus speaks in present tense, "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25). Even so, the believer anticipates a resurrection after death (14:3, 11:24). John understands eternal life as both a "now" experience and a "not yet" reality.
Pastoral Reading
A fourth-year medical student named Ming He encountered a dying man on one of her rounds. A cancer patient, the man was only 26 years old. His agonizing words to her were, "Now that I am dying, I realize that I never really learned how to live."2 This passage from John concerns the big issues of life and death. Jesus conquers the powers of death. Lazarus' illness seemed to rob him of life. Jesus restores that life. The words of the dying man in the hospital raise the more important issue of what we do with the life we have. Although the emphasis in the passage is on how Lazarus' death affects others, Lazarus is the one who gains more years of life. Given the anticipated joy of the resurrection we might even ask if Jesus did Lazarus such a favor. Eventually he will grow older and die again. He gains a few more years. What do those extra years mean?
In the Gospel of John, what we moderns call "quality of life" is a life lived in relationship with the risen Christ. When some of Jesus' disciples turn away, Jesus asks the remaining disciples if they will leave, also. Their answer is that only Jesus has the "words of eternal life" (6:68). The disciples could find an easier or safer life, but they experience eternal life in relationship with Jesus. The Gospel of John calls the church to ministry in a hostile environment. The world will "hate" the disciples (15:18). Despite this hostility John affirms that life in obedience to God is an abundant life (10:10). If Jesus grants Lazarus more years of life he will find those years most abundant if he lives them in relationship to the risen Christ and in obedience to God.
As stated above, this passage is about grief over the death of those we love. Every pastor has conducted heartbreaking funerals. My hardest two funerals were for a family that lost two infant children within a year and a half. Their grief was inexpressible. This passage promises that God triumphs over death. Even when we affirm the resurrection, the wait until we are reunited with our loved ones can be agony. For us, faith means continuing to trust in spite of our grief and questions about why. We are not granted what Mary and Martha receive: the immediate return of their brother. Our faith must be a durable faith.
Preaching Strategies
The movie, Cold Mountain, is set in the Civil War. One scene in the movie shows the two main characters, a young man and young woman, who are beginning a relationship, sitting in church. The congregation is singing a hymn about how life in the resurrection will be superior to life as we know it. In the middle of the hymn a man quietly enters the church to whisper something to another man. Before long the whispering increases. One by one people begin to rise from the pews and go outside. The last few congregants in the building finish the song, but then go outside. The men outside are shouting, backslapping, and throwing their hats in the air. They are celebrating the start of the war. In the scene from the movie a celebration of violence and death interrupts a celebration of the resurrection.
Death is always an interruption. Death interrupted the love between the characters in the movie. Death interrupts retirement plans. Death interrupts lives barely begun. War interrupts careers and family life. The preacher can name ways in which death interrupts life. The community may have experienced a sudden, tragic, or untimely death. The war in Iraq has led to over 1,500 deaths of young soldiers (at the time of this writing). Lazarus' illness was an interruption. We infer from the passage that he was a relatively young man, not expected to die.
Jesus interrupts the interruption. Death is a kind of malevolent power. Jesus conquers the power of death. Christians still mourn at the death of a loved one. The church comforts those who grieve. Our hope is in the resurrection, to which the reanimation of Lazarus points.
____________
1.ÊMost scholars think that the disciple whom Jesus loved was the founder of the Johannine community. See Raymond E. Brown, The Community of the Beloved Disciple (New York: Paulist Press, 1979).
2.ÊClaudia Kalb, "Faith and Healing," Newsweek magazine, November 10, 2003, p. 44.
Interrupting The Interruption
The Text
Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." But when Jesus heard it, he said, "This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God's glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it." Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer 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, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?" Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world. But those who walk at night stumble, because the light is not in them." After saying this, he told them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him." The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right." Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow-disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, some two miles away, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that God will give you whatever you ask of him." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha said to him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." Jesus said 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. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world."
When she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary, and told her privately, "The Teacher is here and is calling for you." And when she heard it, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. The Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary get up quickly and go out. They followed her because they thought that she was going to the tomb to weep there. When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" But some of them said, "Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?"
Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, "Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upwards and said, "Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me." When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, "Unbind him, and let him go."
This passage records the final and most dramatic sign in the Gospel of John. To our surprise the incident is not recorded in any other gospel. Because it is unique to this gospel it is instructive for understanding John's theology.
This text appears twice in the three-year lectionary cycle. In year A the church reads the entire account of the narrative (vv. 1-45) on the fifth Sunday of Lent. In year B (the subject of this book) the lesson for All Saints is verses 32-44 of this chapter. The context of the reading might influence the interpretation. During Lent, the emphasis in the passage might be on the struggle between the forces of life and death in the passage. On All Saints' Day the emphasis might be on the raising of Lazarus as a precursor of the general resurrection. Despite the length of the passage, I will comment on the whole story from 11:1-44.
Background
One important background to this narrative in John is the theme of life running through the whole gospel. From the opening verses of the Prologue (1:1-18) the Gospel of John interprets Christ (the Word made flesh) as the source of life. "What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people" (1:3b-4). On one level the Gospel of John affirms the gift of life itself. The real emphasis in John is on quality of life or, in John's terms "abundant life" (10:10). The Gospel of John understands that existence in the world is difficult and that the church does its ministry in the world in a hostile environment (15:18-19). Nevertheless, the life Jesus offers is marked by peace (14:27), relationship with the risen Christ (15:5-7), and communal love (13:34-35). These qualities make life in the world abundant.
Part of the background to John's understanding of abundant life is the Old Testament wisdom tradition. John presents the divine word (logos) as an instrument in creation (1:3). In the biblical wisdom, tradition order was built into the creation. Recognition of the divine order in creation was a component of wisdom. Development of wisdom led one to fulfillment and harmonious relationships with others. Proverbs 8:22-36 is a poetic statement of this affirmation of wisdom theology. Verses 35-36 especially reflect the promise that wisdom influences the quality of life. "For whoever finds me finds life and obtains favor from the Lord; but those who miss me injure themselves; all who hate me love death." For John, a relationship with the risen Christ enables abundant life, even in the midst of hostility and persecution. The contrast between life and death in these verses from Proverbs helps us understand the conflict between life and death in John 11.
Another important theological term in the Lazarus narrative is "glory" (11:4, 40). The Hebrew term for glory (kabod) refers to weight or importance. To reveal God's glory is to make evident God's power, presence, and significance. In Exodus 16:7-10, the people see God's glory in a cloud that reveals God's presence. God's glory appeared later on Mount Sinai as a "devouring fire" (Exodus 24:17). In a bizarre and dramatic scene, Ezekiel declares that the glory of the Lord departed from the temple in Jerusalem. The glory of the Lord returns in chapter 43. The raising of Lazarus is a manifestation of the presence and power of God.
Literary Analysis
This narrative is quite rich. It is a relatively long piece, so John displays his artistic skill. It is filled with interesting characters, suspense, and dramatic tension.
Although we think of Lazarus as the "title" character in the story, he is really a flat character. He never speaks. His only acts are to become ill, die, and walk out of the tomb. His sisters interact with Jesus on his behalf. We infer from the narrator's affirmation that Jesus loved Lazarus and the grief of his sisters, that Lazarus was likable. Beyond those things, we know little about Lazarus. The plot of the story revolves around what happens to him, but he does not emerge as a developed character. By placing the emphasis on the sisters and on how Lazarus' death affects others, John focuses on the grief process in this passage. This story is not about fear or anxiety over our own deaths, but about how we grieve for the loss of those we love.
Lazarus' sisters, especially Martha, are the characters whose personalities are most well developed in the story. Early in the account they act as one character. The narrator attributes the sending of the message to Jesus to both sisters (11:3). When Jesus arrives on the scene the two women react differently. Martha comes out to meet Jesus while Mary stays in the house. The conversation between Martha and Jesus is poignant. The preacher must make interpretive decisions about this conversation. How should we understand Martha's comment to Jesus in verse 21? "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Was she angry that Jesus had delayed? If she wasn't angry what emotion did she feel? Does her mood change by the next sentence (v. 22)? Is she holding on to a strand of hope? In this exchange, Martha seems to be caught between despair and hope. She is in despair that Jesus did not arrive in time, but continues to hope even after Lazarus' death. In verses 24-27 Martha affirms a future resurrection and confesses Jesus as the Messiah. Her grief does not undermine her faith. If she held any hope that Jesus could revive Lazarus in verse 22, she seems to have accepted the reality of his death by verse 39. As the church of today experiences death, Martha represents a positive Christian stance toward the death of a loved one. She accepts the death, anticipates future resurrection, and maintains faith in Jesus. Within the story she represents the "realistic" attitudes of the world. Jesus bursts through that "reality" by raising Lazarus.
Mary's response in the passage is less developed. In verse 32 she says essentially the same thing to Jesus as Martha does in verse 21 (the Greek is slightly different). She then continues weeping. If Martha demonstrates good theology, Mary shows understandable emotion. Many readers can identify with Mary, who seems to be too overcome with emotion to continue the conversation.
John reveals a side of Jesus that does not come out often. Early in the passage, Jesus is in total control of himself and the situation. When he hears of Lazarus' illness Jesus seems unaffected. He intentionally remains where he is and confidently interprets the illness as an opportunity to reveal God's glory. Jesus explicitly and firmly tells the disciples that Lazarus is dead (verse 14). He shows no fear of those who might kill him if he returns to Judea (verses 7-10). After Jesus' encounter with Martha and Mary he weeps. We may not know the exact cause of Jesus' tears, but the reader knows that Jesus is moved. Jesus may weep because of the accumulation of emotion. He grieves for Lazarus; he sees the sorrow of the sisters; he recognizes the lack of faith of his opponents. Jesus is more human and vulnerable in this passage that anywhere else in John. Issues of life and death touch us at the deepest level. Jesus himself is not exempt from these powerful emotions.
The disciples are a minor character in the passage. They attempt to discourage Jesus from returning to Judea (11:8) and misinterpret Jesus' words about Lazarus (11:12). Thomas emerges from the pack to suggest that the disciples should go with Jesus to Judea to die (11:16). Lazarus' illness could end up threatening the entire movement!
The crowd consoles Mary and witnesses the reanimation of Lazarus. Some within the crowd scoff, wondering why Jesus did not keep Lazarus from dying (11:37). The crowd connects this story with chapter 9 where Jesus heals a blind man. Those members of the crowd represent skepticism and doubt.
Lazarus' death is not the only issue in the passage. The disciples bring up the possibility of Jesus' death in verse 8. Thomas bravely volunteers the disciples to risk death. Immediately following the incident with Lazarus Jesus' opponents plot to kill him (11:53). In a sense, death is a character in the story. Death causes fear, grief, possibly anger (Martha), and doubt. Death appears to have triumphed. At the end of the story (v. 44), Jesus has won the victory over death. This conflict creates the tension and drives the plot of the story.
Jesus' delay, the misunderstanding of the disciples, Lazarus' actual death, the grief of the sisters, and scoffing of the members of the crowd all work to heighten the tension and suspense in the narrative. Jesus' task seems more difficult the further the story goes along. The process of decay of a dead body seems to deny the possibility that Jesus will be successful (v. 39). All of the forces arrayed against Jesus make his eventual triumph all the more dramatic.
Theological Reflection
John calls Jesus' miracles and healings "signs." The signs point to Jesus' identity and inculcate belief in Jesus. At the conclusion of the first sign, turning water into wine at Cana, Jesus' glory is revealed and the disciples believed in him (2:11). Nicodemus cites Jesus' signs as evidence of God's presence (3:2). Those who witnessed a sign did not necessarily believe in Jesus because of the sign. Jesus opponents do not believe in him even though they accept the validity of a healing. In chapter 5, Jesus heals a man on the sabbath. Jesus' opponents do not question the healing, but still seek to kill him. Even those who accept the signs as evidence of God's presence with Jesus do not fully understand Jesus' identity. Nicodemus misunderstands Jesus' teachings about being born again/from above (ch. 3). The crowd that has just eaten the miraculous meal provided by Jesus misinterprets his role as a king (6:15).
In this narrative in chapter 11, Martha correctly acknowledges Jesus' identity before she sees the sign. She declares Jesus to be "the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world" (11:27). Even after the sign, Jesus' opponents do not recognize Jesus for who he is. They consider him a nuisance and a troublemaker. They fail to believe even though they use the term "sign" themselves (11:47). One would have expected that this dramatic and impossible-to-refute sign would have convinced everyone of Jesus' identity. Jesus' opponents and Judas do not come to belief even though they see the reanimation of Lazarus.
The term "believe" is a key concept in the Gospel of John. John tells us that the purpose of the book is to enable belief (20:31). John is not quite clear about the process of coming to belief in Jesus. The beloved disciple believed when he saw the empty tomb (20:8).1 He seems to come to belief suddenly. John does not tell us if the beloved disciple decided to believe at that point or if the experience of belief was beyond his control. In other words, perhaps the sight of the empty tomb was so overwhelming that any doubt or unbelief was swept away. Thomas consciously chooses not to believe until he sees and touches the risen Christ (20:24). The signs are an inducement to belief but do not guarantee belief. Through the lips of Jesus, John praises those who believe even though they have seen none of the signs. From the evidence we can conclude that we have some choice in believing in Jesus.
John's understanding of belief includes intellectual assent to a correct understanding of Jesus' identity as the Son of God, but it really is a deep personal trust in Jesus. Belief is an antidote to fear (20:19). Belief empowers the disciples for ministry (20:21). Belief leads to eternal and abundant life (20:31). Belief in Jesus reveals God (12:44).
The reanimation of Lazarus demonstrates Jesus' power over death. It foreshadows Jesus' own resurrection. The grave clothes Lazarus wears in verse 44 mark the difference between Lazarus' experience and Jesus' resurrection. Jesus brings Lazarus back to life, but he continues in life as we know it. His body still bears the grave clothes. Jesus' resurrection is a transformation. Jesus passes through the grave clothes, which lie empty in the tomb (20:5-7). The two narratives together (Lazarus and Jesus' resurrection) make an important point in John's theology. Eternal life begins now for the believer. This is the emphasis in the Lazarus story. Jesus speaks in present tense, "I am the resurrection and the life" (11:25). Even so, the believer anticipates a resurrection after death (14:3, 11:24). John understands eternal life as both a "now" experience and a "not yet" reality.
Pastoral Reading
A fourth-year medical student named Ming He encountered a dying man on one of her rounds. A cancer patient, the man was only 26 years old. His agonizing words to her were, "Now that I am dying, I realize that I never really learned how to live."2 This passage from John concerns the big issues of life and death. Jesus conquers the powers of death. Lazarus' illness seemed to rob him of life. Jesus restores that life. The words of the dying man in the hospital raise the more important issue of what we do with the life we have. Although the emphasis in the passage is on how Lazarus' death affects others, Lazarus is the one who gains more years of life. Given the anticipated joy of the resurrection we might even ask if Jesus did Lazarus such a favor. Eventually he will grow older and die again. He gains a few more years. What do those extra years mean?
In the Gospel of John, what we moderns call "quality of life" is a life lived in relationship with the risen Christ. When some of Jesus' disciples turn away, Jesus asks the remaining disciples if they will leave, also. Their answer is that only Jesus has the "words of eternal life" (6:68). The disciples could find an easier or safer life, but they experience eternal life in relationship with Jesus. The Gospel of John calls the church to ministry in a hostile environment. The world will "hate" the disciples (15:18). Despite this hostility John affirms that life in obedience to God is an abundant life (10:10). If Jesus grants Lazarus more years of life he will find those years most abundant if he lives them in relationship to the risen Christ and in obedience to God.
As stated above, this passage is about grief over the death of those we love. Every pastor has conducted heartbreaking funerals. My hardest two funerals were for a family that lost two infant children within a year and a half. Their grief was inexpressible. This passage promises that God triumphs over death. Even when we affirm the resurrection, the wait until we are reunited with our loved ones can be agony. For us, faith means continuing to trust in spite of our grief and questions about why. We are not granted what Mary and Martha receive: the immediate return of their brother. Our faith must be a durable faith.
Preaching Strategies
The movie, Cold Mountain, is set in the Civil War. One scene in the movie shows the two main characters, a young man and young woman, who are beginning a relationship, sitting in church. The congregation is singing a hymn about how life in the resurrection will be superior to life as we know it. In the middle of the hymn a man quietly enters the church to whisper something to another man. Before long the whispering increases. One by one people begin to rise from the pews and go outside. The last few congregants in the building finish the song, but then go outside. The men outside are shouting, backslapping, and throwing their hats in the air. They are celebrating the start of the war. In the scene from the movie a celebration of violence and death interrupts a celebration of the resurrection.
Death is always an interruption. Death interrupted the love between the characters in the movie. Death interrupts retirement plans. Death interrupts lives barely begun. War interrupts careers and family life. The preacher can name ways in which death interrupts life. The community may have experienced a sudden, tragic, or untimely death. The war in Iraq has led to over 1,500 deaths of young soldiers (at the time of this writing). Lazarus' illness was an interruption. We infer from the passage that he was a relatively young man, not expected to die.
Jesus interrupts the interruption. Death is a kind of malevolent power. Jesus conquers the power of death. Christians still mourn at the death of a loved one. The church comforts those who grieve. Our hope is in the resurrection, to which the reanimation of Lazarus points.
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1.ÊMost scholars think that the disciple whom Jesus loved was the founder of the Johannine community. See Raymond E. Brown, The Community of the Beloved Disciple (New York: Paulist Press, 1979).
2.ÊClaudia Kalb, "Faith and Healing," Newsweek magazine, November 10, 2003, p. 44.
