(Gospel of John 12:1 - 12:11)
Six days before the beginning of Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where lived Lazarus, the man Jesus had risen from the dead. A dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, and Lazarus was among the guests who reclined at the table with Jesus. Mary took a litron of very expensive aromatic oil made from pure nard, and with it she anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them dry with her own hair. The fragrance of perfume filled the house!
Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples -- the one who would betray him -- protested, “Such oil could have been sold for 300 denarii and the money given to the poor." He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief. (He had custody of the disciples’ common purse and frequently stole from it.)
"Let her be!” Jesus responded. "She was saving it to use preparing my body for burial on the day of my funeral. You'll always have the poor among you, but you won't always have me!"
Finding out that Jesus was there, a large crowd of Judeans gathered outside of Lazarus' house, not only to see Jesus, but to get a glimpse of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. Consequently, the chief priests were convinced that they must seek the death of Lazarus as well, for it was on his account that so many Judeans were deserting them to believe in Jesus.
Notes
1. A litron, a Greek measurement, was equal to 11 ounces, almost a pound. The oil would have probably been about a pint in volume.
2. A denarius was a silver coin, minted by Rome since the 3rd century BC. Three hundred denarii would be a great deal of money. A laborer might make only a denarius for a day's work.
3. Nard, or spikenard, is a plant of the Valerian family that produces an amber-colored oil used in perfumes, incenses, and medicines.
4. Although not all translations use the word, the guests at the dinner are described as reclining before the table. While we often think of people sitting in chairs before the dinner table, the ancient Greeks and Romans always ate reclining on couches before low tables. Perhaps the Judeans, at least wealthy ones like Lazarus, did so as well. Indeed, many Hebrews, especially those in the upper classes, had become quite Romanized. (In light of this, Leonardo's Last Supper is a totally inaccurate depiction.)
5. It's gratifying to learn that Jesus was rewarded for bringing Lazarus back to life: a dinner was the least that could be done for him, one would think. As a signal honor to their guest, Mary anoints Jesus' feet with a large amount of very expensive aromatic oil -- not perfume per se as many translations misleadingly render it. (Nobody splashes a whole pint of costly perfume on someone’s, even a Messiah’s feet!) Jesus' attitude is one of "if they want to do this thing for me, well, let them do it." He would have been an inconsiderate and ungrateful guest if he objected and a ruder one if he had shown up his hosts, as Judas had done, for being uncharitable to the poor. Still, Judas had a point. Why squander wealth on personal vanity when it can be used to help the poor? It seems that the Jesus depicted in other Gospels would have asked that question and been less willing to honor the indulgences of the wealthy than he does in this incident. Here, Jesus' statement of explanation, "You'll always have the poor among you, but you won't always have me!" suggests conceit and contempt for the poor. One wonders why he felt the need to say such a thing, save that, like many of his pronouncements, it foreshadows his imminent death.
6. Judas Iscariot is portrayed here, flat out, as a thief. He wants to have money to dispense to the poor so that he can take some of it himself. He takes care of the finances of Jesus and the disciples, but habitually dips into the till. Did the other disciples know this at the time? Certainly Jesus must have known it. Therefore, why did he select a thief to be his group's treasurer? It seems an inexcusable oversight, an insult as well as an injury to the disciples who followed him. Why does Jesus let someone steal their money? And why, in the first place, does he allow such a disreputable character to be one of his disciples? While there is a rotten apple in every barrel, Jesus had the unique ability to recognize a rotten apple when he saw one. One explanation is that Judas has been unjustly demonized by history and the Gospel writers; because he betrayed Jesus, his previous conduct and character was retrospectively viewed in a jaundiced light, that, once perceived as a villain, he must be guilty of other sins.
7. Since Lazarus has been raised from the dead, people want to see him and crowds of curiosity seekers gather outside his house. He has become a celebrity. How modern!
Showing posts with label Lazarus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lazarus. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
The Raising of Lazarus
(Gospel of John 11:1 - 11:44)
A man named Lazarus lay ill at Bethany, the town where his sisters Mary and Martha lived. (Mary was the one who would pour expensive aromatic oil on Jesus' feet and wipe them with her hair.) As their brother was sick, the two sisters sent this word to Jesus: "Sir, your dear friend is gravely ill."
However, when Jesus received the message, he declared, "This illness will not result in death; its purpose is to reveal the glory of God and to bring glory to the Son of God." So even though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, he remained where he was for two days after he had received word of Lazarus' illness. After that time, though, he said to his disciples, "Let’s return to Judea."
But his disciples protested, "Rabbi, it was only a little while ago that the Judeans were trying to stone you. And now you're going back there?"
Jesus responded, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who go abroad during the day do not stumble because there is light in the world by which to see. But, at night, they are apt to stumble, because there is no light." He then told his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him."
His disciples remarked, "If he sleeps, Master, then he will get better." (They assumed that Jesus was referring to natural sleep when, in fact, he was speaking of Lazarus' death.)
Jesus finally told his disciples bluntly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, so that you see and believe for yourselves. Let's go to him."
Thomas, who was known as the Twin, said to the other disciples, "Let’s go, too, so we can die with Jesus."
By the time Jesus had arrived, Lazarus had been in his tomb for 4 days. As Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about 15 stadia away, many Judeans had visited Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Oh, sir, if you had only been with him, he would not have died. But even now I know that God will grant to you whatever you may ask of him."
"You brother will rise again!" Jesus proclaimed to her.
"Yes, I know," she answered. "He will rise again during the resurrection of the Last Day."
Jesus told her, "I am the means of resurrection to life everlasting. Those who believe in me will live again after they have died. And those now living who believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Master," she replied. "I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God who has come into the world." After she had made this declaration, she returned home and taking her sister Mary aside, confided to her, "The Rabbi's here and he's asking for you." Hearing this, Mary rose quickly and went out to him. Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where he had stopped to talk to Martha. The Judeans who had been with Mary in the house consoling her noticed how hastily she got up and went out, so they followed her, thinking she was going to the burial place to mourn.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet. "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died," she said. When Jesus saw her weeping and saw that the Judeans who had followed her also wept, he was disturbed and deeply moved.
"Where have you interred him?" he demanded of them.
"Master, come and see," they said. And Jesus began to weep.
At this, some of the Judeans observed, "See how much Jesus loved him," but others carped, "You'd think that someone who had cured a blind man could have kept this man from dying."
Jesus, who was again overcome with emotion, arrived at the tomb, which was a cave sealed by a large stone. "Roll away the stone," he bid them.
Martha, the sister of the deceased, warned him, "But, Master, he has been dead for four days; by this time there will be a terrible stench."
Jesus reassured her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would witness the glory of God?" The stone was rolled aside. Jesus looked up to the sky and said, "Thank you, Father, for hearing me. Of course you always hear me, but I have spoken aloud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they may believe that you have sent me."
Jesus then called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!”
The dead man, his hands and feet still bound by linen strips and his face wrapped in a headcloth, did emerge.
“Unwrap his grave clothes and let him go on his way," Jesus told them.
Notes
1. Bethany was a small town near Jerusalem, specifically 15 stadia, or about two miles away. It is to the east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. It should be noted that this is a different place from the Bethany (also called Bethabara), situated on the other side of the River Jordan, where John the Baptist was earlier interrogated by the Pharisees.
2. Jesus, unlike his disciples, seems unconcerned that he is risking his life by returning to Judea, on the other side of the River Jordan. One of them, Thomas, accompanies Jesus with the belief that he will be killed and the disciples with him.
3. Lazarus is apparently a close friend of Jesus, but when he is deathly ill and his sisters send word for Jesus to come to him, Jesus tarries for two days. Why does he do this? He does not hurry to Bethany, where he lies ill, to heal him. It is in his interest to let Lazarus die. He has preternatural knowledge of Lazarus' death and seems to want Lazarus well in his tomb before he arrives. Everything seems a set up for a miracle. This is an opportunity for Jesus to really show off his stuff. Jesus wants his friend dead so he can raise him. And he wants him already moldering in his grave so that there is no doubt about his death. It seems that other people, even friends, are mere tools to promote Jesus' status as a divine healer. Jesus doesn't care if others suffer as long as he can use them in one of his miracles. In fact, he seems callously unconcerned that he arrived too late to heal his friend Lazarus and is moved to emotion only when he is brought to the tomb and sees how others are mourning for his friend.
4. In referring to her brother, Martha states what was probably a prevalent belief among her people, that the dead are to be resurrected on the Last Day. This would contradict any belief that, upon death, the good go to Heaven and the bad go to Hell.
5. Jesus not only claims that those who are dead, and had believe in him, will be raised from the dead and live again, he says that those who are alive and believe won’t die at all. The first claim cannot be disproven, but the second was obviously not fulfilled. Most translations muddle the meaning of this passage. The King James Version’s “he that liveth and believeth in me” incorrectly suggests belief in him and adherence to his teaching, not what it really says. It is common that biblical passages that are patently false are purposely made obscure by translators so as not to discomfit unquestioning believers.
6. The resurrection of Lazarus is, from a dramatic standpoint, really lame. A stone is rolled away from the cave. Jesus calls upon his Father. The Father doesn't answer so that anyone can hear him. Jesus calls to Lazarus to come out of the cave and he does so, still wrapped in burial clothes. That's it! The emergence would make a good scene for a horror film, but is emotionally unsatisfying. What is the reaction of those viewing this? What is Lazarus' physical and mental condition? Why doesn't he say something? Why doesn't Jesus say something? Why don't the sisters run to embrace him?
7. In past miracles, Jesus seems to accomplish them on his own, but for this one, involving the raising of the dead, he needs to ask directly for his Father's help. This would lead one to believe that the powers of the Son of God were limited. He could only do so much on his own. For the really big things, like the resurrection of the dead, he would need the Father’s personal assistance.
A man named Lazarus lay ill at Bethany, the town where his sisters Mary and Martha lived. (Mary was the one who would pour expensive aromatic oil on Jesus' feet and wipe them with her hair.) As their brother was sick, the two sisters sent this word to Jesus: "Sir, your dear friend is gravely ill."
However, when Jesus received the message, he declared, "This illness will not result in death; its purpose is to reveal the glory of God and to bring glory to the Son of God." So even though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, he remained where he was for two days after he had received word of Lazarus' illness. After that time, though, he said to his disciples, "Let’s return to Judea."
But his disciples protested, "Rabbi, it was only a little while ago that the Judeans were trying to stone you. And now you're going back there?"
Jesus responded, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who go abroad during the day do not stumble because there is light in the world by which to see. But, at night, they are apt to stumble, because there is no light." He then told his disciples, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him."
His disciples remarked, "If he sleeps, Master, then he will get better." (They assumed that Jesus was referring to natural sleep when, in fact, he was speaking of Lazarus' death.)
Jesus finally told his disciples bluntly, "Lazarus is dead. For your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, so that you see and believe for yourselves. Let's go to him."
Thomas, who was known as the Twin, said to the other disciples, "Let’s go, too, so we can die with Jesus."
By the time Jesus had arrived, Lazarus had been in his tomb for 4 days. As Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about 15 stadia away, many Judeans had visited Martha and Mary to console them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him while Mary stayed at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Oh, sir, if you had only been with him, he would not have died. But even now I know that God will grant to you whatever you may ask of him."
"You brother will rise again!" Jesus proclaimed to her.
"Yes, I know," she answered. "He will rise again during the resurrection of the Last Day."
Jesus told her, "I am the means of resurrection to life everlasting. Those who believe in me will live again after they have died. And those now living who believe in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
"Yes, Master," she replied. "I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God who has come into the world." After she had made this declaration, she returned home and taking her sister Mary aside, confided to her, "The Rabbi's here and he's asking for you." Hearing this, Mary rose quickly and went out to him. Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where he had stopped to talk to Martha. The Judeans who had been with Mary in the house consoling her noticed how hastily she got up and went out, so they followed her, thinking she was going to the burial place to mourn.
When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet. "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died," she said. When Jesus saw her weeping and saw that the Judeans who had followed her also wept, he was disturbed and deeply moved.
"Where have you interred him?" he demanded of them.
"Master, come and see," they said. And Jesus began to weep.
At this, some of the Judeans observed, "See how much Jesus loved him," but others carped, "You'd think that someone who had cured a blind man could have kept this man from dying."
Jesus, who was again overcome with emotion, arrived at the tomb, which was a cave sealed by a large stone. "Roll away the stone," he bid them.
Martha, the sister of the deceased, warned him, "But, Master, he has been dead for four days; by this time there will be a terrible stench."
Jesus reassured her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would witness the glory of God?" The stone was rolled aside. Jesus looked up to the sky and said, "Thank you, Father, for hearing me. Of course you always hear me, but I have spoken aloud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they may believe that you have sent me."
Jesus then called out in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!”
The dead man, his hands and feet still bound by linen strips and his face wrapped in a headcloth, did emerge.
“Unwrap his grave clothes and let him go on his way," Jesus told them.
Notes
1. Bethany was a small town near Jerusalem, specifically 15 stadia, or about two miles away. It is to the east of Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. It should be noted that this is a different place from the Bethany (also called Bethabara), situated on the other side of the River Jordan, where John the Baptist was earlier interrogated by the Pharisees.
2. Jesus, unlike his disciples, seems unconcerned that he is risking his life by returning to Judea, on the other side of the River Jordan. One of them, Thomas, accompanies Jesus with the belief that he will be killed and the disciples with him.
3. Lazarus is apparently a close friend of Jesus, but when he is deathly ill and his sisters send word for Jesus to come to him, Jesus tarries for two days. Why does he do this? He does not hurry to Bethany, where he lies ill, to heal him. It is in his interest to let Lazarus die. He has preternatural knowledge of Lazarus' death and seems to want Lazarus well in his tomb before he arrives. Everything seems a set up for a miracle. This is an opportunity for Jesus to really show off his stuff. Jesus wants his friend dead so he can raise him. And he wants him already moldering in his grave so that there is no doubt about his death. It seems that other people, even friends, are mere tools to promote Jesus' status as a divine healer. Jesus doesn't care if others suffer as long as he can use them in one of his miracles. In fact, he seems callously unconcerned that he arrived too late to heal his friend Lazarus and is moved to emotion only when he is brought to the tomb and sees how others are mourning for his friend.
4. In referring to her brother, Martha states what was probably a prevalent belief among her people, that the dead are to be resurrected on the Last Day. This would contradict any belief that, upon death, the good go to Heaven and the bad go to Hell.
5. Jesus not only claims that those who are dead, and had believe in him, will be raised from the dead and live again, he says that those who are alive and believe won’t die at all. The first claim cannot be disproven, but the second was obviously not fulfilled. Most translations muddle the meaning of this passage. The King James Version’s “he that liveth and believeth in me” incorrectly suggests belief in him and adherence to his teaching, not what it really says. It is common that biblical passages that are patently false are purposely made obscure by translators so as not to discomfit unquestioning believers.
6. The resurrection of Lazarus is, from a dramatic standpoint, really lame. A stone is rolled away from the cave. Jesus calls upon his Father. The Father doesn't answer so that anyone can hear him. Jesus calls to Lazarus to come out of the cave and he does so, still wrapped in burial clothes. That's it! The emergence would make a good scene for a horror film, but is emotionally unsatisfying. What is the reaction of those viewing this? What is Lazarus' physical and mental condition? Why doesn't he say something? Why doesn't Jesus say something? Why don't the sisters run to embrace him?
7. In past miracles, Jesus seems to accomplish them on his own, but for this one, involving the raising of the dead, he needs to ask directly for his Father's help. This would lead one to believe that the powers of the Son of God were limited. He could only do so much on his own. For the really big things, like the resurrection of the dead, he would need the Father’s personal assistance.
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