John 11:1-57
I can see a fair number of similarities between today's passage and the last couple of days. In the first paragraph we have Jesus saying that the illness is for the glory of God and to bring glory to the Son of God. This sounds like what Jesus said to the disciples when they asked why the man was born blind. Are their eyes open this time?
In that same earlier passage we hear Jesus say: "We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
And today he says something similar when talking about going where his friend has died. Jesus says: "If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him."
So, what is going on here? This friend is dead and his sisters mourn. They no longer have a means of support and may not have a right to their land; not only do they lose their brother whom they love, they are in dire straights. We have this strong love of Thomas for Jesus who says, 'ok, if they are going to kill Jesus, let's go with him, even if it means being killed ourselves.'
Then we have the discussion between Martha and Jesus: (Verses 21-27)
"Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.But even now I know that whatever you ask from 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 on the last day. "Jesus said to her, " I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who 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 coming into the world."
Martha says you could have done something to prevent this, ...and even now you could change what happened. Jesus says not only is there resurrection later, I AM the resurrection now: Do you believe THIS?
Yes, she says I believe... but what does she believe, does she know what she believes?
All these people crying and mourning; have you ever been to a wedding or a funeral when there is so much emotion that you find yourself adding your tears? It says here that Jesus was deeply moved, and wept. I know what that feels like. These emotions of others are part of what we feel and add to our own sorrow and we weep too. Jesus wept. He was right there in the midst of their sorrow and suffering. Walking with them to the tomb. This is what a friend does.
Interesting that the group of people said: couldn't he have "kept this man from dying?" since he opened the eyes of the blind man. I have found other similarities to that reading that I mentioned above, perhaps there is a reason they were there, to bring this question into focus? Is opening the eyes of a blind man like preventing death?
Now we have Jesus at the tomb. Lazarus has been dead four days. That is Dead, dead, dead. Martha, who just a paragraph ago said, Yes I believe...says WAIT, he's gonna smell! What did she believe? Jesus says COME. Just like he said to Peter in the boat: Come! Just like Peter, Lazarus comes. He is not dead-but he was. Jesus says unbind him and let him go. Lazarus is free from death. No waiting. Now. He is living the resurrection life.
Many who were with Mary, believed in Jesus. These may have been the ones who were already wondering if he who opened the eyes of the blind man could have prevented death. In this case he does more than prevent death, he undoes it. Death is no more. Just as Jesus had the mastery of the sea, he has the mastery over death. Yes, this does bring glory to the Son of Man.
It also brought trouble. Why do these others plot to kill him? What kind of logic is this: "What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."
The high priest says better that one man dies for a nation than a nation perish. I am not sure their logic actually works. How is this an if-then statement? Why do they fear that they will lose their nation if the people believe in Jesus? Ok, I can see them losing power if everyone listens to someone else, but losing the nation doesn't follow as far as I can tell. So they decide if they kill the one man, they keep power and that means they don't lose their nation.
What happens next? We will wait and see. In the meantime, do WE believe, in the resurrection here and now?
See you tomorrow.
-maggie
No comments:
Post a Comment