Redefining the Terms
Jesus can do what he wants, right?
We’ve come to a critical point in John’s gospel. While Jesus hasn’t given much space for those who would have him killed to avoid doing so, it’s these forthcoming events in Bethany that seal the deal. We can’t have a messiah-figure running around claiming to bring people back from the dead.
John, as usual, gives plenty of detail to this story, so we will take more than one day to consider it.
Jesus does and says several things in this story that don’t make sense. It’s well-known that the first odd thing he does is provide no sense of urgency in helping when he hears of his dying friend. He also does not heal him from a distance (something we already know he is not only capable of, but has done before).
Another weird thing is that Jesus says Lazarus’ illness won’t be fatal. But we all know the rest of the story - Lazarus does indeed die.
Jesus also avoids death and crowds or situations that might lead to it, but for some reason or timing unknown to us, he’s good to go at this point, not worried about it.
(Don’t miss Thomas’ stated willingness to die as well. Stated willingness. We don’t know his whereabouts in Gethsemane or at the cross. Isn’t that so like us Christians sometimes? We know the right words, but…)
Jesus doesn’t measure things like we do. Time. Death. He understands things in much different terms. He can do that. His perspective is longer than ours. His sight, clearer.
Maybe in this way, it’s not a redefinition at all, just a different understanding.
John 11:1-16
A certain man, Lazarus, was ill. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (This was the Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother Lazarus was ill.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, saying, “Lord, the one whom you love is ill.”
When he heard this, Jesus said, “This illness isn’t fatal. It’s for the glory of God so that God’s Son can be glorified through it.” Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. When he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed where he was. After two days, he said to his disciples, “Let’s return to Judea again.”
The disciples replied, “Rabbi, the Jewish opposition wants to stone you, but you want to go back?”
Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours in the day? Whoever walks in the day doesn’t stumble because they see the light of the world. But whoever walks in the night does stumble because the light isn’t in them.”
He continued, “Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I am going in order to wake him up.”
The disciples said, “Lord, if he’s sleeping, he will get well.” They thought Jesus meant that Lazarus was in a deep sleep, but Jesus had spoken about Lazarus’ death.
Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died. For your sakes, I’m glad I wasn’t there so that you can believe. Let’s go to him.”
Then Thomas (the one called Didymus) said to the other disciples, “Let us go too so that we may die with Jesus.”
Prayer
God,
You are a God of community, expressing love both within yourself and to the world. You established your people in Israel and then broke it open for the whole world in Christ, a community for all people who would follow Jesus. Help us as we follow him, seeking and finding love together in our fellowship and sharing.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.