Thoughts for the Day

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.’

(Church in Wales Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

We continue the story of the Raising of Lazarus today, John's Third Sign (or miracle). Bethany, where Lazarus and his sisters Martha and Mary came from, is about 1.7 miles from Jerusalem. Today it's called Al-Azariya and is a Palestinian town on the West Bank, that is, on the southeastern slope of the Mount of Olives, but separated from Jerusalem by a 7 foot high concrete wall and controlled by the Israeli military authority. To get there from Jerusalem requires one to drive away from city in a huge circle, rather than a gentle walk through olive groves as Jesus would have done.

Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. Hebrews believed that the soul hovered for three days so the fact that 'four days' is mentioned indicates to the reader that there is absolutely no hope of Lazarus being revived. But when all hope has gone, we get the most amazing words of faith from a seemingly unlikely person. Martha tells Jesus that she believes that he could have healed Lazarus if he had arrived earlier. Jesus replies that he is the 'Resurrection and the Life' and she answers "Yes, Lord, I believe you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into ther world." Martha, in her grief, does not offer words of recrimination that Jesus has arrived too late, she simply offers him complete faith.

The question for you and for me is, have we this kind of faith in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, and if not can we ask Him to increase our faith?

Jesus Christ,
increase our faith in You,
so that we may continue to live and work
as Your people in the world.
When our faith is dim
may we rest in the faith
of others until such time
as we come into the light again
and can continue as a faithful Christian
whatever life throws at us.
Amen.