March 29, 2020
Readings:
First Reading: Ezekiel 37: 12-14
Psalm 130 “With the Lord there is
mercy, and fullness of redemption.”
Second Reading: Romans 8: 8-11
Gospel reading according to John 11: 1-45
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Homily: Raising Lazarus from the Dead
After Jesus brought sight to the born blind man
in the temple in Jerusalem, he stayed outside Judea for few days. Nobody knew where he was staying on that
days. Meanwhile, in Bethany, two miles
from Jerusalem, the family of Lazarus was mourning for Lazarus was gravely ill
and at the verge of death. “Now a man was ill, Lazarus from Bethany, the
village of Mary and her sister Martha” (John 11: 1). His sisters Mary and Martha were looking for Jesus to cure him
but they did not find him. They were
worrying about the condition of Lazarus.
As we recall this family of
Lazarus, Mary and Martha, they were close friends of Jesus. When Jesus was in Jerusalem he stayed in
their house. One time, when Jesus was
with this family, Mary brought out a perfumed oil and poured lavishly at Jesus′
feet and dried them with her hair. “Mary
was the one who had anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and dried his feet with
her hair; it was her brother Lazarus who was ill” (John 11: 2). Mary showed her love to Jesus by preparing
his death through this anointing of alabaster oil. This Mary was sister of Lazarus, Jesus′
friend, who was dying.
Both sisters, Martha and Mary, sent word to
Jesus for the cause of Lazarus. “So
the sisters sent word to him saying, ‵Master, the one you love is ill′.” (John 11: 3). They
would like to convey to him the condition of Lazarus whom he loved. The word of Martha and Mary came to the
attention of Jesus. But, he did not come
at once to the place where Lazarus was. “When Jesus heard this he said, ‵This illness
is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of Man may be
glorified through it′.” (John
11: 4). He stayed some few days more to the
place where he was for he wanted to show and give glory to his Father due to
Lazarus condition. In spite that Jesus
loved these sisters (Martha and Mary) and brother (Lazarus). “Now
Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (John 11: 5). He
remembered the pitiable condition of this family whom he loved. But God has planned in this situation of
Lazarus. Still, he remained unseen or
gave any indication of his whereabouts.
“So when he heard that he was ill,
he remained for two days in the place where he was” (John 11: 6). He did not
show for two more days to Martha and Mary.
Lazarus was dead.
When the proper time had come, he told his disciples to go to Judea where
the house of Lazarus, Martha and Mary was, to see and to console the
sisters. “Then after this he said to his disciples, ‵Let us go back to
Judea.′ The disciples said to him,
‵Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there′.” (John
11: 7-8). Though the disciples did not know
the plan of Jesus, and that they were afraid to the Jews who would stone them
due to the violation of the Sabbath rest, complaint about his plan. They did not realize that Jesus wanted to see
the dead body of Lazarus and do something great in their sight Jesus who was aware of what had happened a
few weeks ago in the temple near the Pool of Siloam, he was not afraid to go
back but rather he was eager to visit the house of Lazarus. “Jesus
answered, ‵Are there not twelve hours in a day?
If one walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the
light of this world. But if one walks at
night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him′.” (John 11: 9-10). He encouraged his
disciples that nothing will happen during the day because they can see clearly
the road they trod; as in the night, they might stumble and fall to the hands
of their enemies for they do not see the road and the place clearly for they
were not familiar. To enlighten the
minds of his disciples he told them the true purpose of going back to
Judea. “He said this, and then told them, ‵Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I
am going to awaken him′.” (John
11: 11). He told them in figure of
speech that Lazarus was sleeping, he will wake him up. His disciples did not understand clearly what
he meant. “So the disciples said to him, ‵Master, if he is asleep, he will be
saved′. But Jesus was talking about his
death, while they thought that he meant ordinary sleep” (John 11: 12-13). So he talked plainly and clarified to them
what was the meaning of asleep and
his going to awaken him. He was going to Judea to the place of his
beloved friend Lazarus for was already dead and he was going to resurrect him
from the dead. “So then Jesus said to them clearly, ‵Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there,
that you may believe. Let us go to him′.”
(John 11: 14-15). He told them also that surely they will see
something great that will make their faith strong and lasting, and that they
may believe in him. One of his
disciples, Thomas by name, with courage and confidence, encourage his fellow
disciples to follow Jesus in Jerusalem whatever happens to them. “So
Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, ‵Let us also go to die
with him′.” (John 11:
16). He even said to them that they
accompany Jesus until the end and will die with him.
Jesus ad his disciples came near Bethany, but they did not directly went to
the house of Lazarus. “When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus
had already been in the tomb for four days
Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away” (John 11: 17-18). Jesus learned that Lazarus was dead and
buried in the tomb four days already. While
many Jews came to support and console (makiramay)
to the two sisters. “And many of the Jews had come to Martha and
Mary to comfort them about their brother” (John 11: 19). It is the
nature of the Jewish people when somebody died, they come and be one with the
relatives who left behind. That is why
Jesus did not come at once in the house of Lazarus so that he might not be seen
by those Jews.
Jesus sent a message to Martha that he was coming and nearing to their
house. “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary
sat at home” (John 11: 20). So Martha learned that their best friend is
coming she went out to their house to meet Jesus, but Mary remained sitting and
weeping at home. When Martha met Jesus,
she poured out to him her loneliness and hopelessness to their lost. “Martha
said to Jesus, ‵Lord if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of
God, God will give you′.” (John
11: 21-22). She said also to him that if
he comes soon, her brother Lazarus might still be alive. But she also showed her confidence in him,
that whatever he asks in God it will be given to him, even the most impossible
one – a resurrection from the dead.
The conversation between Jesus and Martha begun. Jesus guaranteed Martha. “Jesus
said to her, ‵Your brother will rise′.” (John 11: 23). Jesus said
that Lazarus will rise, will be live again and they will see him again. Martha showed her belief and faith in the
resurrection someday. “Martha said to him, ‵I know he will rise, in
the resurrection on the last day′.” (John
11: 24). She believed that his brother,
and all who have died, will rise in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus revealed to her that he is the
resurrection and the life. “Jesus told her, ‵I am the resurrection and
the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives
and believes in me will never die. Do you
believe this′?” (John 11:
25-26). Jesus affirmed that whoever believes in him will rise from the dead and
resurrect and died no more. Martha
reaffirmed her faith and belief in Jesus.
“She said to him, ‵Yes, Lord, I
come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming
into the world′.” (John 11:
27). She never doubted Jesus, who he is
and what he can do.
After conversing with Jesus, she went home and informed Mary about the
coming of Jesus where nobody can hear her about Jesus’s coming. “When
she said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, ‵The
teacher is here and is asking for you′.” (John 11: 28). Jesus was
also looking for Mary to give her his support and encouragement.
When Mary heard of the name of Jesus and that he was looking by him, she
immediately rose up from her sitting and quickly went out to meet Jesus. “As
soon as she heard this, she rose quickly and went to him. For Jesus had not yet come into the village,
but was still where Martha had met him” (John 11: 29-30). Jesus
was not yet at the vicinity of Bethany when he was met by Martha, and also in
that place where Mary met him. The Jews too
stopped crying out and followed Mary to the tomb thinking she will go to where
Lazarus was laid. “So when
the Jews who were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary get up quickly
and go out, they followed her, presuming that she was going to the tomb to weep
there” (John 11: 31). When Mary rose from where she was sitting,
the Jews also stood up and followed wherever Mary was going.
When Mary and some Jews arrived to where Jesus was they saw Jesus, while
Mary prostrated herself, knelt down on her knees and repeated what Martha said
to Jesus. “When Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and
said to him, ‵Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died′.”
(John 11: 32). In her voice there was hopelessness and
discouragement and discontent but without any blame or accusation.
Jesus saw in the eyes of Mary the hardship of a lost, her eyes were full of
tears and at the same time tired of crying.
“When Jesus saw her weeping and
the Jews who had come with her weeping, he became perturbed and deeply troubled,
and said, ‵Where have you laid him?′ They
said to him, ‵Sir, come and see′.” (John 11: 33-34). With that condition, Jesus became worried and
troubled. There was immediacy when he
asked the place where they laid the dead body of Lazarus.
Jesus cannot control his self, he cried and everybody saw him wept. “And
Jesus wept. So the Jews said, ‵See how
he loved him.′ But some of them said, ‵Could not the one who opened the eyes of
the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died′?” (John 11: 35-37). He showed his love
to his friend Lazarus. But the other
Jews observed by saying what had happened in the Temple near the Pool of Siloam
where he brought sight to the man born blind, but he was not able to cure the sickness
of Lazarus. In their voice there is
lacking in Jesus part, he missed the opportunity to prove his love to his
friend Lazarus and to the two sisters, at the same time there was condemnation.
Jesus was deeply troubled and worried. He also heard what the other Jews
commented. “So Jesus perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.”
(John 11: 38). He and the rest went to the tomb, a cave and a
stone laid across it.
Jesus without any further ado, commanded to open the tomb by removing the
stone laid across it. “Jesus said, ‵Take away the stone.′ Martha,
the dead man’s sister, said to him, ‵Lord, by now there will be a stench; he
has been dead for four days′.” (John
11: 39). But Martha said to Jesus that Lazarus was four days already dead and
his corpse was decaying, it has bad odor also (naaagnas, mabaho at nabubulok
na).
But Jesus reminded her by what he had said to her. “Jesus
said to her, ‵Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of
God′?” (John 11: 40). The people present there in the tomb, the two
sisters Mary and Martha, his disciples and the Jews, will see the glory of God
the Father. “So they took away the
stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and
said, ‵Father, I thank you for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me, but because of the crowd here I have
said this, that they may believe that you sent me.′ And when he had said this,
he cried out in a loud voice, ‵Lazarus, come out!′ The dead man came out, tied
hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, ‵Untie him and let him
go′.” (John 11: 41-44). So some men took away the stone covering the
cave tomb of Lazarus, then Jesus prayed to God the loving Father who listened
always to pleading of his Son, Jesus Christ, and his glory was made known to
all people, when Lazarus rose up from where he laid down, he came out of the tomb
still covered with burial cloths all over his body, and Jesus to some of them
to untie him and let him go free. “Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary
and seen what he had done began to believe in him” (John 11: 45). Those present, especially the Jews and some of
his disciples who did not believe in him, started to believe in him, that truly
he is the Son of God who resurrects the dead and gives life.
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