John 11
General References
Frederick Buechner, “Lazarus,” Peculiar Treasures, p. 89-90
Walter J. Burghardt, S.J., “Can These Bones Live?” Lovely in Eyes Not His, p. 32-37
“Can These Bones Live?”
John Dominic Crossan, “Healing Scenes: Raising of Lazarus (7 scenes),” The Essential Jesus, p. 191 f.
Dan Damon, “Eat This Bread and Never Hunger,” Faith Will Sing, p. # 6
“Eat This Bread and Never Hunger”
Verna J. Dozier, Equipping the Saints, p. 34-43
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality , p. 64 153
Stanley Hauerwas, “Resurrection,” Minding the Web, p. 182-186
“Resurrection”
To go to Judea is to enter again the politics of the world—a politics determined by the fear of death. Yet Jesus says he is going to make this journey through death, because Lazarus has “fallen asleep.” (p. 183)
Whether they were tears of sadness or of frustration, we cannot tell. (p. 184)
One strategy for dealing with our impending deaths is expressed in Martha’s presumption that death can be comprehended by a general theory about life after death.
… Rather than supplying us with a theory to satisfy our longing for life after death, Jesus asks us to follow him to Judea where we will face those that would kill us for refusing to live as though death can be fought off through violence. (p. 185)
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality , p. 64 153
Stephen Mitchell, “Lazarus,” Parables and Portraits, p. 11
Malcolm Muggeridge, Jesus: The Man Who Lives, p. 96 ff.
Adélia Prado, “Love Song,” quoted by Christian Wiman in Zero at the Bone, p. 237
“Love Song”
Edward Schillebeeckx, “This Sickness Does Not Lead to Death,” God Among Us, p. 69-72
Jean Vanier, “Come Out,” We Need Each Other, p. 127 f.
“Come Out”
My conclusion is that Lazarus had a severe disability which is why he in some ways seems absent. What is strange in the Catholic Church today is that there is a feast day for Mary, a feast day for Martha, but no feast day for Lazarus. We almost seem to forget people with disabilities. Lazarus is only one of two people in the Gospels about whom it is said that Jesus love, yet there is no feast day for him.
Christian Wiman, Zero at the Bone, p. 237
Zero at the Bone
… Jesus weeps even though he knows what is going to happen: he will raise Lazarus from the dead. His knowledge spares him nothing. It’s almost as if “what is going to happen is contingent upon human grief, as if fact had to pass through feeling in order to be fact. That the fact here is a miracle only intensifies the strangeness.
… The scene with Jesus suggests that time itself becomes sclerotic without proper sorrow.
Franz Wright, “The Raising of Lazarus,” The Poetry Foundation
W. B. Yeats, “Calvary,” Selected Poems and Plays, p. 196 f.
“Calvary”
LAZARUS. But death is what I ask.
Alive I never could escape your love …
You dragged me to the light as boys drag out
A rabbit when they have dug its hole away, …
You travel towards the death I am denied. …
But now you will blind with light the solitude
That death has made; you will disturb that corner
Where I had thought I might lie safe for ever
CHRIST. I do my Father’s will.
from Divine Inspiration
1 Luke 10:38-39
2 John 12:3
9-10 Isaiah 50:10-11; Matthew 6:22-23
1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death; it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.
7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any one walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if any one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead; 15 and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
11:1 ην δε τις ασθενων λαζαρος απο βηθανιας εκ της κωμης μαριας και μαρθας της αδελφης αυτης 11:2 ην δε μαρια η αλειψασα τον κυριον μυρω και εκμαξασα τους ποδας αυτου ταις θριξιν αυτης ης ο αδελφος λαζαρος ησθενει 11:3 απεστειλαν ουν αι αδελφαι προς αυτον λεγουσαι κυριε ιδε ον φιλεις ασθενει 11:4 ακουσας δε ο ιησους ειπεν αυτη η ασθενεια ουκ εστιν προς θανατον αλλ υπερ της δοξης του θεου ινα δοξασθη ο υιος του θεου δι αυτης 11:5 ηγαπα δε ο ιησους την μαρθαν και την αδελφην αυτης και τον λαζαρον 11:6 ως ουν ηκουσεν οτι ασθενει τοτε μεν εμεινεν εν ω ην τοπω δυο ημερας
11:7 επειτα μετα τουτο λεγει τοις μαθηταις αγωμεν εις την ιουδαιαν παλιν 11:8 λεγουσιν αυτω οι μαθηται ραββι νυν εζητουν σε λιθασαι οι ιουδαιοι και παλιν υπαγεις εκει 11:9 απεκριθη ιησους ουχι δωδεκα εισιν ωραι της ημερας εαν τις περιπατη εν τη ημερα ου προσκοπτει οτι το φως του κοσμου τουτου βλεπει 11:10 εαν δε τις περιπατη εν τη νυκτι προσκοπτει οτι το φως ουκ εστιν εν αυτω 11:11 ταυτα ειπεν και μετα τουτο λεγει αυτοις λαζαρος ο φιλος ημων κεκοιμηται αλλα πορευομαι ινα εξυπνισω αυτον 11:12 ειπον ουν οι μαθηται αυτου κυριε ει κεκοιμηται σωθησεται 11:13 ειρηκει δε ο ιησους περι του θανατου αυτου εκεινοι δε εδοξαν οτι περι της κοιμησεως του υπνου λεγει 11:14 τοτε ουν ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους παρρησια λαζαρος απεθανεν 11:15 και χαιρω δι υμας ινα πιστευσητε οτι ουκ ημην εκει αλλα αγωμεν προς αυτον 11:16 ειπεν ουν θωμας ο λεγομενος διδυμος τοις συμμαθηταις αγωμεν και ημεις ινα αποθανωμεν μετ αυτου
John Dominic Crossan, “Dead Man Raised,” The Historical Jesus, p. 331 f.
Jean Vanier, “Come Out,” We Need Each Other, p. 125-136
24 John 6:44
21 John Donne, Sermons on the Psalms and Gospels, p. 219
25-26 Frederick Buechner, “The Killing of Time,” The Hungering Dark, p. 70-80
25-26 Robert F. Morneau, “The Mystery of Death,” Gift Mystery Calling, p. 63-68
17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, while Mary sat in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, he who is coming into the world.”
11:17 ελθων ουν ο ιησους ευρεν αυτον τεσσαρας ημερας ηδη εχοντα εν τω μνημειω 11:18 ην δε η βηθανια εγγυς των ιεροσολυμων ως απο σταδιων δεκαπεντε 11:19 και πολλοι εκ των ιουδαιων εληλυθεισαν προς τας περι μαρθαν και μαριαν ινα παραμυθησωνται αυτας περι του αδελφου αυτων 11:20 η ουν μαρθα ως ηκουσεν οτι ιησους ερχεται υπηντησεν αυτω μαρια δε εν τω οικω εκαθεζετο 11:21 ειπεν ουν μαρθα προς τον ιησουν κυριε ει ης ωδε ο αδελφος μου ουκ αν ετεθνηκει 11:22 αλλα και νυν οιδα οτι οσα αν αιτηση τον θεον δωσει σοι ο θεος 11:23 λεγει αυτη ο ιησους αναστησεται ο αδελφος σου 11:24 λεγει αυτω μαρθα οιδα οτι αναστησεται εν τη αναστασει εν τη εσχατη ημερα 11:25 ειπεν αυτη ο ιησους εγω ειμι η αναστασις και η ζωη ο πιστευων εις εμε καν αποθανη ζησεται 11:26 και πας ο ζων και πιστευων εις εμε ου μη αποθανη εις τον αιωνα πιστευεις τουτο 11:27 λεγει αυτω ναι κυριε εγω πεπιστευκα οτι συ ει ο χριστος ο υιος του θεου ο εις τον κοσμον ερχομενος
Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 125
Makoto Fujimura, Art + Faith, p. 106-114
Imaging the Word, Vol. 1, p. 58-61
35 John Donne, Sermons on the Psalms and Gospels, p. 157
35 Makoto Fujimura, Art + Faith, p. 111 f.
Art + Faith
37 Phillips Brooks, “The New and Greater Miracle,” The Light of the World, p. 24-39
28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying quietly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled; 34 and he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
11:28 και ταυτα ειπουσα απηλθεν και εφωνησεν μαριαν την αδελφην αυτης λαθρα ειπουσα ο διδασκαλος παρεστιν και φωνει σε 11:29 εκεινη ως ηκουσεν εγειρεται ταχυ και ερχεται προς αυτον 11:30 ουπω δε εληλυθει ο ιησους εις την κωμην αλλ ην εν τω τοπω οπου υπηντησεν αυτω η μαρθα 11:31 οι ουν ιουδαιοι οι οντες μετ αυτης εν τη οικια και παραμυθουμενοι αυτην ιδοντες την μαριαν οτι ταχεως ανεστη και εξηλθεν ηκολουθησαν αυτη λεγοντες οτι υπαγει εις το μνημειον ινα κλαυση εκει 11:32 η ουν μαρια ως ηλθεν οπου ην ο ιησους ιδουσα αυτον επεσεν αυτου εις τους ποδας λεγουσα αυτω κυριε ει ης ωδε ουκ αν απεθανεν μου ο αδελφος 11:33 ιησους ουν ως ειδεν αυτην κλαιουσαν και τους συνελθοντας αυτη ιουδαιους κλαιοντας ενεβριμησατο τω πνευματι και εταραξεν εαυτον 11:34 και ειπεν που τεθεικατε αυτον λεγουσιν αυτω κυριε ερχου και ιδε 11:35 εδακρυσεν ο ιησους 11:36 ελεγον ουν οι ιουδαιοι ιδε πως εφιλει αυτον 11:37 τινες δε εξ αυτων ειπον ουκ ηδυνατο ουτος ο ανοιξας τους οφθαλμους του τυφλου ποιησαι ινα και ουτος μη αποθανη
Bruce Beasley, “Death of Lazarus,” Spirituals, p. 10-11
“Death of Lazarus”
The miracle lasted years. His healed
body abandoned its cave
and he rose
from that dark, in the glare, shielding
his face.
And sat beside the river,
scrubbing the pallor from his skin.
One by one they came to touch him,
or wash their feet
in the creek where he bathed,
cupping the cold, blessed
water in their hands.
But they were afraid
to talk to him,
afraid to watch him brood
all day in the brush by the water,
gazing at nothing as if
still wracked by fever,
watching the black clouds
dwindle and disappear, the limp
leaves surrendering, one by one,
to the wind.
And torn wing of a moth,
transparent and frail,
trailed down with the leaves
and grazed his shoulder,
as if all things dying
came to him first. Lepers
gathered on the banks
of the creek each morning, hiding
their eyes, chanting his name.
And Lazarus
felt the old hunger return
to him, like a sickness,
cloying his body:
the craving
for meat and sleep, the dread of dying.
Thom Gunn, “Lazarus Not Raised,” Collected Poems, p. 7 f.
“Lazarus Not Raised”
Dom Helder Camara, Through the Gospel, p. 125
Denise Levertov, “Genesis (Abraham) and Gospels,” Communion, p. 485
“Genesis (Abraham) and Gospels"
Imaging the Word, Vol. 1, p. 58-61
43-44 John 5:25
43 Daniel 3:26
41-42 John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 149
The Historical Jesus
42-44 Bruce Beasley, “Lazarus,” Spirituals, p. 48
“Lazarus”
44 Frederick Buechner, “Lazarus,” Peculiar Treasures, p. 89-90
“Lazarus”
Recent interviews with people who have been resuscitated after being pronounced clinically dead reveal that, after the glimpse that evidently all of them get of a figure of light waiting for them on the other side, they are very reluctant to be brought back again to this one. On the other hand, when Lazarus opened his eyes to see the figure of Jesus standing there in the daylight beside him he couldn’t for the life of him tell which side he was on.
38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb; it was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 I knew that thou hearest me always, but I have said this on account of the people standing by, that they may believe that thou didst send me.” 43 When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
11:38 ιησους ουν παλιν εμβριμωμενος εν εαυτω ερχεται εις το μνημειον ην δε σπηλαιον και λιθος επεκειτο επ αυτω 11:39 λεγει ο ιησους αρατε τον λιθον λεγει αυτω η αδελφη του τεθνηκοτος μαρθα κυριε ηδη οζει τεταρταιος γαρ εστιν 11:40 λεγει αυτη ο ιησους ουκ ειπον σοι οτι εαν πιστευσης οψει την δοξαν του θεου 11:41 ηραν ουν τον λιθον ου ην ο τεθνηκως κειμενος ο δε ιησους ηρεν τους οφθαλμους ανω και ειπεν πατερ ευχαριστω σοι οτι ηκουσας μου 11:42 εγω δε ηδειν οτι παντοτε μου ακουεις αλλα δια τον οχλον τον περιεστωτα ειπον ινα πιστευσωσιν οτι συ με απεστειλας 11:43 και ταυτα ειπων φωνη μεγαλη εκραυγασεν λαζαρε δευρο εξω 11:44 και εξηλθεν ο τεθνηκως δεδεμενος τους ποδας και τας χειρας κειριαις και η οψις αυτου σουδαριω περιεδεδετο λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους λυσατε αυτον και αφετε υπαγειν
Frederick Buechner, “Caiaphas,” Peculiar Treasures, p. 18-19
50 Henri Nouwen, “Looking into the Fugitive’s Eyes,” The Wounded Healer, p. 25 f.
45 Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him; 46 but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered the council, and said, “What are we to do? For this man performs many signs. 48 If we let him go on thus, every one will believe in him, and the Romans will come and destroy both our holy place and our nation.” 49 But one of them, Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, said to them, “You know nothing at all; 50 you do not understand that it is expedient for you that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should not perish.” 51 He did not say this of his own accord, but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. 53 So from that day on they took counsel how to put him to death.
54 Jesus therefore no longer went about openly among the Jews, but went from there to the country near the wilderness, to a town called Ephraim; and there he stayed with the disciples.
55 Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand, and many went up from the country to Jerusalem before the Passover, to purify themselves. 56 They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast?” 57 Now the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that if any one knew where he was, he should let them know, so that they might arrest him.
11:45 πολλοι ουν εκ των ιουδαιων οι ελθοντες προς την μαριαν και θεασαμενοι α εποιησεν ο ιησους επιστευσαν εις αυτον 11:46 τινες δε εξ αυτων απηλθον προς τους φαρισαιους και ειπον αυτοις α εποιησεν ο ιησους 11:47 συνηγαγον ουν οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι συνεδριον και ελεγον τι ποιουμεν οτι ουτος ο ανθρωπος πολλα σημεια ποιει 11:48 εαν αφωμεν αυτον ουτως παντες πιστευσουσιν εις αυτον και ελευσονται οι ρωμαιοι και αρουσιν ημων και τον τοπον και το εθνος 11:49 εις δε τις εξ αυτων καιαφας αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου ειπεν αυτοις υμεις ουκ οιδατε ουδεν 11:50 ουδε διαλογιζεσθε οτι συμφερει ημιν ινα εις ανθρωπος αποθανη υπερ του λαου και μη ολον το εθνος αποληται 11:51 τουτο δε αφ εαυτου ουκ ειπεν αλλα αρχιερευς ων του ενιαυτου εκεινου προεφητευσεν οτι εμελλεν ιησους αποθνησκειν υπερ του εθνους 11:52 και ουχ υπερ του εθνους μονον αλλ ινα και τα τεκνα του θεου τα διεσκορπισμενα συναγαγη εις εν 11:53 απ εκεινης ουν της ημερας συνεβουλευσαντο ινα αποκτεινωσιν αυτον
11:54 ιησους ουν ουκετι παρρησια περιεπατει εν τοις ιουδαιοις αλλα απηλθεν εκειθεν εις την χωραν εγγυς της ερημου εις εφραιμ λεγομενην πολιν κακει διετριβεν μετα των μαθητων αυτου
11:55 ην δε εγγυς το πασχα των ιουδαιων και ανεβησαν πολλοι εις ιεροσολυμα εκ της χωρας προ του πασχα ινα αγνισωσιν εαυτους 11:56 εζητουν ουν τον ιησουν και ελεγον μετ αλληλων εν τω ιερω εστηκοτες τι δοκει υμιν οτι ου μη ελθη εις την εορτην 11:57 δεδωκεισαν δε και οι αρχιερεις και οι φαρισαιοι εντολην ινα εαν τις γνω που εστιν μηνυση οπως πιασωσιν αυτον