by Fr. Gregory-David Jones, O.S.B.

      There is a remarkable truth that is revealed in the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the grave.  The gospel reveals that Jesus was aware of the dire situation of his illness, but chose to delay visiting him in order that God’s grace would be manifested through the ordeal that, “This illness will not end in death… that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”  And as we know, Lazarus did die, but the story ended with his walking out of his tomb.

     We know that Jesus knew all things and that there was a strategy in what he did.  He could have simply healed Lazarus’ sickness before he died by a simple utterance of words – as he had done for the centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13), but he chose to reveal the glory of God in more extraordinary way.  Lazarus did die despite Martha and Mary’s hope that he would be cured of his sickness.  Mary seemed to have given up after Lazarus had died, but Martha came to the Lord and expressed the kind of faith bold enough to move mountains with the words, “… even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you”(John 11:22).  This woman of faith did not know how God would answer her prayers at that point, she even protested that removing the stone from the tomb would allow the odor from the decaying body to escape (John 11:39).  Nevertheless, she had faith that the Lord could do something. 

     For our part, the event of Lazarus walking out of the tomb reveals to us that we must stay by the Lord’s side when things are going well (as Mary did when Jesus visited her home) and when we are facing hardships (as Martha did in going out to speak and plead to him).  Martha did not give up hoping, even though her brother died.  We must never forget; our Savior is Divine.  He in his providence is on our side.  He is also fully human and he weeps with us by our side.  As a human, Jesus knows our pain, anguish and depression, but he has a plan for us as we bear the crosses of tragedy, failure, hardship and discouragement.  We do not always know how God’s glory will be revealed through these realities of life, but we do have the assurance that Jesus’ promise that all we ask of him will be fulfilled (John 14:13). 

     Let us like Martha, turn away from hopelessness and keep our eyes fixed on Jesus who will make the crosses we bear the means which reveals his loving providence. 

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