Read John 11 Another great story from John. It is the story of the raising of Lazarus. Lazarus is ill. Mary and Martha are his siblings. Mary is the woman who had used perfume to anoint his feet. She wiped his feet with her hair.
Mary and Martha send a message to Jesus that their brother is ill. Jesus does not come immediately. He waits. Lazarus dies. Then Jesus decides it is time to go back to Judea. The disciples tell Jesus that it is too dangerous to go in that direction because people want to kill him.
Jesus arrives after Lazarus has been dead for four days. Both Mary and Martha are furious that Jesus had waited, and allowed their brother to die. Things could have turned out differently, if Jesus had come right away.
Put yourself in the shoes ( or sandals ) of one of the disciples. You have heard the early message from the sisters. You experience the apparent disregard of Jesus. It makes you angry. You do not understand the actions of Jesus. You are scared now. People want to kill him, and all who follow him. You decide to go with the group towards Jerusalem. You arrive to all the weeping and wailing at the house of Lazarus.
Would you follow Jesus after what you have just seen ? You are unsure if this guy is crazy or uncaring or power hungry. We, of course, know the end of the story. The Gospel of John mentions a few times that people have questions about Jesus or decide to leave the group. Tomorrow, we will find out what happens to Lazarus. Try to keep the tension in the story.
Strength and peace in your life of faith,
Fred
Chaos in the winds Scattering my troubled thoughts to land on soft clouds Monika Pieper Landoni 2022
