Daily Inspiration

“Many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother [Lazarus, who had died]. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. 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.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and anyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” —John 11:19-27

Thoughts from my meditation on this passage (Not Church teaching, and forgive the length)

The verses that follow this passage tell us that Jesus wept when He went to Lazarus’s tomb. But why did Jesus weep? Christ knew He would usher in salvation through His death and Resurrection. His friend would surely be a part of that, so why did He weep?

There is only one parable where Jesus gave a name to any of the characters, and that name was Lazarus; Lazarus and the Rich Man. What if His friend Lazarus was both men? We can pull from context that Martha, Mary, and Lazarus were wealthy. They often hosted Jesus and His Apostles in their house, which means it was large and they had the resources to do so. Lazarus is never mentioned in those stories; perhaps he was consumed with generating that wealth. In the parable, the rich man steps over the poor man each day, yet never removes him from the doorway.

Is it possible that the beggar lies in each of our doorways, and we often step over him, without a care? Is it possible that Our Lord wept not because His friend died, but because of where he went after he passed? Is it possible that after his experience the rich man changed his life? Perhaps upon his return, he put himself in the place of the beggar, and used his attention to ease the life of others.

I have often said my experience in the other world reminds me of Lazarus the Beggar and the Rich Man, because I have been both men. For the Lord God is beyond time, and He sees all of creation at the same moment. He sees the sin and the virtue, and I pray with His help the virtue may overtake the sin in this life, so that one day I will walk in that glorious light of the Lord.

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