The story begins by introducing us to three brothers; Lazarus, Mary and Martha, who lived in Bethany, a village about three kilometers from Jerusalem at the foot of the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives.
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From the other Gospels we know that when the Lord traveled to Jerusalem, he used to retire to spend the night in Bethany (Mt 21:17) (Mark 11:11). There he enjoyed the affection and affection he found in the home of these three brothers (Lk 10: 38-42). This same Mary is the one who anointed the feet of Jesus with an ointment of great price (Jn 11: 2) (Jn 12: 1-8). It was also from Bethany that the Lord departed to make his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and there he spent the night immediately preceding his passion. And a few weeks after his resurrection, it was also in the vicinity of Bethany that the Lord finally ascended into heaven (Luke 24: 50-53). Therefore, we can say that the Lord was very close to Bethany, and especially to the family of Lazarus, where he found a happy atmosphere and a special friendship. In that home the Lord enjoyed an oasis of peace amid the hostility with which he was received every time he entered Jerusalem. There, the Master found relief and consolation in escaping from the controversies and dialectical struggles he had each day in the temple in Jerusalem. It was well worth the three kilometers that separated him to Bethany.
"And Jesus loved Martha, his sister and Lazarus"
The love that the Lord felt for each one of the members of this family is affirmed on several occasions throughout this passage (Jn 11: 3,5,36).
Although they were brothers, as is often the case, they were all very different from each other. Marta always seemed "troubled and afflicted with many things" (Lk 10:41). She was one of those women who are always aware of everything that may affect the comfort and well-being of those around them. Mary, on the other hand, "sat at the feet of Jesus and heard his word" (Lk 10:39). She manifested a relative passivity, a spirit given to meditation and entirely devoted to devotion to Jesus. And we know very little about Lázaro, because he never says anything in any of the stories where he appears. We imagine him therefore a man of few words, calm and modest.
But even if there were important differences of character between all of them, the Lord loved them all equally. Maybe parents can sin by having favoritism for one of their children, but this does not happen with the Lord. He loves us all equally without caring about the diversity of our characters or gifts.
The disease of Lázaro
However, the passage teaches us that despite the close connection between these three brothers and the Lord, even so, this beloved family was afflicted by the illness and death of Lazarus. This fact makes us reflect on two important facts. The first is that the disease should not necessarily be interpreted as evidence of divine anger over us. And the second, that Christians get sick and die in the same way that those who are not believers do.
The purpose of Lazarus disease
When the Lord received the news that his friend Lazarus was sick, he said that this illness would not be to death. With that he was implying that death would not be the final result of that disease, because even though it was true that he was going to die, the grave could not keep Lazaro's body for long. We must understand, therefore, that the Lord was anticipating that death would not be victorious, but that it would be defeated when he himself resurrected his friend.
It is true that he could have said: "Lazarus will die and then he will be resurrected", but he did not. In this way, although the Lord knew that he was going to be resurrected later, all the others had to face the events without knowing for sure what he was proposing. And that is exactly the same thing that happens to us when we go through different tests; God has a purpose, but we do not know it beforehand, so we often wonder why we have to go through certain unpleasant experiences.
But as we say, God always has a purpose in everything that happens to us. On many occasions he allows diseases or other difficulties in order to grow and mature our faith. This is so because the disease shows us how fragile we are, and often, it is in those circumstances that we experience a greater need to approach God for help; we read more our Bibles and pray with more fervor. It is then that we become sensitive enough to learn lessons that we would not otherwise learn, because suffering takes away the proud dependence we have on ourselves and throws us at the feet of God. On the other hand, the closeness of death also leads us to think about the brevity of life, and we see how the moment of accountability before God approaches us inexorably. Many in these circumstances feel the need to fix or improve their relationship with God.
We see that Lazarus' illness led his sisters to desire to be closer to Jesus, which is why they sent for him. But the Lord did not go immediately, but sent the messenger back with these enigmatic words: "This disease is not for death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it".
In this which the Lord said, we noticed that the main purpose of the illness and death of Lazarus was to manifest the glory of God and also that of the Son. Both would be glorified equally, since the relationship between the two is so close and inseparable that it is not possible for one to be glorified on the other (Jn 5:23). As for the expression "the glory of God", in this gospel it is used to refer to those attributes of God that are shown to men. And this time we are going to see the Lord Jesus Christ present himself as the "resurrection and life"; two of his attributes that are closely related to the most fundamental needs of man.
Therefore, the suffering of the sisters of Lazarus had a high purpose: it was going to lead them to discover something of the character of God that they would not otherwise know. We have other examples in Scripture of how times of trial have led believers to know God in a totally new way. For example, King David would not have known God as his "Rock, Fortress, and Deliverer" had he not suffered the persecution of his enemies (2 Sam. 22: 1-51). Abraham would not have known God as "Jehovah will provide" if he had not been willing to offer his son Isaac (Gen 22:14). The Lazarus sisters would not have known Jesus as the "Resurrection and life" if their brother had not died. And probably Mary would not have anointed Christ with that alabaster glass of great price had she not witnessed the resurrection of her brother.
"Jesus said: I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, even though he is dead, will live"
Marta believed that Jesus would be heard by God in everything he asked for, but now the Lord told him that he himself had the authority and power to give life and to restore it through the resurrection. He is the "Author of life", the incarnate God himself, source of all life, whether spiritual or physical. Therefore, no one but him could make a statement like this: "I am the resurrection and the life."
This is the seventh affirmation of the Lord that John picked up and that begins with the known "I am." On this occasion I wanted to show that he had absolute power over death. Not that it was a means to bring the dead to life, as prophets such as Elijah or Elisha could have been in the past, but that he himself was the resurrection and the life.
On this occasion the Lord intended to resurrect Lazarus, but this would only be a foretaste of what will one day occur in this world "when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice, and those who did the good, will come to the resurrection of life, but those who did evil, a resurrection of condemnation "(Jn 5: 28-29).
Notice also the order in his statement: "resurrection and life". First comes the resurrection and then life; because the resurrection opens the door to the authentic immortal life. That is why we must understand that the Lord was referring in this context to people who are physically "dead". All of them will be resurrected by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and will live eternally; some in condemnation and others enjoying eternal life with the Lord.
And then he speaks of the living believers, just as he had previously spoken of the believers who had already died, and he says: "And everyone who lives and believes in me will not die eternally." The believer will be delivered from death or eternal damnation by the power of the Lord.
"Do you believe this?"
Marta had already declared that she believed in the future resurrection of the dead, but now the Lord confronts her with a different fact: Did she believe that Jesus, her Master and friend, was the author of life and resurrection? Or on the contrary, would he continue to think of him only as a prophet who taught good and pleasant things? The time had come to make a personal decision.
"He said: Yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of God, that you have come into the world"
Of course, it would have been easier to answer that question if Jesus had already resurrected his brother Lazarus, but once again, faith must precede the miracle. For her part, Marta confessed her faith in Christ and accepted that he had the keys of death and the grave.
Marta's statement contains several essential points of the Christian faith:
That Jesus was the Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah.
That he was the Son of God.
That he was the promised Redeemer who had come into the world.
It never ceases to amaze us how he came to understand so clearly who Jesus was. We know that it took a long time for his closest disciples to express something similar (Mt 16: 15-16). Furthermore, we must not forget that she confessed her faith in Christ as the resurrection and the life just after her brother had died without Jesus having done anything to prevent it.
In a very short time his faith had advanced in an incredible way and this could only be possible because he had finally understood who Jesus really was. Like the apostle Paul, she could also say: "I know whom I have believed" (2 Tim 1:12). And when a person understands who Jesus is and puts his faith in him, all other things necessarily change. The trials and sufferings are no longer so painful. The hope that gives us the knowledge that he is the "Resurrection and the Life" gives us a sure confidence in the future that reduces the pain to the present.
