Gospel of the 5th Sunday of Lent – Year A
3 The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, “Master, the one You love is ill.” 4 When Jesus heard this He said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was ill, He remained for two days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
17 When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him; but Mary sat at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” 24 Martha said, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 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.”
33b He became perturbed and deeply troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Sir, come and see.” 35 And Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews said, “See how He loved him.” 37 But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?”
38 So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing Me. 42 I know that you always hear Me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 And when He had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” 45 Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what He had done began to believe in Him (Jn 11:3-7, 17, 20-27, 33b-45).
I – God, the Only Lord of Life
Prominent among the many human discoveries that have been made over the centuries are the cures for various illnesses. These have provided extraordinary progress for medicine in the treatment of diseases that were previously terminal. Who could have imagined, only two centuries ago, the existence of certain drugs or organ transplants that have saved so many lives?
Nevertheless, despite this progress, humanity will never succeed in finding the longed-for “pill of immortality”. The end of our days on this earth can be postponed by science, but only in appearance, for the hour of death belongs to God alone, the Lord of life. Just as we live in His hands – though many forget Him completely – we shall die in His holy hands. And through them, as well, we shall rise to eternal happiness if we number among the good.
This is the theme of the Liturgy of this Fifth Sunday of Lent: life.
In the first reading, Ezekiel compares the Chosen People, who find themselves in captivity and without hope of returning to the Promised Land, to the dead in their tombs. To encourage them, the Most High proclaims through the lips of the prophet: “O my people, I will open your graves and have your rise from them, and bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and have you rise from them, O my people! I will put my Spirit in you that you may live, and I will settle you upon your land.” (Ez 37:12-14a).
The second reading (cf. Rom 8:8-11), in turn, relates a passage from St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans in which the Apostle shows us that, through the Redemption wrought by Our Lord, we have in the Holy Spirit the promise of an imperishable life: “If the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, the One who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also, through His Spirit dwelling in you” (8:11).
Through these considerations, Holy Church prepares us, with maternal wisdom, to accurately understand the sublime lesson hidden in the Gospel, whose text, while profound and full of doctrinal substance, is at the same time extremely moving.
II – Jesus Christ, Source of Life
The Gospels recount many miracles worked by Jesus which confirm, through facts, the statement He made of Himself: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (Jn 10:10). This outpouring of life was manifested most especially in personal contact with the Redeemer, as an inexhaustible source of bodily health, for “power came forth from Him and healed them all” (Lk 6:19).
To the leper who asked Him “Lord, if You will, You can make me clean” (Mt 8:2), to the blind man who begged Him “May I see” (Mk 10:51), to the haemorrhaging woman who sought to touch the hem of His garment (cf. Mt 9:22), or to the Roman centurion who begged for the healing of his servant (cf. Mt 8:6-8), He responded to all their needs. On some occasions the Divine Master went even further, going so far as to restore life to those who had lost it, as for example the son of the widow of Nain (cf. Lk 7:11-15) and Jairus’ daughter (cf. Mk 5:41).
And this true torrent of life reached an inconceivable peak in the episode from the Gospel of St. John chosen for this Sunday’s Liturgy.
Three siblings, close friends of the Lord
3 The sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, “Master, the one You love is ill.” 4 When Jesus heard this He said, “This illness is not to end in death, but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was ill, He remained for two days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to His disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”
Lazarus, Martha and Mary, three siblings from one of the noblest and wealthiest families in Israel, had, among other properties, a large country house in Bethany, a very pleasant place and only three kilometres from Jerusalem (cf. Jn 11:18). Martha, an enterprising, organized and efficient woman, received Jesus there whenever He needed to rest from His evangelizing labours. The close friendship with this family, to which the Evangelist alludes, was certainly due to the great calling of its members and the respite that their company brought to the Saviour.
Perhaps they did not yet have a clear notion that Our Lord was God – which they could only acquire by Revelation – but they were fully convinced that He was the promised Messiah, and in the most varied circumstances of their conviviality, they undoubtedly felt the beneficial effect of His presence, mentioned above, which naturally made them grow in faith.
As Lazarus had fallen seriously ill, the two sisters insisted through messengers that the Divine Master go to Bethany with all haste, for they knew that, if He arrived in time, He would have the power to save His friend.
But Jesus prolonged His stay in the place where He was, and in the meantime Lazarus departed this life. How hard it must have been for Martha and Mary to see their request seemingly refused by the One with whom they were so intimate!
Meanwhile, Our Lord spoke to the Apostles of His friend’s illness in mysterious language, saying that Lazarus was only sleeping (cf. Jn 11:11-13).
Arrival calculated by the Saviour
17When Jesus arrived, He found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
It was not until four days after Lazarus’ burial that Our Lord appeared in Bethany. Through the influence of their family, the three siblings were connected with the highest society of the time, and so, as news of the death of their firstborn son spread in the surrounding area, “many Jews” (Jn 11:19) flocked from nearby towns to pay their respects. In the period of deepest mourning, these would extend for a whole week. The visitors sat in a circle around the relatives and wept with them over the death of the loved one.
There can be no doubt that the leaders of the people and many representatives of the Pharisaic sect were present, since they would never miss an opportunity to show themselves in situations like these, in which, unfortunately, they so often acted out of worldly vanities and interests.
These circumstances would prove providential so that the event that would soon take place would have an irrepressible echo throughout the nation.
A lament full of faith and love
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet Him; but Mary sat at home. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
When the hostess heard that Our Lord was there, she went to meet Him, trying not to attract too much attention, while Mary remained in prayer with the visitors. This detail shows how much Martha, after Jesus’ rebuke (cf. Lk 10:41-42), had progressed in the spiritual life to the point of understanding that the most important thing was to be close to Him.
Having approached the Saviour, her first concern was to lament in all confidence the death of her brother. However, Martha maintained a firm hope, and gently hinted that although Lazarus had died, she believed “even now” in the Master’s power.
Was she ratifying her faith, despite the apparent denial, and asking for her brother’s resurrection, or only praying for the soul of the deceased?
Everything indicates that, although in a diffuse way, Martha trusted in the power of Our Lord, as if to say, “If You choose, You can raise him from the dead!” It was a proclamation of faith moved by her great love for Jesus.
In view of the facts that followed, it is still plausible to think that Our Lord’s emotion at the death of Lazarus, and the longing He felt for His friend, reached a climax when He perceived the distress of Martha, inconsolable at the loss of her dear brother. Her suffering was the drop of water that made the chalice of the God-Man’s emotion overflow.
Here is a lesson in the love that should reign among us Catholics, for God often grants us graces in response to the concern expressed by another.
A trial in order to grow in faith
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” 24Martha said, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.”
The Divine Master, verifying Martha’s correspondence to grace, began to demand more and more faith from her, indicating that the dubious response she had given to His delicate insinuation was a test to make her grow in this virtue… As Jesus pronounced His words, hope certainly strengthened and confidence became unshakable in her soul.
Now, every Jew knew the doctrine of the final resurrection, a revelation made in the Old Testament. Judging this reply to be insufficient for her expectations, Martha suggests to the Master that she hoped for more. This fervent attitude would lead Him to make an extraordinary revelation to her.
Jesus, Life in essence
25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Me, even if he dies, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Cappella degli Scrovegni,Padua (Italy)
Still somewhat ambiguous about the purpose of the conversation, Our Lord reveals that He himself is the resurrection and the life, therefore, the author of every resurrection and the sustainer of eternal life. Whoever believes in Him does not die, because physical death is a passage to reach true life. With these sublime words, Jesus confirms Martha’s intimate conviction that, through Him, her brother will live.
The Divine Master emphasizes His intention with the emphatic question formulated at the end: “Do you believe this?” Again, He wants Martha’s faith to increase at every step, so as to show us that if this theological virtue is well-fortified within us, we shall obtain all things.
The confession of Martha
27 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.”
Martha’s categorical reply attests to the extent to which Our Lord had achieved His goal, to the point of her declaring, regarding Jesus, something similar – and even superior – to what St. Peter confessed in Caesarea Philippi. If, by proclaiming “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16), Simon was elevated to the Papacy, what would St. Martha deserve for affirming: “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world”?
Martha confesses that He is the Messiah, that He is God; He could do anything! And this faith moved Our Lord to go to Lazarus’ tomb.
The perturbation of the God-Man’s
33bHe became perturbed and deeply troubled, 34and said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Sir, come and see.” 35And Jesus wept. 36So the Jews said, “See how He loved him.” 37But some of them said, “Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?” 38aSo Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb.
In these verses we see an aspect that is little commented on but that deserves attention: the harmonious opposition that exists between the human and divine natures of Our Lord. This is a true mystery! As God, the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, He contemplated this death from all eternity and it was His will that Lazarus should die and remain in the tomb for four days, to be raised afterwards. As Man, He also was aware, by the fact that His soul was in the beatific vision, that this would take place. His human will, however, without in any way contradicting the divine designs, was enveloped by affective sentiments that deplored the death of His friend.
Jesus was moved to tears. On only one other occasion do we see this scene in the Gospels: when He weeps over Jerusalem (cf. Lk 19:41). His weeping manifests the clash between uncreated and created nature; the divine, which always remains unshaken, and human nature, obliged to measure up to God.
This episode gives us some idea of how much we need to strive to live up to our Christian vocation, and it shows us that the difficulties this entails are understandable. Our Lord fully conforms His human will to the divine, and so we too must act in relation to the demands of our noble condition as children of God!
An order given with authority
38b It was a cave, and a stone lay across it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the dead man’s sister, said to Him, “Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?”
The Evangelist rightly points out one of the aspects that most contributed to the miracle’s resounding repercussion. In those days, some excavations or cavities in the rock were used as tombs, and the bodies, anointed with balsam, were left in certain compartments within these caves, which in turn were sealed on the outside with a stone.
Now, the corpse of Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Everyone must have been astonished at the order given by Our Lord to remove the tombstone, to the point that Martha herself, despite her faith, called the Master’s attention to this factor, perhaps at the request of those who had been summoned to remove the stone that sealed the sepulchre. Such an act would imply – besides the transgression of a legal norm, both Jewish and Roman, which forbid violating tombs – smelling the unpleasant and intense odour of death.
However, the dominion of Our Lord was such that it passed over any objection. And to this was added the expectation of Public Opinion, even from a merely human perspective, eager to witness some extraordinary event.
Words that only God could pronounce
41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for hearing Me. 42 I know that you always hear Me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 And when He had said this, He cried out in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
We can well imagine the tremendous stench that issued from the sepulchre when the tombstone was rolled away, a detail that would serve to certify even more conclusively the veracity of the miracle that was about to take place. Our Lord took advantage of this interval to say a beautiful prayer in which He invoked the Eternal Father, without, however, imploring Him to perform the miracle. This was to be executed by the omnipotent voice of Him who minutes before had declared Himself to be “the resurrection and the life,” when He said imperatively, “Lazarus, come out!”
He, who earlier had manifested His humanity in weeping for His friend, at this instant makes His divinity shine forth. Indeed, who has the power to give orders to a dead man and be obeyed, if not God himself?
One miracle after another
44 The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, “Untie him and let him go.” 45 Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what He had done began to believe in Him.
If it was already an extraordinary miracle to resurrect a person who had been dead for four days, another miracle would make it even more impressive. As mentioned above, at that time corpses were wrapped in such a way that it was impossible for a living person covered with these bands to walk, much less climb the stairs of the tomb. Furthermore, the way out of Lazarus’ tomb, preserved until today, is steep and complex to navigate, even by someone whose walking is unencumbered. Now, the brother of Martha and Mary ascended, wrapped in cloths, to the door of the tomb and only then did the Lord command that he be untied so that he could walk. How did he make his way out? One miracle after another, which was ample proof of the omnipotence of the Master.
For this reason, St. John stresses that many of the Jews who had witnessed the scene believed in Our Lord. Many, yes, but not all, since this altogether extraordinary event triggered the formal condemnation to death of the Divine Redeemer by the Sanhedrin (cf. Jn 11:45-53), who also decided to murder the living proof of the miracle, Lazarus himself (cf. Jn 12:10).
The greatness and brilliance manifested by the true Messiah were too dazzling to be tolerated by those who embodied Israel’s infidelity to the One God, who had showered them with benefits throughout sacred history. The mystery of iniquity…
III – A Miracle Greater than the Resurrection of Lazarus
The Sundays of Lent in liturgical cycle A highlight the role of grace in spiritual progress. The Church intends the readings on life presented by today’s Liturgy to be applied above all to our relationship with God, which is established especially by the divine life bestowed upon us in the Sacrament of Baptism. In fact, true life is that which we will have after the final resurrection – eternal and immune from sickness or any other effect of sin – whose seed we have received on this earth through grace.
To introduce the divine life itself into a creature, removing it from the state of supernatural death and raising it to the category of child of God, is an authentic resurrection, infinitely superior to the impressive miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus, and even to the resurrection of all humanity, because the least participation in the divine life is worth more than the entire created universe.1
How many of us often hold our earthly life in extraordinary esteem, desiring to prolong it forever. However, we are in this world in passing, to be tested and, having obtained the grace of a good death, to await in glory the day when the same Lord who said to Lazarus “Come out!” will also give us the order to rise again. Then we shall recover our bodies in a glorious state and with them enter into eternal blessedness. ◊
Notes
1 Cf. ST. THOMAS AQUINAS. Summa Theologiæ. I-II, q.112, a.1.