Lazarus part 4 - John 11:25-36

Martha thinks that Jesus is comforting her in the way that probably everyone else has, saying the equivalent of “you’ll see him again.” She knows that because as a Jew, she believes in the resurrection, but this can be a difficult way to live and little comfort at the time of a loss. I look at my own situation with people that have died that were important to me and I think, “yeah that’s nice, that doesn’t help me at all right now.” But then again, I’ve grown up with that knowledge, so there might be a disconnect there for me, because I know that the knowledge that we will be with our friends and loved ones again brings hope.

I think about the story I heard about a woman in South America who sobbed out of joy when the missionaries told her that she would be with her baby again, who died. The local priest told this woman that because her baby died before he could be baptized that the baby went to hell, and this information had tormented the mother for years. That is the kind of hope that the gospel brings. I just talked with a friend whose best friend’s son just died in a car accident yesterday. She’s staunchly against the church but this is the exact reason why looking forward to the resurrection brings such hope and joy.

Jesus clarifies for Martha saying, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” This is such a powerful statement, but again seems to focus on that future state of “living” as opposed to being “alive” at that moment. It might not be the case for Lazarus and his sisters in a few minutes, but it is the reality for pretty much anyone else who has lived. We have a few accounts of someone being brought back from the dead to finish out their mortal lives, but statistically that’s probably like 0.00000001% or less of anyone that has ever lived. For Lazarus, this is about to be a literal fulfillment, but for the rest of us, we have to use it toward the future, like is implied.

But I think that this can be a comfort to those of us who lose people to things other than death. For instance, I have had so many friends that I have cared for deeply that I’ve just lost touch with over time. Sometimes it’s because of a falling out, and with that I can have hope in the fact that sometime in the next life, both of us will have the spiritual knowledge and growth to be able to look at the situation and each other and work things out between us. Sometimes I lose touch with people I love because life takes us in different directions. When I left the army, I had many friends that I loved whole heartedly, and then I just didn’t hear from or see them again, ever, and it was difficult. When I moved up here from California, I left many friends that that I can’t even begin to describe how I felt about them, and it’s been over a year and I hardly ever talk to most of them and some not at all. I have to believe that one day, probably in the next life, we will be able to be together again. That belief brings my heart peace.

Honestly, I look at my situation and back at my life and I truly believe that if I hadn’t been born into the gospel, I would have gone absolutely insane looking for the hope that it gives. I think that my favorite definition of “grief” is “love with no place to go.” Maybe that’s what I have going on lately, maybe I’m grieving, the loss of my nephews and the loss of my friends in California, and I’m tired, that surely isn’t helping. But there is the hope that someday it will get better, one day we’ll all be together again, that all that was lost will be given back, that one day we will be able to raise those babies and have those good times, and that one day we will be able to understand why everything had to happen this way. The IM quotes President Thomas S. Monson as teaching, “Frequently death comes as an intruder. It is an enemy that suddenly appears in the midst of life’s feast, putting out its lights and gaiety. Death lays its heavy hand upon those dead to us and at times leaves us baffled and wondering. In certain situations, as in great suffering and illness, death comes as an angel of mercy. But for the most part, we think of it as the enemy of human happiness. The darkness of death can ever be dispelled by the light of revealed truth… This reassurance- yes, even holy confirmation- of life beyond the grave could well provide the peace promised by the Savior.”

Jesus asks Martha is she believes what he said, and it appears that she doesn’t understand what he’s about to do, but gives the best answer that she could, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.” JTC comments, “To the Lord’s question as to whether she believed what He had just said, she answered with simple frankness; all of it she was not able to understand; but she believed in the Speaker even while unable to fully comprehend His words.” Thinking about her sister, Martha we “secretly, saying, the Master is come, and calleth for thee.” I think that she probably told her sister about Jesus privately because she knew that many in the crowd of mourners were not fans of Him, and didn’t want to start trouble; people are unpredictable when they are grieving.

Mary runs out of the house, and because Martha told her privately about Jesus, the rest of the people assumed that she had become overwhelmed with emotion and was running to the grave to mourn, and followed her. Suddenly everyone was face to face with Jesus and company, and Mary “fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” JTC points out that this was probably something the sisters had been saying to each other in the aftermath of Lazarus’ death, “if only Jesus had been with them they would not have been bereft of their brother.”  Jesus observed that Mary, Martha, and so many in the group were weeping for the loss of Lazarus.

What I find interesting is that Jesus knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead in just a few minutes, and even if he hadn’t planned on that, he always kept an eternal perspective, he knew that the resurrection would happen, he knew that when each of them died, they would be reunited in the next life. He knew all this, yet, “he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” He logically knew that they did not need to be sad, but emotionally, he was torn apart by their sadness. This makes me think about any of my own situations, I know that I have reason to be joyful instead of mournful, but I still feel my feelings, and Jesus, in fact, had that too. He was sad because someone else was sad, the ultimate definition of empathy. The IM says, “Although Jesus Christ knew that He would raise Lazarus from death, His tears on this occasion show His compassion for all those who suffer and mourn.” I feel like this is very affirming, that we can have hope and still have sadness. I feel like this is just a definitive way for Jesus to let us know that regardless of faith or hope or knowledge, that he’s sad when we are just because he understands that we are suffering and he doesn’t want that for us.