![]() ![]() The natural human response when faced with such terrible grief is a welling up of emotions-grief, fear, anger, and frustration. Her weeping would not be gentle and controlled, but would instead be loud shrieking to honor the dead (Barclay, 112). ![]() Here Jesus is dealing with a dear friend, Mary, in the throes of her grief. He is disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. In this lesson, however, he loves Lazarus, Martha and Mary. This Gospel has said little about Jesus’ emotions until now. Perhaps this dialogue stirs in Jesus a dread of that which he knows is coming. Perhaps he is angry because Lazarus’ death and resurrection are a foretaste of the death and resurrection that he will soon experience himself.Perhaps he is angry “because he found himself face to face with the realm of Satan which, in this instance, was represented by death” (Brown, 435).Perhaps he is angry that the Jewish leaders-outsiders-possibly even those who will soon crucify him-are intruding on this private moment.In spite of his having given several signs, the people closest to him still do not understand. Perhaps he is angry at encountering this lack of faith (Keener, 846).The first verb, enebrimesato, suggests anger (a fact not reflected in some English translations). “he groaned in the spirit ( enebrimesato) and was troubled” ( etaraxen) (v. The Greek word klaio denotes a loud, demonstrative kind of weeping that would be characteristic of mourning in that time and place. “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping ( klaiousan-from klaio), and the Jews weeping who came with her” ( klaiontas-from klaio) ( etaraxen) (v. Her sentiments are similar to that expressed by some of “the Jews,” who thought that Jesus could have kept Lazarus from dying (v. Mary’s greeting to Jesus is much like Martha’s (v. “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died” (v. 36 The Jews therefore said, “See how much affection he had for him!” 37 Some of them said, “Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?” JESUS WEPTģ2 Therefore when Mary came to where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping (Greek: klaiousan-from klaio), and the Jews weeping (Greek: klaiontas-from klaio) who came with her, he groaned in the spirit (Greek: enebrimesato), and was troubled (Greek: etaraxen), 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They told him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. Then Martha sent for Mary, who joined them. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world” (11:27). Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Martha said, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day”-to which Jesus responded, “I am the resurrection and the life. Jesus responded by promising, “Your brother will rise again” (11:23). Even now I know that, whatever you ask of God, God will give you” (11:21-22). She said (in a tone that must have been both accusatory and hopeful), “Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Upon arriving in Bethany, Martha went out to see him while Mary stayed at home. Jesus explained to his disciples, “This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that God’s Son may be glorified by it” (11:4). ![]() Jesus delayed, however, so that Lazarus died before Jesus arrived in Bethany. When Lazarus got sick, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus, hoping that he would come quickly and heal Lazarus. Lazarus, Mary, and Martha were brother and sisters. Verses 1-31 tell of the death of Lazarus of Bethany (not the same man as the Lazarus of Jesus’ parable in Luke 16). The reading for All Saints B begins with verse 32. ![]()
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