[AI translation] The story of Lazarus' death and resurrection is one of the most amazing and gripping narratives not only in John's Gospel, but in all four Gospels. Not only because of the unheard of miracle, such as the resurrection of a dead man, but also because the narrative itself is extremely gripping, subtle and graphic. The story is divided into two parts: one on the illness and death of Lazarus, the other on the resurrection of Lazarus. Now I have only read the first half of the whole narrative, the part about Lazarus' death, the ordeal and grief of a dear family, the sadder half - but there is so much precious consolation in that too! It is true that the Gospel in Hungarian is so much like a gospel, a message of joy, but behold: even when there is mourning in the Gospel, it is full of joy, full of wonderful consolation! This is almost how we could summarise the content of the passage: a message of joy about a death! From the infinitely rich content of this passage, I would like to reveal and pass on some precious pearls!Our Lord has a very serious message for us, even in the way the two sisters, Martha and Mary, tell Jesus of their brother's illness: 'Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick' (Jn 10,3). It is therefore good to be aware of this, because it often happens that the Tempter comes alongside the sick person, the suffering person, and tries to plant a suspicion in his heart: "See, you still think that God loves you! Well, well, well: is this how God loves you?! Is this what the love of God means?!
Well, yes: sickness and all other earthly ills, and even death, will come to him whom God loves! Let no suffering soul be tempted to think that the love of the Lord may have failed him! With what courage, with what faith, the two sisters say, "Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick!" There is nothing in this to be indignant, to be contentious, or: how can this be?! And Jesus does not refuse: he does not say, "It is not true, I do not love Lazarus. Nor does he say, "Well, God is punishing this sickness in Lazarus, because he was this way and that way. In fact, we know that the Lord did love Lazarus and his two sisters, because he often stayed with them when he was in Jerusalem. He usually stayed in Lazarus' little home in Bethany, where he always had a place to lay his head, and the intimate friendship and love relationship between Jesus and the little family was well known.
And it is also so telling that the sisters do not communicate in this way: Lord, the one who loves you is sick, nor do they refer to their own love for Jesus, but to what is even greater, the love of Jesus: the one you love, Lord, is sick! It is not important that we love Him, but that He loves us! Therein lies the consolation! Have you ever stood by a sickbed like that?! Have you ever invited Jesus to your bedside?! With such faith? Have you ever so acknowledged the trouble of yourself or of a loved one, "Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick!" And how good it is, in sickness and in trouble, to be strengthened in the knowledge that Jesus loves you!
"Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick!" Can you feel the peace and serenity in this message? There is none of the headlong wailing of the unbeliever or the unbeliever's little faith, the urgent cry: "Oh Lord, come quickly, there is trouble, help me! It is clear here that the one who sends this message is not only crying out for Jesus in times of danger, not only crying out for help in times of trouble! The peace of mind and faith of the two brothers are not disturbed by sickness or danger! The secret of this is that they were already in a serious relationship with Jesus. They had already learned a lesson from Him, from His peace, while the sun was still shining. Even when there was no trouble in the house, in the good days. Therefore, they could not be shaken by the trial. Surely, if we would partake of Jesus' precious consolation in times of trouble, we must welcome Him first in days of joy and prosperity. If this Bethany family had not received the Lord when all was well, when they were all happy, they might not have been able either to find or to receive the Lord's comfort in their time of trial! No wonder if one does not find the Lord, if one seeks Him only in trouble! He does not find it, and he despairs. But how good it is to be able to pray to Someone with whom the troubled man is bound by an old and intimate friendship! How does that question stand with you?!
Let me say something about this message, "Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick." The brothers don't even call Jesus to the sick Lazarus, they just show Him, they just tell Him what is going on with the one He loves! They do not ask Him to come, to heal, to perform a miracle. They don't ask anything at all, they just tell the Lord that his friend is sick, and they leave it up to the Lord to decide what He wants to do. Yes, they entrust the fate of Lazarus to the love of the Lord! So, when one does not prescribe to the Lord what to do, when one does not pray to the Lord, "Lord, do this, do that", but when one simply pours out one's heart before the Lord in unsearching words! And then he leaves it to him to do as he sees fit. It's all right the way He does it anyway! Can you pray with such quiet faith?!
So the story continues, "When he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was." (verse 6) Strange love, one might say. He loves Lazarus, and yet he doesn't leave immediately! Every minute's delay can be fatal, and yet He remains calmly in the place where He was for two days more. It might cost a doctor his degree if he behaved like this when called upon to see a patient. How mysterious is the love of God!
What a thrilling tension in these six verses! What a serious test the Lord puts Mary and Martha's faith to here. Let us imagine ourselves in their situation! All the acquaintances are gathered in the house, guessing: will he come! But he might not come! Maybe he will come. Time passes, hours and days go by. He won't come! He still won't come! Maybe it will! And one day - the patient dies! The test of faith now becomes almost unbearable! Whispering remarks are heard here and there, "Could not he who opened the blind man's eyes have done this, that he should not die?" (Jn 10,37) It is as if they were speaking in this way: Is this why you loved him? You fed him! You gave him shelter! You listened to him! Do you know one of the most serious tests of your faith, when God does not fulfil your hopes in Him as you asked or wished? When He did something completely different from what you asked Him to do - for example, He killed the person you asked Him to heal. Could you, in such distress, speak to Him in this way: Lord, you have not done to me as I would have liked, you have broken my heart, my hope is dashed: but I am waiting for you, I love you, and I believe in you even now!
Can your faith stand it? And is this not why the Lord is treating you as he did Martha and Mary, when he waited two days after the message to prepare your heart for this trial? So that for once you can honestly say: I don't understand you, Lord, you are mysterious, you are terrible, you are astonishing and incomprehensible, but I am still yours and I love you! That is the surest test of faith, when the Lord does not come, and yet you wait! In the room of a believing brother of mine, I saw a blackboard hung above his desk, with only these one short word written on it: Yet! It means: in spite of... - and here comes a lot of arguments against faith, against the faithfulness and love of the Lord - I still believe! Is there such a sign on the wall of your heart? The story shows how right such yet-belief is!!! For even if Jesus waited two days, after two days he was gone! And no matter how much trouble happened on those two days, Jesus still came at the right time! And no matter how hopeless the situation became, Jesus was still in control!
That is why Martha's silent reproach to Jesus was unjustified: "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died" (v.21b). Would Lazarus really not have died if the Lord had been there? But didn't we just read that because Jesus loved the Bethany family, and because he knew of Lazarus' illness, he stayed two days after receiving the news? And did not He Himself say, "I am glad I was not there." (Jn 10,15a) We who know the story all the way through, and look back on it, see, know: it is indeed better that Lazarus died, because the power of Christ is shown in his resurrection in a much more powerful way. Therefore, it was an unbelieving and baseless "if" on Martha's lips when she said it: If you had been here, he would not have died.
And such an "if" is always unbelieving on the lips of a Christian man! And baseless, and wrong! And untrue! If we had tried another doctor, or if we had taken the matter in hand sooner, he would not have died; if this and that had not happened, all would have been different - many times, we say. This is disbelief! Jesus knew why he did not come first! We often think that some sadness in our lives is a sign that the Lord has not heard our prayer! For if He had heard our message, our prayer, He would not have brought trouble upon us! Well, we only have to read this story to the end to see how Christ's way was right - as Christ's way is always right! What He does is better! Just wait till the end! As He does!
Martha's faith is very human when Jesus says to her at the meeting, "Your brother will rise!" (Jn 10:23b) He nods sadly, "I know that he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day." (v.24b) As if to say, "It is small comfort to me!" and then Jesus makes the most sublime statement about himself, "I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and he that liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (verses 25-26) - As if he said: Martha, you cannot rejoice because you do not really know me. I am the resurrection and the life, so understand this well: it will not be me on the last day, but I am, here and now, the resurrection and the life for you too! In me the resurrection and the life are not a promise, but a reality made flesh! He is the bridge of life that bridges time and eternity, earth and heaven, death and resurrection. So the resurrection is not far off, just as Christ is not far off! He who believes in me: he who is in me is in the resurrection and eternal life! Believers who live here on earth are in Christ. Believers who have crossed over to the other side are also in Christ. So: those who live here and those who live there are together in Him! The whole is one family in Christ, only one part is already over there, another part is on the way, but soon they will all be together with each other!
Therefore, death is not the end of everything, but only the end of mortality, imperfection, sin. The life that was already in Christ before death not only continues after death, but is fulfilled in a richer, nobler, more powerful way. So great is the way in which Jesus makes his disciples aware of the death of Lazarus: "Lazarus, our friend, has fallen asleep" (v.11b). Just as my little son once fell asleep on the tram. Shall we charge him?" we wondered. "No need!" we agreed. When we arrive. One kiss was enough: he woke up, smiling! For Jesus' friends, that's death! So it's literally true that whoever believes in Him, even if he dies, lives! You could say that he never dies! He only falls asleep - here - to be kissed with the kiss of resurrection by the Lord there!
"Do you believe this?" asks Jesus of Martha and of you, of us! Spinoza, the infidel philosopher, once said, "I would give my whole philosophical system if I could believe!" But he didn't! But that's the point! Give away your whole system of philosophy, your whole system of reasoning and philosophy that you have built up for yourself, and believe in Jesus Christ, who is the resurrection and the life!
Amen
Date: 11 February 1951.
Lesson
Jn 11,1-27