5th Sunday of Lent, Year A Lectio Divina on Jn 11,1-45

The resurrection of Lazarus is the last of the signs wrought by Jesus (2,1-12; 4,46-54; 5,1-9;

6,1-5.16-21; 9,1-7). This is the longest account in the gospel, apart from the story of the

Passion with which it is intimately linked. It explains in a masterly way, although in symbolic

form, why he who would give life to others had to give his own life. Jesus dominates the

entire episode – he is mentioned 22 times! Then there is the family of Bethany with whom he

is bound by ties of close friendship (11,3.5.11.35). Lazarus is a silent participant throughout.

He does not speak before his death and he remains silent when he returns to life. This is the

only time Jesus comes face to face with the death of someone he loves (11,3), a death that

does not leave him unmoved (11,35-36).

1 There was a man named Lazarus who lived in the village of Bethany with the two sisters

Mary and Martha, and he was ill. 2 It was the same Mary, the sister of the sick man Lazarus,

who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 The sisters sent this

message to Jesus, “Lord, the man you love is ill.” 4 On receiving the message, Jesus said,

“This sickness will not end in death but in God's glory, and through it the Son of God will be

glorified."

5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 yet when he heard that he was ill he stayed

where he was for two more days 7 before saying to the disciples, “Let us go to Judaea.” 8 The

disciples said, “Rabbi, it is not long since the Jews wanted to stone you; are you going back

again?” 9 Jesus replied: “Are there not twelve hours in the day? A man can walk in the

daytime without stumbling because he has the light of this world to see by; 10 but if he walks

at night he stumbles, because there is no light to guide him.”

11 He said that and then added, “Our friend Lazarus is resting, I am going to wake him.”

12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he is able to rest he is sure to get better.” 13 The phrase

Jesus used referred to the death of Lazarus, but they thought that by “rest” he meant “sleep”,

14 so Jesus put it plainly, “Lazarus is dead; 15 and for your sake I am glad I was not there

because now you will believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Then Thomas - known as the Twin -

said to the other disciples, “Let us go too and die with him.” 17 On arriving, Jesus found

that Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days already. 18 Bethany is only about two miles

from Jerusalem, 19 and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them

over their brother. 20 When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet

him. Mary remained sitting in the house. 21 Martha said to Jesus, “If you had been here, my

brother would not have died, 22 but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God,

he will grant you.” 23 “Your brother” said Jesus to her “will rise again.” 24 Martha said, “I

know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said: “I am the

resurrection. If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live, 26 and whoever lives

and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she said, “I believe

that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.”

28 When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in a low voice, “The

Master is here and wants to see you.” 29 Hearing this, Mary got up quickly and went to him.

30 Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him.

31 When the Jews who were in the house sympathising with Mary saw her get up so quickly

and go out, they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb to weep there.

32 Mary went to Jesus, and as soon as she saw him she threw herself at his feet, saying,

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 At the sight of her tears, and

those of the Jews who followed her, Jesus said in great distress, with a sigh that came straight

from the heart, 34 “Where have you put him?” They said, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus

wept; 36 and the Jews said, “See how much he loved him!” 37But there were some who

remarked, “He opened the eyes of the blind man, could he not have prevented this man's

death?” 38 Still sighing, Jesus reached the tomb: it was a cave with a stone to close the

opening. 39 Jesus said, “Take the stone away.” Martha said to him, “Lord, by now he will

smell; this is the fourth day.” 40 Jesus replied, “Have I not told you that if you believe

you will see the glory of God?” 41So they took away the stone. Then Jesus lifted up his eyes

and said: “Father, I thank you for hearing my prayer. 42 I knew indeed that you always hear

me, but I speak for the sake of all these who stand around me, so that they may believe it was

you who sent me.”

43 When he had said this, he cried in a loud voice, “Lazarus, here! Come out!” 44 The

dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his

face. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, let him go free.”

45 Many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary and had seen what he did believed in him.

1 Read: understand what the text is saying and how it says it. The account opens with a detailed description of the sickness of Jesus’ friend (11,1-3) and closes with a command, which conquers death (11,45-53). After a brief introduction (11,1-6), the account is structured in the form of several dialogues (11,7-16: Jesus and his disciples;

11,17-27: Jesus and Martha; 11,28-37: Jesus and Mary; 11,38-44: Jesus and Martha), together

with brief narrative passages and comments by the narrator (11,2.5.13.18-19.30). We cannot

separate the action from the words, but it is the words that reveal the sense of what is

happening (14,4.11.15.25.42.43). Here also, as in the case of the healing of the man born

blind, Jesus justifies his action beforehand (11,9-10; cf. 9,4-5).

The episode begins with a presentation of the situation and the characters involved (11,1-6).

The sick man Lazarus lives in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem (11,18). His sisters do not

explicitly request a cure – they simply present the sick man as a friend of Jesus and they

inform Jesus of his illness (11,3; 2,3). Jesus reacts in an unexpected manner: despite his love

for Lazarus (11,5) he waits for two days before making any move (11,6.22.33). He knows

that the illness will not end in death. Its purpose is the glory of God and the glorification of

the Son.

The dialogue between Jesus and his disciples (11,7-17) is intended to clarify the ultimate

significance of the sign. When he decides to return to Judea, his last journey, the disciples

protest because the Jews want to put an end to him. Jesus encourages them. His actions are

not based on emotion or fear. He is following a precise plan of God. The work entrusted to

him by God is not yet finished, his mission is not complete. He must waken his friend from

sleep, since it is not yet night (11,11). The disciples do not understand (11,13). They believe,

with good reason, that if he is sleeping it is a sign he will get better. Jesus has to explain to

them that Lazarus’s sleep is real death but not definitive (11,14): he allowed his friend to die

so that his disciples might believe. For Jesus, the faith of the disciples, obtained at such a

price, is a cause for joy. This is why he delayed in coming to the help of his friend.

In John’s gospel, Thomas is always the spokesperson for the doubts of his companions (14,5;

20,16.24-29; 21,2). On hearing the express intention of Jesus to go to Judea to give life to his

dead friend (11,15), Thomas encourages the group to go with Jesus and share his fate. It is the

first time that any of the disciples has made such a proposal, but Thomas did so without

understanding Jesus’ intention (11,16). The incomprehension is obvious: Jesus is not now

asking them to follow him to death, but to believe in him.

The dialogue with Martha (11,18-27) reveals the final significance of the sign before the

account of its fulfilment. The situation seems irreversible: Lazarus has been dead for four

days (11,17). There is no hope of recovery (11,21.39). The dead man’s house is in mourning,

and the people are saddened (11,19). When Martha meets Jesus, she laments his absence. If

he had come earlier, her brother would not have died. She then expresses her faith in the

Master’s prayer (a frequent theme in John’s gospel: 14,13; 15,7.16; 16,23.24.26), and she

continues to look on Jesus as a miracle worker, a man of God. She knows that God will

refuse him nothing (11,22). This conviction of Martha is not yet authentic faith but it does

indicate a profound appreciation: God is with the one who works signs and wonders.

Jesus replies with an ambivalent statement (11,23: “your brother is dead but will rise again”),

which indicates the reason for the recent death. Martha thinks, mistakenly, that he is referring

to the final resurrection, which she hoped for as part of what God would do at the end of time

(11,24). Jesus, however, presents himself as the fulfilment of all hope: he is the resurrection

and the life (11,25a). Belief in him means life today and always. Death is not the end for one

who believes. Anyone who believes will live and will never die (11,25b-26). There are two

aspects to what Jesus says. Faith in him, gives life now and in the future. It delivers from two

deaths – physical death and eternal death.

The account of the miracle (11,38-44) is preceded by Jesus’ meeting with Mary (11,28-32)

and by his meeting with death (11,33-37). Death, which Mary lamented (11.32), and Jesus

wept over (11,35), dominates the scene until it is defeated (11,34).

Martha, who is now a believer, informs her sister quietly that the Master is there and is

calling her (11,28). Mary responds immediately. She hurries to meet Jesus (11,29.31), while

he was still on the way. In his presence, she repeats what Martha had said (11,32.21). She

threw herself on the ground before him. Overcome with grief, she has not yet come to

believe. Jesus is moved by her sorrow and the death of her brother. He sighs deeply, in great

distress (11,33.38). He asks them where they have put him, and weeps in public when he sees

his friend’s tomb (11,34.35). His tears are proof of his love for the dead man (11,36: “See

how much he loved him!”) and they provide a pretext for the veiled criticism of the

bystanders, criticism which in fact is due to their failure to understand – he opened the eyes

of the blind man, surely he could have healed this man who was dying (11,37).

The Jews continue to misunderstand the motive for Jesus’ grief and his reason for wanting to

see Lazarus. Jesus had not come to heal the dying but to raise the dead. And he does so with

authority (11,39.43.44). He depends only on God (11,41-42). Freedom from death is obtained

only by faith (11,40) and faith does not come as a result of seeing the closed tomb being

opened (11,39). Faith must precede the work of God. Faith is more than simple trust – it also

demands obedience on the part of the believer. (11,39.41).

When faced with death, Jesus prays. He does not ask for a miracle – he takes it for granted.

He is not like some wonder-worker trying to snatch a sign from God. His prayer reveals his

intimacy with the Father. His prayer of thanks is based on the certainty that he has been heard

(11,41). And as part of his thanksgiving, he reveals the motive for the miracle. He performs

it as one sent by God to bring the people to faith. The one who is praying is also the one who

grants (11,42). The sign that he gives is proof that he is the one who was sent.

The miracle is reported in very sober terms. Jesus shouts. The hour has come when even the

dead will hear the voice of the Son. Lazarus is called by name (11,43). The resurrection is a

personal call. The final command of Jesus is to set the dead man free from the shroud that

kept him bound to death. At the same time, he makes it clear that the resurrection is only a

symbol of the true resurrection in the future. The dead man comes out of the tomb, still bound

by death, still under death’s power. It is the witnesses who will have to set him free from his

bonds. There will be another resurrection, however, when there will be no need of a shroud,

because the life regained will be forever (20,4.6-9).

As usual, the people are divided about the sign. Many saw what happened and believed.

Some others conspired against him and went to tell the Pharisees. Without faith in Jesus, their

brother would not have risen, but even the raising of a dead man does not always lead to

faith. This is still the Christian experience, even in our own day. Only those who believe in

Jesus, the resurrection and the life, will overcome death, their own and that of their brothers.

II. Meditate: apply the text to your life.

Right from the beginning, the gospel story emphasizes the friendship between Jesus and the

family at Bethany. The man who dies is a friend of Jesus and his death saddens him. For this

reason, and bearing in mind also the expectations of the sisters, the reaction of Jesus seems

strange, even inconsiderate. Jesus seems not to care about the extreme need of his friends.

For the narrator, this is an act of revelation more than a work of mercy. Jesus is not just

coming to the help of a needy person – he is trying to bring people to faith in God whom he is

revealing. Jesus did not come to do favours or work miracles for his friends but to reveal

himself as life for all people. What do I seek when I come to Jesus – his love, a response to

my needs, or his revelation and his will to save? What do I look for in God – myself or him

alone?

In a sense, Jesus “allowed” his friend to die so that his disciples would come to believe. The

faith of his disciples, obtained at such a high price, is, for Jesus, a motive for joy. This is why

he delayed in coming to the help of his friend. Much as he loved Lazarus, he valued the faith

of his disciples even more. If we are unwilling to accept disappointments in our friendship

with Jesus, we will miss opportunities to become true believers in him. We owe Jesus respect

and acceptance even when our expectations are not met and our requests go unanswered.

If the believer dies, he will live. Death is not the end for one who has faith in Jesus. For the

believer, there is no such thing as death that is definitive. It is good to remember that the

conversation between Jesus and Martha takes place in the presence of her dead brother whom

she loved dearly. Martha believes the words of Jesus. She believes in Jesus, not just as a

wonder-worker, not just as someone who raises the dead, but as the resurrection and the life,

for those who believe in him. The believer knows that that he, Jesus, declares that he is

eternal life of those who believe. Life, life eternal, is given to those who believe in Jesus. If

this is my faith, that Jesus is my life, then I will live forever.

As he heads towards the tomb of Lazarus, the place where death is victorious (11,39), Jesus is

affected, but not conquered, by death which he will overcome (11,38). Jesus who raised

Lazarus first drew near him, caused the tomb to be opened, and felt the smell of death, before

revealing the glory of God. Only faith, the belief that conquers death, opens us to the vision

of God. All who were present saw Lazarus emerge from the tomb. Only those who believed

saw the glory of God. Faith is the power to break death, to open tombs, to see God where his

absence is felt.

In the presence of death that conquers, Jesus prays. He does not ask for a miracle – he takes it

for granted. His intimate union with the Father is nourished in prayer. He thanks the Father

because he knows that his prayer has been heard (11,41). In prayer also he reveals the motive

for the miracle – it is as the one sent by God that he has restored Lazarus’s life. The one who

prays is, at the same time, the one who grants (11,42). He is able to give life to Lazarus

because he will give his life for all. He raises the dead because he himself, when he dies, will

rise. Giving one’s life for others is the way, open to all, to give life, as Jesus did.

III. Pray the text. Make your own the desire to do God’s will. What do I say to God?

I am comforted, Lord, by the fact that you enjoyed the friendship and love of a family. It

means a lot to me! Knowing that you felt the need to be understood, befriended and accepted

as you were, brings you closer to me. But, at the same time, it makes me nervous and a bit

afraid. If that is how you treated your friend who needed you in his moment of supreme

weakness, what misfortunes might await your friends!

You “used” Lazarus to reveal yourself as life for all, and not simply one who raises the dead

to life. Grant that my life, and especially my death, may be occasions for you to reveal

yourself as you are, beloved Son of God, his representative sent by him. May my life express

my faith in you who are my life, and may my death reveal you as the resurrection for all

people. May my extreme weakness reveal your saving power and lead others to believe in

you, the resurrection and the life.