A reading from the holy Gospel according to John
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
In this Sunday’s Gospel, both Martha and Mary say this to Jesus as he approaches their brother Lazarus’s tomb. Jesus makes clear to the disciples that he will raise Lazarus from the dead, saying, “Lazarus has died. And I am glad for you that I was not there, that you may believe. Let us go to him.” Martha, one of the two sisters who in another Gospel passage busies herself in the kitchen while Mary sits at Jesus’ feet, says to Jesus: “But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” She believes that Jesus is the Messiah, saying, “I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” Jesus then asks Martha to send for Mary, who was inside mourning. Using the same words as Martha, Mary says to Jesus: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw Mary’s weeping and the weeping of friends who had come with her, John tells us that Jesus became perturbed and deeply troubled. Jesus asked where Lazarus was, and he wept before going to the tomb that kept Lazarus bound by death.
God, I want to see today’s Gospel with a fresh set of eyes. At its core is a stark reality: Jesus, your son, raised Lazarus from the dead. Help me see also Martha’s and Mary’s responses to their brother’s death and the faith and trust they had in your mercy. Martha is stouthearted in her faith, and expresses it in certain terms: “You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Overcome with grief, Mary sheds tears that brings Jesus himself to weep. Both Mary and Martha reach out to your son in faith, and he responds to them with mercy by raising Lazarus from the dead. I believe, Lord; help my unbelief.
God, thank you for your mercy, your loving-kindness toward those in pain. Strengthen my faith in your son, who says to you before raising Lazarus from the dead: “Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me.”
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.