John 11:17-37
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. Now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
It’s hard not to focus on verses twenty-five and twenty-six when reading this piece of scripture. When Jesus boldly and clearly declares Himself “the Resurrection and the Life,” I cannot help but be drawn to what He is teaching in this moment.
In just two sentences, Jesus fully differentiates between two definitions for the word “life.” The first definition, life with a little “l,” is the life I lead here on earth. The second, Life with a capital “L,” is the eternal Life that I am meant to strive for as I live out that first life.
The distinction between the two definitions is what allows me to both die and never die. My death in this little life is certain. There is no eluding it. But death in the second Life is avoidable if I live the first life correctly.
In His Generosity and Mercy, Jesus also gives the key to living my first little life correctly in these two sentences. The secret is belief. If I believe in Him, then even though I die in the first life, I will never die in the second.
Point of Emphasis: The baseline of my task is clearly set. Everything that I do while present on this earth must be pointed at encouraging, assuring, and securing my belief. All means necessary must be used to keep my belief thriving, growing, and increasing.
This is not as easy as it sounds. When I put myself in Lazarus’ shoes in the last reflection, I saw it is very easy to find my belief faltering. I am often asked to undergo suffering or hardship without understanding the reasoning behind it. Jesus routinely tests me to see if I can maintain my belief despite a lack of clarity regarding the difficult events He inevitably (and justly) introduces into my life.
When I waiver, will I fall back on my faith and ask Jesus to ensure my steadfastness? Or am I tempted to doubt Him and let my sinful nature seek explanations that fit my limited human understanding?
This gospel gives us a glimpse of both sides. In verse twenty-seven, we see Martha, bolstered by Jesus, affirming her faith. But at the end, we see some of the Jews expressing doubt in Jesus. They seem to acknowledge the Love that Jesus had for Lazarus, but they are quick to draw an exceedingly human conclusion and blame Jesus for the death of His friend.
Picture Jesus, aware of these comments, glancing over His shoulder at these Jews, and thinking to himself, “Friends, I will give you a clear reason to believe in me. If this does not convince you, then perhaps you simply do not wish to be convinced.” Then He proceeds to call Lazarus out of the tomb.
- Are you convinced? Would it be a good idea to add the words of Martha in verse twenty-seven to your regular prayer routine to help your belief flourish and prosper?
OFS Ongoing 
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