A Family From Bethany (part 5)

Lazarus had died on the Sabbath in the late afternoon. Martha and Mary washed and anointed his body and wrapped it in linen strips in preparation for burial the next morning. When Samuel and Eleazar arrived at the house shortly before midnight, many of the neighbors were there mourning and keeping vigil. Samuel took Martha and Mary aside and reported to them what Jesus had said. He could tell they were hurt that Jesus had not come with him, but it would have been too late anyway.

His wife Naomi was there among the mourners. Samuel gave her a hug and then. accompanied by Eleazar, went next door to his own house. He prayed God's protection over Maria and Nathan who were fast asleep. He thought about staying awake with the mourners through the night, but he needed to rest. Martha and Mary would need to count on him for strength in the days ahead.

In the morning Samuel and Eleazar joined other men of the village to prepare the tomb for burial. One of several burial caves cut into a rock face of limestone near the village, the tomb was shared by several related families from the village. The men rolled back the big stone which blocked the entrance to keep animals out. Against the back wall were stacked several decorative boxes called ossuaries. Some months after a funeral, the bones of the deceased were transferred to an ossuary to make room in one of the two available burial niches for any subsequent funeral.

The funeral procession left the house shortly after dawn. Six men carried Lazarus' body on a stretcher. Martha and Mary followed close behind accompanied by several other women crying out loudly, their foreheads covered with dust and ashes as a sign of mourning. Following the burial, a period of seven days mourning and prayer was observed in accord with Jewish custom. Neighbors brought food for the family and visitors. People went back and forth between the tomb and the house, praying for Lazarus and consoling Martha and Mary.

On Tuesday afternoon, the fourth day since Lazarus' death (counting Saturday, the day on which he had died), a young boy came running to the house with the news that Jesus and his disciples were coming just a short way down the Jericho road from the village. Martha got up and hurried out to meet them. "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would never have died," her grief welled up and choked off her words momentarily. "Even so, I still trust that God will give us whatever we pray for."

Jesus looked deeply into her eyes for a moment. "Your brother will rise," he reassured her.

"Yes, I know," she responded, her eyes clouding as tears began to form, "in the resurrection on the last day."

"Martha, I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, even if he or she dies physically, will live. Do you believe that?"

"Yes, Lord, I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world." Martha, having regained her composure, wiped away her tears. "Jesus, please wait here while I go get Mary."

In a few minutes Martha returned with Mary, accompanied by all the people who had been at the house consoling her. On seeing Jesus, at whose feet she had often sat on happier days, enthralled by his accounts, Mary fell at Jesus' feet grabbing his hands for support. Her voice quivered, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." She buried her face in Jesus' cloak and began to sob uncontrollably.

Like a spark in dry tinder, her cries set the others off in a loud chorus of wailing. Jesus could read in their responses that Martha and Mary had been deeply hurt by his delay in coming. They trusted so much in him and thought he had let them down. Looking around at the crowd, it was obvious to Jesus that the others felt the same. Although somewhat perturbed by this misinterpretation, he knew they would soon understand why he had delayed. "Where have you laid him?" he asked as compassion for their suffering brought tears to his eyes as well.

"Come and see," they said, and led him to the tomb. Jesus stopped about ten feet in front of the entrance. The crowd gathered around behind him. "Take away the stone," he ordered.

Martha stepped directly in front of Jesus. "Lord, no, it is already the fourth day since he died. The smell of death will be unbearable."

Jesus grasped her shoulders firmly. "Did I not promise that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" Then looking at Samuel, Eleazar and the men with them, he said again," Remove the stone."

As they did so, Jesus raised his hands and eyes heavenward and spoke with a resolute and forceful voice, "Father, thank you for hearing me. I know you always do, but that these people may believe you sent me…"

Jesus lowered his gaze and pointed straight into the darkness of the tomb's interior. Samuel and the others cowered back into the crowd. Not one person drew a breath or blinked an eye.

"LAZARUS!" Jesus shouted in a manner that unnerved them all and sent shivers up their spines, "COME OUT!" (to be continued)