Today for the third week in a row we witness a "success story" as Jesus, heading towards Jerusalem and his hour of truth – raises Lazarus from the dead. The first week was the woman at the well who professed belief in Jesus as Messiah, last week it was the man born blind. This week it's about Martha, Mary and Lazarus.
It was not the raising of Lazarus that was the success: it was the faith elicited from Martha that was the success. She already believed in the "resurrection of the dead" that would come at the end of time; but now Jesus asks her if she would believe that he could raise her brother. She said: "Of course, I believe! I believe that God will give you whatever you ask of him!"
It was at this point that Jesus tells her outright – and all of us – that it is he himself who IS resurrection and life! It is he himself who would change our mortal bodies to become like his own in glory – when once he suffered, died, was buried and raised to newness of life by the Holy Spirit.
In spite of all of this exchange of theological concepts: one thing is quite evidently clear: JESUS LOVED MARY, MARTHA and LAZARUS. He was their very close and dear friend. And even though he knew that he was God; even though he knew that the life of resurrection was amazing and awaiting all who would believe: HE WEPT at the thought of the physical death of his friend! This is really an awesome thing! Jesus was truly God, but also truly man – with the same emotions and feelings that we have. And just as we mourn the loss of our beloved: so did Jesus.
This sensitivity of Jesus can only add to our understanding of the horror of what would happen to him after the Last Supper and ending with his death on the Cross the next day! Jesus was the perfect human being – totally without sin – totally in touch with all of his human feelings and emotions – and yet he voluntarily BECAME SIN beginning in the Garden after the meal – so that our SINFULNESS could be SMASHED, TRANSFORMED and CANCELLED! – and that we could have life beyond all imagining.
Jesus, we adore you for what you did for us and for our salvation!
In the second reading today Saint Paul tells the Romans that those who are baptized – those who have put on Christ – have died in the body – and they are now alive in the spirit – this applies to most of all of us here. Our catechumens are going through their process of initiation so that they too can be alive totally in the Holy Spirit of Christ – so that they, like us, can live in the hope that life will be changed and not ended at personal death; that they and we all will see Lazarus who died again in his life time – but was transformed by the self-sacrificing love of his beloved friend Jesus, later on.
With the Lord there is mercy and fullness of redemption – let us live this and everyday grateful for what God in his love and mercy has done for us!
We will now have the Third Scrutiny of our Catechumens.
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