[Martha]
Since my beloved brother Lazarus died so suddenly, my younger sister Mary has been completely lost, as if her whole world has collapsed. She just cries endlessly. Watching her like that breaks my heart as well, but since my brother is already dead, someone has to take care of the funeral. If I were to give in to grief too, who would handle all these matters? Many people knew my brother, not only in Bethany but also in nearby Jerusalem, so countless visitors will come during the funeral period. To serve and care for those who come, I have to find the strength, even if I am the only one.
Mary is the youngest, and even as a child, she always insisted on doing things her own way. Even when Jesus last came to Bethany and stayed at our house, Mary didn’t help with serving the many guests. Instead, she stayed close to Jesus and just listened to His words. That annoyed me a little, so I asked Jesus to have my sister help me, but Jesus said,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
He refused my request. My sister never listens when she’s doing what she wants, so I asked Jesus to intervene, but His answer was not what I expected.
That didn’t mean I hated Jesus, though. Who is He? Isn’t He the One who is causing such a stir throughout the world? Just by seeing His words and the miracles He performs, it’s clear that He is truly the Christ, the Son of God. When He came to our house, I heard the story of how He sent out seventy or seventy-two disciples two by two on a mission trip. Those disciples preached the gospel, healed the sick, and even cast out demons. The things He does seem endless.
Later, I heard from several of the disciples what Jesus had said to them when they returned from their mission. His words left a deep impression on me.
“I thank you, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in your sight. All things have been delivered to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and he to whomever the Son desires to reveal him.”
Then he looked at his disciples and said:
“Blessed are the eyes which see the things that you see, for I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and didn’t see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and didn’t hear them.”
Hearing those words, I also longed to witness such miracles. But now, this great Jesus is by the Jordan River on the east side, where John the Baptist first baptized. Sometimes I think, if Jesus had been here before my brother died, he might have lived. But what meaning does that thought have now that he is already gone? And besides, I believe that on the last day—the day of resurrection—my brother will live again, just as Jesus taught us. So I can’t just keep being sad; there is so much to do.
* * *
[Mary of Bethany]
The person we sent to call Jesus only returned the day after my brother died. By then, it was already too late, and the funeral was almost over. Still, if only Jesus had come with him, my resentment wouldn’t be this great. If I could have just held on to Jesus and cried out, “If only you had come before my brother died, he could have lived,” if I could have just remembered my brother Lazarus together with the One who loves him, I wouldn’t be this heartbroken. But Jesus did not come, and even to this day, there has been no news. There’s not even a promise of when He will return.
My sister told me about the incident during the Feast of Tabernacles when the people of Jerusalem tried to stone Jesus, and she said we should try to understand Him. But I can’t help feeling, how could the One who loved and cared for us so much do this? Jesus always taught us to love God and our neighbors as ourselves. He told the story of the man who was attacked by robbers on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. The one who saved the dying man was not a priest or a Levite, but a Samaritan. He said that the true neighbor is the one who saves a dying man. Hearing that, I was amazed and impressed that a Samaritan, despised by the Jews, acted that way in Jewish land. But now, that very teaching has become a source of resentment toward Jesus for me. According to His words, no matter how much people try to kill Him, shouldn’t He have come to save my brother, or at least to see my dead brother?
Sigh... I know I shouldn’t keep thinking like this, but I can’t help but resent Jesus. I need to get these thoughts out of my mind soon, like my sister has, and take care of the people coming to the funeral, even prepare food for them. But all I can do is cry, and I feel completely drained. What if Jesus suddenly comes now? How would I behave? Would I be able to face Him calmly?
* * *
A man from a nearby village hurriedly called out,
“Martha, Mary! Jesus is coming!”
He was someone who had often heard stories about Jesus staying in Bethany and had always expressed his desire to meet Him in person. He raised several donkeys, and he would often say that if it were for Jesus, he would gladly give up even his most prized donkey. It was no wonder, then, that he was the first to catch the news of Jesus’ arrival.
Upon hearing this, Martha turned to her sister.
“Mary, let’s go out and welcome Jesus,” she urged.
But Mary shook her head.
“I don’t want to go...”
Despite having longed so much for Jesus’ return, Mary showed no joy at the news. Among the three siblings, she had always been the one who followed Jesus most closely, so her reaction felt strange, even to Martha. No matter how many times Martha had told her that even if Jesus had come sooner, He still wouldn’t have arrived before their brother died, Mary simply could not accept it.
Martha, too, was deeply saddened by her brother’s death. But what could she do now? It had already been four days since he passed, and the burial in the tomb was complete. The dead are dead, and the living must go on. Martha wanted to say something to her stubborn sister, but she knew Mary wouldn’t listen to anything at this moment.
So, letting go of the thought of persuading her sister again, Martha ran out of the village to meet Jesus. When she arrived, she found Jesus already there, accompanied by the twelve disciples she knew well and several other followers.
“Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died. Even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.”
“Your brother will rise again.”
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”
“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
“Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, God’s Son, he who comes into the world.”
Martha thought Jesus was simply offering her comfort, and she was about to invite Him back to the house. But Jesus shook His head and told her only to bring Mary to Him. Martha returned home, quietly called Mary aside, and said,
“The Teacher is here, and is calling you.”
At those words, Mary seemed to come to her senses and hurried out to meet Jesus.
* * *
“Lord, if you would have been here, my brother wouldn’t have died.”
Mary knelt at Jesus’ feet, weeping bitterly. Those who had followed her, thinking she was going to mourn at her brother’s tomb, also wept along with her.
“Where have you laid him?”
Jesus asked, his voice filled with sorrow and anguish.
“Lord, come and see.”
Someone replied, stepping forward to lead the way to the cave where Lazarus was buried. Along the path, Mary and the people’s cries continued, and Martha and others who arrived joined the procession of grief. Seeing them, Jesus wept.
“See how much affection he had for him!”
“Couldn’t this man, who opened the eyes of him who was blind, have also kept this man from dying?”
Not everyone favored Jesus; some voices of criticism were heard, but Jesus did not respond. Soon, the group arrived at the tomb where Lazarus was laid—a cave a little outside the village, sealed with a large stone at the entrance. Inside was the body of Lazarus. The people expected Jesus to weep for Lazarus, but instead, an unexpected command came.
“Take away the stone.”
Martha replied.
“Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”
Everyone agreed with Martha’s words. Why open a tomb that has held a dead body for so long? Were they going to touch him inside? According to the Torah, anyone who touches a dead body is unclean for seven days. Why would He willingly make Himself unclean? The people could not understand Jesus’ words at all.
But Jesus spoke again.
“Didn’t I tell you that if you believed, you would see God’s glory?”
With Jesus’ firm words, the disciples moved first, and others joined to roll away the large stone blocking the tomb’s entrance. Then, the people stepped back from the tomb.
Jesus lifted His eyes and looked to heaven. Like light shining through darkness, the clear blue sky appeared through the heavy clouds. That pure sky filled Jesus’ eyes.
“Father, I thank you that you listened to me. I know that you always listen to me, but because of the multitude that stands around I said this, that they may believe that you sent me.”
It was a small and quiet voice, yet it rang clearly in the hearts of everyone gathered around. Then Jesus bowed his head toward the tomb and cried out in a loud voice.
“Lazarus, come out!”
The crowd murmured in response. The Bible contains several stories of people who died and came back to life, but there was never a record of someone who had been dead for four days coming back. Those who did not believe in resurrection said those accounts were just people fainting and waking up again. The Sadducees, who accepted only the Torah as God’s word, did not believe such historical records literally. But if a person who had been dead for four full days—completely and undeniably dead—were to come back to life, it would be an irrefutable and extraordinary event, clear proof that resurrection truly exists.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the dark cave. Those who believed in resurrection looked with hope for a miracle; those who did not believed with worry. Regardless of their desires, God accomplished what He intended. Through Jesus, even those who have died can be raised to life. In this way, God showed the people that resurrection is possible for all through Him.
From the darkness of the cave, a figure came walking out. His hands and feet were wrapped in linen cloths, and his face was covered with a cloth, giving him a frightening appearance. But Martha and Mary immediately recognized him as their brother Lazarus. Even though he was covered, how could they not recognize someone they loved so dearly? The others felt the same. Seeing a man who had died come back to life, a great shout erupted. Amid the cheers, Jesus’ clear, bright voice rang out again.
“Free him, and let him go.”
Martha and Mary embraced their resurrected brother, tears of joy flowing. Those who believed in Jesus knew that even in death, they would live again. Witnessing this undeniable truth, many believed in Jesus. Yet not all did; some returned to Jerusalem and told the Pharisees about what had happened.
* * *
“What are we doing? For this man does many signs. If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
The Sadducees and Pharisees, who were usually at odds, united in one mind and convened the Sanhedrin. There, fierce attacks against Jesus erupted. Among the council members, there were those like Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea who secretly followed Jesus, but the atmosphere in the council was such that if they spoke even a single word in His defense, they would not be left alone. This was understandable because even the Sadducees, the dominant faction in the Sanhedrin, had joined the attacks against Jesus this time. The resurrection of the dead was clear evidence that the Sadducees’ doctrine was wrong. If they admitted such a thing had happened, their position would be completely shaken. The Sadducees were merely imitators of the Pharisees in the provinces, but in Jerusalem, they were powerful authorities with absolute influence. Therefore, they could not just stand by and watch this situation unfold.
Caiaphas, the high priest who presided over them all, said,
“You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is advantageous for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.”
Caiaphas warned that if Jesus were left alone, more people would follow Him, and Rome would persecute them, potentially destroying the entire nation. Though these words came from him, they were also fulfilled under God’s will. Like pagan nations used as instruments to judge sinful Israel, Caiaphas was used in the role of evil to accomplish God’s plan of salvation. This was because he valued his family’s honor, or rather his own power, more than God. God never uses the righteous to perform evil deeds.
The high priests and Pharisees issued orders to inform them wherever Jesus might be found. Upon learning this, Jesus left Judea and began staying with His disciples in a village called Ephraim, near the wilderness.
The passages from Luke 10:21-24, 41-42, John 11:21-50 quoted in this narrative are taken directly from the World English Bible (WEB) translation.
Listen to the audiobook now.
