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?” (John 11: 28-37)
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?” (John 11: 28-37)
Apparently, Martha got enough of an
answer from Jesus that she was comforted. She told her sister that Jesus was
asking for her, and went about her business. Was she taking care of the multitude
of guests that those closest to someone who died has to tend to? Was she making
Lazarus’ bed or making breakfast for him? We don’t know, because the action
moves to Mary and the guests.
Mary flung herself at Jesus’ feet. This isn’t the only time she has been there. She sat at his feet when He visited before, and Martha got sulky about it. She is also the one who poured perfume on his feet and wiped them with her hair. Here she was again, with half of Martha’s statement. The fact is there but the challenge is not.
The crowd, who had not followed Martha (Why should they? She probably would have put them to work.) followed Mary. How big a crowd was it? I have a feeling it was a massive. The family was apparently wealthy and generous, and beloved. They went with her, and Jesus was moved to tears by what He saw. Just what did He see in His omniscience? I don’t know. It’s not like He didn’t know what He was going to do. It’s not like He had never seen death or the pain it causes before. Maybe He wept then, too, but the Scripture doesn’t record it. This time, it does. Jesus wept. I suspect Mary needed Him to enter into her pain, while Martha wanted the problem solved.
Into this moment, the masses whisper: couldn’t He have done something? This isn’t quite what Martha said. She said, “You could have done something.” They were questioning. She had faith that I don’t see in the masses.
Jesus asked where they’d laid Lazarus. To all appearances, He was doing the standard funeral home thing of walking up to the casket and looking at the corpse. He was also setting the stage… for tomorrow’s episode.
Mary flung herself at Jesus’ feet. This isn’t the only time she has been there. She sat at his feet when He visited before, and Martha got sulky about it. She is also the one who poured perfume on his feet and wiped them with her hair. Here she was again, with half of Martha’s statement. The fact is there but the challenge is not.
The crowd, who had not followed Martha (Why should they? She probably would have put them to work.) followed Mary. How big a crowd was it? I have a feeling it was a massive. The family was apparently wealthy and generous, and beloved. They went with her, and Jesus was moved to tears by what He saw. Just what did He see in His omniscience? I don’t know. It’s not like He didn’t know what He was going to do. It’s not like He had never seen death or the pain it causes before. Maybe He wept then, too, but the Scripture doesn’t record it. This time, it does. Jesus wept. I suspect Mary needed Him to enter into her pain, while Martha wanted the problem solved.
Into this moment, the masses whisper: couldn’t He have done something? This isn’t quite what Martha said. She said, “You could have done something.” They were questioning. She had faith that I don’t see in the masses.
Jesus asked where they’d laid Lazarus. To all appearances, He was doing the standard funeral home thing of walking up to the casket and looking at the corpse. He was also setting the stage… for tomorrow’s episode.
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