Holy Delay

“Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it, he said, “This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” From John 11:1-45

This week we hear another lengthy passage from the Gospel of John. There is a lot to unpack in it, but I'm drawn to focus on the beginning. Timing is everything when we read the Gospel of John. There is a constant interruption throughout to call us back to whether "the hour" has come or is yet to arrive. We of course know this passage well enough to realize that even though Lazarus has died, he will come back to life. The narrative is crafted later enough to indicate that Jesus knew it would work out from the beginning so is able to delay his journey to be with someone in grave distress.

But I don't think we want to skip too quickly to the end. Jesus' delay of four days created pain. Pain for Martha and Mary who were waiting. Pain for Lazarus who was deprived of the comfort of relief in his distress. And if we accept Jesus' humanity—pain for him in delaying that journey.

Waiting is hard. Waiting in the midst of pain is even harder.

When he returns to Bethany, Jesus learns that Lazarus has died. He listens to Martha's lament—and her confessional statement that her brother would not have died had Jesus come sooner. Mary also comes away from the gathered community of grief to state that Jesus' delay changed what might have happened otherwise. When Jesus sees her grief and the grief of the crowd, he too is moved to tears. I suspect the tears are more complicated than we often imagine. Yes, there is sadness to see those he loves in pain. And I suspect there is real frustration around the disbelief of those surrounding him. There may even be frustration in what he clearly sees—that his journey leads ever closer to the cross.

So, what do we take from this? I don't think it's a simple hope that death will be overcome. Resurrection and new life are far more complicated. I do think what we see throughout this text is a need to be together. The disciples are with Jesus as he discerns the dangerous return to Bethany. Martha and Mary are with their gathered community as they grieve the death of their brother. And the community remains after Lazarus returns to them and they imagine what that might mean for him and themselves.

While the delay and waiting are challenging at each step of the journey, if it makes us rely on one another and God all the more, maybe that prepares us more fully than expecting quick resolutions. As we prepare for Holy Week, take time to walk in the fullness of this path while in community. It will change all the Easters of your life.

Peace, Beth +