I like the stories of Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  They are stories in John’s Gospel that remind me of Jesus’ humanity.  These are Jesus’ friends.  Friends outside of Work.  (Well maybe!)  And, while this reflection is not an exegesis of the text: I will give us a couple of things to think about as we go into the 5th Week of Lent.

In this story, and in John’s Gospel up till this point, Jesus is in trouble. He been bullied out of Jerusalem by those who tried to stone him twice, and now he is going back into the region where his life is clearly in danger. The disciples actually say to him… “Rabbi, the Judeans were just trying to stone you, and you are going there again?”  But then, friends can do things for one another that others can’t.  

I’m going to just unpack two things that might deepen the story:

Jesus’ emotions in this story are critical: two Greek verbs

The NIV translates the verb enebrimesato as “deeply moved,”  the NRSV as “greatly disturbed” at the point in the story before going to the tomb: when he encounters Mary and the others who had come to grieve.

The NIV translates the verb etaraxen as “troubled,”  the NRSV as “deeply moved” when Jesus sees the tomb himself.

The first verb connotes anger and indignation, not compassion for Mary or the crowd.

The second verb means “agitated” or “troubled”: an intense emotion when he is at the grave of his friend Lazarus.

Translators have softened these emotions rather than saying “He was disturbed in spirit like being angry” …because we’re not sure why Jesus would be angry.  Some explanations for Jesus’ anger include that he was angry at the unbelief of Mary or that he was angry at the evidence of the power of sin and death in the world.  Was Jesus angry at the prospect of his own death? His upcoming battle with Satan?

None of these are really satisfying answers… but they deepen what’s going on. Within the emotional range of Jesus’ in this story is anger, indignation, agitation and a toured soul.  Which, when listed like that, look to me like emotions connected with the grief of the sudden loss of a friend: and in a public setting maybe those feeling makes even more sense.

The Second thing: which is nearly a FUN FACT… (and we haven’t had one of them for a while now)… is about Jesus’ weeping.  The Greek word for Jesus’ weeping in this story is different from the weeping of Mary, Martha and the community.  In the text Jesus’ weeping is the word ‘dakruo’: the crowd and sisters weep with the word ‘klaio’.  ‘Klaio’ points to a ritual wailing: but even though Klaio is the more common word for “weeping” in the New Testament, it is by no means used always to only indicate ritual wailing.  However the writers of the Johns Gospel want to point to something different here with the word to describe Jesus’ weeping.  ‘Dakruo’, Jesus’ kind of weeping in this story, is the ONLY time the word is used in the New Testament: and it shows that Jesus’ weeping is a more spontaneous kind of tears.

These two pieces of information don’t change the story or its meaning, but just deepen the story for us. Clearly this story is a pre-curser to Jesus’ own death: and in the minds of the people who set the Revised Common Lectionary, we are gifted this story to help us prepare for Easter.  But what might be the invitation in this story for us in our context.

The horror of our world circumstances; an illegal war and the rise of the dictator model of leadership even in the Western World: and mad men everywhere lying to the people is truely disturbing.

For every war story on the news, there are people at tombs mourning.  Mothers, Fathers and all the Mary and Marthas.  Communities left in tents at the foot of the dust of their apartment buildings.

For every tanker caught in the middle east and not able to get out of Port or back to shore, there are crews of seafarers, who are like ducks on a lake at hunting season: and their families back home with no light, salt or leaven to help their distress.

And for us, where every flight you cannot now make: or drive you cannot make: for every price increase or complaint from farmer and industry: we are communities worried about ourselves.  And when people jeer at a Prime Minister attending a Community End of Ramadan meal (by invitation), … even the seed of division are here in our midst.

In all our Christian stories: our role in and everywhere as followers of Jesus, is as Light, as Salt and as Leaven.  Evil is not overcome by more evil. Our angry, confused and spontaneous tears are our bodies’ response to the madnesses of circumstances over which we have little influence.  

But remember this: the early church was a group of women and men: slaves and free: young and old: Gentiles and Jews: people who, until then had nothing in common, or to do with each other.  But their nationality, religion, gender, class, age… all divisions were overcome in the experience of Jesus.  The on-going presence of the Living, crucified one made a difference. And changed the world so that all might embrace life in all its fullness.

Has Christianity something to offer into this world complexity?  You be ya.  Evil is not overcome by more evil.  And this Good News is ours to speak; to live out; and to bring to life. You are Light, You are Salt: the Leaven in bread. Let us be brave, gentle, firm and clear: love will win: Jesus brings life.