In the Gospel, we have two stories related to Lazarus' family. There is the story of Martha and Mary. You might remember this one. Martha gets angry when her sister, Mary, leaves her to take care of all the household duties so that she can sit and listen to Jesus. It is interesting; Lazarus is not mentioned in that story.
I can not say for sure why that is. Did Lazarus live separately from Martha and Mary? It is possible. Was he at work when Jesus came by? Also possible. But, while it is clear the Jesus is friends with Martha, Mary, there is no account of Jesus and Lazarus having any relationship in that story.
The second story concerning Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, is the one that stands out in most people's imaginations. It is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This is the first time Lazarus is mentioned in relation to his sisters, and the first time we see Jesus interacting with him.
Actually, the first recorded interaction we have between them is when Jesus stands before Lazarus's tomb and calls him to live.
Maybe there is a reason that we never see the two men, Jesus and Lazarus, together before this. It is clear that Jesus loves Lazarus and that Jesus considered Lazarus, a friend. But, we do not see that reciprocated in any of the stories. I am not saying that Lazarus didn't love Jesus. He probably did. But it is possible Jesus wants us to see in Lazarus, people we love, who seem far from the life.
How many of us are striving to live in friendship with the Lord, but mourn for the loved ones who have fallen away? How many wives pray for husbands who have no relationship with Christ? How many children, from "good Catholic families," have chosen to separate themselves from Church? I can not say that there was any animosity in Lazarus and Jesus' relationship. Maybe they were bosom friends, but, then again, perhaps they were not.
When Jesus arrives at Lazarus' tomb, the man had been dead for four days. He was not just a little dead. He was very, very, dead. Lazarus' coming back from this was not in the realm of possibility.
Are there people in your life who seem too far from the Lord to be saved? Are there people you know who have been living far from the Lord for so long that any hope of their return seems foolish? Maybe even people who have not so much fallen away, but who never had a relationship with the Lord in the first place? Who have you written off?
When Jesus arrived, Mary and Martha were not expecting Lazarus to live again. They were looking for consolation from a friend.
Then Jesus does the impossible. He brings Lazarus back from the dead.
The man who was beyond hope comes back to life. In an instant, he is called by him.
Jesus can do the same for the people we love who seems lost. He can call them to life in an instant as well, too.
This Gospel convicts me. Jesus is the Ressurection and the Life. In him all things are possible. It is he who calls the dead to life. Who have I given up on? Who have I considered to far from the Lord to be saved?
Maybe this week, the Lord is challenging me to have more faith in who He is. When Martha meets Jesus on the road, before he gets to the tomb, Jesus says to her,
I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Mary replies,
Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.
Do we believe that Jesus is the Ressurection and the Life? If we do, then instead of despair for those who have fallen away, we need to pray in the hope that Jesus will call them to new life too.