John 11

Monday, April 28th, 2014
1pm

“So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.” 11.6

So Jesus receives news from a messenger that his friend, the one whom he loves, is ill, he waits two days longer in the place that he was. That would seem the opposite of what was expected. Jesus had already proven he can heal sick people, and even remotely at that.

I would think this had to be confusing. To the sisters, as well as to the messenger. We aren’t told anything about who carried the message to Jesus. Once they told Jesus that Lazarus was sick, did the messenger just wait around for Jesus to return? Or maybe the messenger returned to the sisters to tell them that Jesus was told the news, but didn’t return right away. Either way that had to be confusing. The messenger and the sisters were quite possibly thinking, “what are you waiting for?!? Do you not understand the severity of the situation?” The narrative that is shared with the reader is that Jesus did know exactly what was going on and what would happen. For this reason, it seems all the more unexpected that Jesus would intentionally wait two more days while his friend suffers with his illness that would lead to his death. And the additional delay would not only ensure Lazarus’ death, but that his body would be rotting and stinking. And Jesus did that intentionally.

So here’s what we’re given and what will happen next:

1. Jesus loves Lazarus.
2. Lazarus gets sick.
3. Jesus is told about the sickness.
4. Jesus is able to heal sick people (even remotely)
5. Jesus intentionally delays visiting Lazarus.
6. Jesus knows that Lazarus will be die.
7. Lazarus dies.

I think if I was in the sisters’ situation, #5 would lead me to question #1. Jesus says he loves them, but doesn’t #5 and #6 seem to contradict that? Maybe some people might begin to wonder if Jesus really is in control of the situation.

Verse 6 seems like such a sharp contrast to verse 5. Verse 5 said that Jesus did in fact love Lazarus. But verse 6 seems to be an action inconsistent with that.

And why two more days?  I’ve read various commentaries on that, but the common denominator is that Jesus wanted Lazarus to be dead before he made his appearance to the sisters.

From jewishencyclopedia.com:
“Death coming after five days’ illness is considered ordinary; after four days, a reprimand of Heaven; after three days, a severe rebuke; after two days, a hastened death; after one day, a sudden one, or, according to some, an apoplectic one (M. K. 28a). To die before reaching the age of fifty is (“to be cut off,” Lev. xviii. 29). Sixty years is a ripe age; seventy is old age; and eighty, advanced age (M. K. 28a).”

From jewishvirtuallibrary:
“In talmudic times, while the burial was not delayed, graves were “watched” for a period of three days to avoid all possibility of pseudo-death (Sem. 8:1).”

I’m having a hard time finding source texts for 1st century Jewish beliefs regarding what happens at death. It seems there is significance attached to three days. A person that is dead after three days is gone, whereas there are chances of ‘pseudo-death’ before that period (perhaps what moderns call the Lazarus Syndrome). Perhaps this is why Jesus waits until the fourth day? That seems to be likely given the description of Lazarus’ state when Jesus arrives (it stinks). Given the delay, there would be no question if Lazarus was really dead or not.

2pm.

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