The World Is About to Change

Daily Devotional • September 11

1 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 Mary was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair; her brother Lazarus was ill. 3 So the sisters sent a message to Jesus, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4 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.” 5 Accordingly, though Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, 6 after having heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

7 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble because they see the light of this world. 10 But those who walk at night stumble because the light is not in them.” 11 After saying this, he told them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” 12 The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will be all right.” 13 Jesus, however, had been speaking about his death, but they thought that he was referring merely to sleep. 14 Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead. 15 For your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” 16 Thomas, who was called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Meditation

In the next four days, we will look at the gripping, terrifying, and world-ripping episode of the raising of Lazarus. In today’s reading, the news that Lazarus is sick is delivered Jesus, who had just left the area of Jerusalem to avoid those who wanted him dead. 

He had been threatened more than once with being stoned for blasphemy, having taught, “I and the Father are one,” and confirming that he is the Son of God (John 10:30, 36). 

He urged his hearers to believe his works even if they didn’t believe him — that is, the works themselves are obvious. With the crowd’s persistent refusal to accept the meaning of his work and determination to stone him, Jesus withdrew to the area where John the Baptist had been baptizing. 

Going to this site is significant, since it was where he himself had been proclaimed by John as the one whom the people were seeking, thereby beginning his public ministry. In today’s lesson, it is made clear that Jesus knows that Lazarus will die and that he will raise him. The disciples don’t pick up on that; they only remember that they left the area to save Jesus’ life.

Along with the manifold implications in the details, there are two great lessons in today’s reading: Jesus delays to come to Bethany for the sake of the greater miracle — which will therefore build greater faith in the witnesses; and the apostles, unaware of that but mindful of the threat back where they came from, determine to follow him regardless.

David Baumann is a published writer of nonfiction, science fiction, and short stories. In his ministry as an Episcopal priest, he served congregations in Illinois and California.

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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:

The Diocese of North East India – The Church of North India (United)
Trinity Episcopal Church, Red Bank, New Jersey