Living with Abandon

A Gospel Reflection on John 11: 19-27

John 11:19–27 NABRE

And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told 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?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.”

Imagine that you have just been told of the impending death of the person you love most in this world. You have heard that a cure for their sickness and the doctor who can enact the cure is a very close friend of your loved one. Imagine the joy of discovering this and that he or she is close at hand. Then envision the anguish, resentment, and anger that would ensue once the doctor has been contacted and he tells you that he has some other business to take care of first and cannot make it for a couple of days. Imagine that while you wait, your loved one dies.

In the Gospel today we are witnesses of just such a scene in the death of Lazarus. Earlier in John Chapter 11, Martha and Mary, Lazarus’ sisters, come to tell Jesus that his friend, the one Jesus loves (John 11:3), is very sick. St John, in the Gospel, records the Lord’s baffling response to their request.

“Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was.” (John 11:5–6 NABRE)

He remained in place vice going straight to Lazarus! In the Gospel today we hear that Jesus arrives four days after the death of his friend. He is seemingly too late. Martha and Mary would not hear the Lord’s plan which He gave to the disciples.

“He said this, and then told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” (John 11:11 NABRE)

Note that neither Martha nor Mary ever demands anything of Jesus. They simply inform Him of the situation. They trust that He has a plan and that it is a good one. They trust completely in Jesus’ love. This trust must have made it even harder for the two sisters when their brother Lazarus dies. So as Jesus approaches the home of Lazarus, He is approaching a scene of extreme sorrow. He is approaching a community and family who must in some way blame Him for not acting to save the life of his friend. Jesus’ actions must have caused incomprehensible pain. Yet, we still see hope as Martha comes to Jesus and tells Him,

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise.” Martha said to him, “I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus told 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?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” (John 11:21–27 NABRE)

Martha’s trust never wavers! Despite the overwhelming sorrow and anger she must have felt, she sets this aside and never demands anything. St Augustine preached on this saying,

“She didn’t say, “But even now I ask you to raise up my brother,” for how was she to know whether it would be beneficial to her brother to rise again? She only said, “I know that you can; if you wish, you will do it, for whether to do so is for you to judge, not for me to presume. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” (Saint Augustine Tractate CXIV)

Martha does not demand what she wants. She desires what God wants and that is the guiding principle of her every action. She has died to self. She is practicing mortification. So often we think of mortification and medieval images of flagellants come to mind. But there is something very beautiful about mortification. The Dictionary of Bible Terms defines mortification as,

The act of self-denial or the “putting to death” of sinful instincts in order to have freedom from sin and to live in the power of the Holy Spirit. The New Testament stresses that this act of [humility] comes about through the grace of God. It is the result of, not the condition for, conversion. (Manser The Dictionary of Bible Terms)

The Gospel today calls us to mortification. To die to self is to live in abandonment of what, “I want,” and trust in God who guides all creation in absolute, unstoppable, love. It is to take a stand, when tragedy strikes, and place our hope in God. Nothing is more important. When we live in grace, we live with trust, we set aside, frustration, blame, and anger and make a decision for joy. We remember that Jesus is Lord. His plan is what matters. Then, like Martha, we step forward in love, strength, and courage knowing that Christ loves us without measure and His way is perfect. Dying to self means that there is no second guessing and we let Christ fill us. That is grace in action. In the words of St Paul,

I can do all things through [Christ] who strengthens me. (Phil 4:13 NRSV)

Endnotes

Augustine. Homilies on the Gospel of John 41–124. Ed. Allan D. Fitzgerald and Boniface Ramsey. Trans. Edmund Hill. Vol. 13. Hyde Park, NY: New City Press, 2020. Print. The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century.

Manser, Martin H. Dictionary of Bible Themes: The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool for Topical Studies. London: Martin Manser, 2009. Print.

New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE). Washington, DC: The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2011. Print.

The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. Washington, DC: National Council of Churches of Christ, 1993. Print.