The
Gospel reading for this coming Sunday is the raising of Lazarus, John 11:1-45, an episode that
pre-figures Jesus’ own death, burial, and resurrection.
Verse
34 reads, ‘He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come
and see.”’
I
am struck by the echo of John
1:35-42, John’s account of the very first people to follow Jesus. ‘They said to
him, “Rabbi...where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.”’ (verses
38, 39).
From
beginning to end, the call of the Gospel is to embrace dying to self, in order
to enter into life.
In
both the passages above, this process involves the loving support and witness
of others: whoever had opened their home to Jesus, and the grave to Lazarus;
the disciples of John the Baptist, and the friends of Mary and Martha...You
cannot die to self in your own heroic will to live!
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