![]() Jesus witnessed the sorrow of their rent hearts, as their brother wrestled with his strong foe, death. Christ beheld the whole scene, and after the death of Lazarus the bereaved sisters were upheld by His grace. that I was not there.” Did the Saviour by His own choice avoid the home of His suffering friends? Apparently Mary and Martha and the dying Lazarus were left alone. The disciples marveled at Christ's words when He said, “Lazarus is dead. When Lazarus died, they were bitterly disappointed but they felt the sustaining grace of Christ, and this kept them from reflecting any blame on the Savior. Tenderly they tried to speak words of hope and encouragement to the almost unconscious sufferer. Yet he brought the message, “This sickness is not unto death,” and they clung to the hope that Lazarus would live. As long as the spark of life was yet alive in their brother, they prayed and watched for Jesus to come. They believed that He would sympathize with them in their distress therefore they made no urgent demand for His immediate presence, but sent only the confiding message, “He whom Thou lovest is sick.” They thought that He would immediately respond to their message, and be with them as soon as He could reach Bethany.Īnxiously they waited for a word from Jesus. Lazarus was stricken with sudden illness, and his sisters sent to the Savior, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick.” They saw the violence of the disease that had seized their brother, but they knew that Christ had shown Himself able to heal all manner of diseases. Sorrow entered the peaceful home where Jesus had rested. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. 23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. 24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. 25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. They now had the opportunity to enjoy God’s favor eternally.- John 17:3.John 11:1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. Many accepted the Scriptural message that Jesus taught and benefited from it. The common people-who had long been neglected by their religious leaders-were now experiencing favor. And they were tormented by the message that Jesus and his followers preached.- Matthew 23:29, 30 Acts 5:29-33. But they experienced death, as it were, when God rejected them and their form of worship because they did not accept Jesus’ message. The Jewish religious leaders thought that they enjoyed God’s favor. ![]() ![]() The change in circumstances was drastic for both groups. Lazarus symbolized the common people who accepted Jesus’ message and who were despised by the Jewish religious leaders. These religious leaders looked down on the common people.- John 7:49. The rich man evidently symbolized the Jewish religious leaders, “who were money lovers.” ( Luke 16:14) They listened as Jesus spoke, but they opposed his message. The story shows that two groups of people were about to experience a great change in circumstances. How could Abraham be alive in heaven, since Jesus clearly stated that up to the time Jesus related the parable, no one had gone to heaven?- John 3:13. ![]() If the rich man were in a literal place of burning torment, would not the fire evaporate the water on Lazarus’ fingertip?Įven if it were not evaporated, would a single drop of water bring the rich man lasting relief from his suffering in a literal fire? Was Jesus teaching lessons about life after death? Did he mean that some people suffer in a hellfire when they die and that Abraham and Lazarus were in heaven? Several facts show that this could not be the case. And the Catholic Jerusalem Bible, in a footnote, states that this is a “parable in story form without reference to any historical personage.” For example, a subheading in the 1912 edition of Luther’s Bible states that this is a parable. The fact that this is a parable is acknowledged by scholars. ![]() This is a parable that Jesus related in order to teach a lesson. ![]()
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