Gospel John 11:19–27
By Father Emmanuel Mbuk, MSP
Dear friends in Christ, today we celebrate the memorial of Sts Mary, Martha and Lazarus. Besides the apostles whom Jesus personally called and chose, Mary, Martha and Lazarus were very close friends of Jesus; and Jesus often visited the family and spent quality time with them.
Jesus’ Need of Love and Friendship
So, we can see that Jesus was not only always very official, teaching with parables or healing the sick, or praying alone on the mountains, He was really and truly human with emotions, in need of love and friendship. Bethany, where the home of these three siblings was located, was the go-to-place for Jesus to unwind His stress, share jokes, eat or drink; and He was always welcomed.
The love and friendship that these siblings showed to Jesus was also the glue that bonded them as brother and sisters. They cared for one another, looked out for one another and they were deeply concerned for the well-being of one another. This family ethics/principle is the basis for which Mary and Martha reached out to Jesus, their family friend, when their brother, Lazarus died.
Their Friendship Based on Jesus as Lord
Although, Jesus was very close to them, yet they related with Him not as a casual friend, but with faith in Him as the Lord. This was why when Martha approached Jesus, still grieving over the death of her brother, she made a deep statement of faith saying: ‘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.’ She did not question why Jesus delayed in coming when He was told of Lazarus’ illness, neither did the late response to show up created a crack in the longstanding friendship that Jesus had with the family.
To this end, Jesus stepped up to the occasion, not only by strengthening the grieving sisters’ faith by declaring that He is the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in Him will never die, but He went ahead to raise Lazarus back to life and reunited him with the family.
Family Love as the Seed of Authentic Hospitality
Dear friends in Christ, this memorial, therefore, teaches us that unlike many saints whom we honour and celebrate either for their profound courage in bearing witness to Christ by wearing the crown of martyrdom, or for their great missionary achievements, these two sisters and their lone brother are a simple yet profound example that sainthood can be attained in the most common and ordinary things that we do or say.
However, for that to be achieved, we must first of all, be genuine, sincere, truthful and honest in all that we do. More so, Mary, Martha and Lazarus show that true love of outsiders first develops and grows from the home, from within. We cannot hate each other in the family and be that nice guy or lady to outsiders. Let us be who we say we are at home and away from home – be it at school, work, office, in the neighbourhood, etc.
Making Our Home into Little Bethanies
Jesus continues to desire making us His friends and desires to make His abode in our hearts and homes. May our homes, therefore, become the little Bethanies, the place where Christ is welcomed. Let us learn to look out for one another any day, anytime and anywhere. The support we give to one another can invite Jesus into our lives and also bring about a profound transformation to a beneficiary that may be close to us, just as it was for Lazarus, Mary and Martha.
May we make our homes a place of warmth and welcome for all those in need of love, friendship, companionship, support and succour, but without compromising the safety and security of everyone in the home.
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