Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too, for it was because of him that many of the people had deserted them and believed in Jesus. [John 12:10-11 (NLT)]
While Scripture tells us about Martha and Mary, the first mention of their brother is when his sisters sent a message to Jesus that Lazarus had taken sick. By the time Jesus returned to Bethany, Lazarus had been dead four days and placed in a tomb. After Jesus called for him to come out, the once dead man, still wrapped in his graveclothes, emerged. The next we know of Lazarus is that he was present when Martha served a dinner in Jesus’ honor. Because the testimony of those who’d witnessed his miraculous resurrection had spread like wildfire, people gathered there to see the living Lazarus and Jesus, the man who brought a dead man back to life with just a few words.
After that dinner, Lazarus vanishes from the gospels as quickly as he appeared. If we were filming Jesus’ life, the role of Lazarus would be a bit-part without any lines. Nevertheless, this nondescript man played a pivotal role in the gospel story. With the exception of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension, Lazarus’ return to life is the most amazing miracle of the gospels. So, what happened to the man?
The raising of Lazarus sealed Jesus’ fate and, since Lazarus’ existence threatened the Jewish establishment, it may have sealed his, too. Along with their plot to kill Jesus, the priests plotted to kill HIM, as well. They wanted Lazarus dead because he was a living witness to Jesus’ power. While it is believed that Lazarus fled to avoid capture, we know that Jesus did not.
Did Lazarus’ miraculous escape from death change him? How could it not? Yet, I think of Justin, a young man for whom our church was praying. The picture of health, he collapsed due to a ruptured aorta and was “dead” for more than 15 minutes. The doctors warned his family that Justin’s survival was improbable and, if he were to survive, he would suffer severe brain damage. To everyone’s astonishment, however, Justin was walking, lucid, and speaking clearly less than ten days later; his only complaint was the soreness in his chest. His amazing recovery is nothing short of a miracle. Justin, however, does not believe in God or miracles. With no logical medical explanation for his survival, I wonder if that will change. Will his miraculous recovery and second chance at life cause Justin to reconsider his atheistic stand? Only God knows.
As for Lazarus, the rest of his story is mere speculation. While he may have remained in Bethany, church tradition holds that he moved to Cyprus, eventually became the bishop of Kition, and died a natural death in 63 AD. Yet other church historians believe Lazarus and his sisters moved to Gaul where he became the bishop of Marseilles and was beheaded by the Emperor Domitian. The only thing we know for sure about Lazarus is that he died a second time and that, some day in the future, Jesus will raise him from the dead once again. As for Justin, we know that he, too, will die a second time. Whether or not he will defeat death a second time is entirely up to him!
Here I am again, with a broken ankle and wearing a knee-high air-boot for the next eight to ten weeks! We have guests visiting next Friday and, since they’re avid gardeners, we’d initially planned on taking them to the Botanic Gardens. Yesterday, I suggested a change in plans since a stroll through the gardens is beyond my walking ability. When my husband suggested pushing me in one of the garden’s wheelchairs, I began protesting until I recalled a similar situation over six years ago when my foolish pride almost prevented me from accepting the help I needed.
No respecter of early mornings, an annoying woodpecker was busy drumming on the gutters of a nearby house. A few streets later, I spotted a woodpecker determinedly drilling into the stucco of another house. As it excavated a roost hole in the decorative trim, the determined little bird was doing as much damage with his beak as a heavy sledge hammer. A plaster patch nearby told me this wasn’t the first time the wall has been under attack! Throughout our community I see reflective streamers, children’s pinwheels, life-sized plastic owls, and strips of aluminum foil hanging from the eaves of houses. Nothing, however, seems to deter these birds from their drumming and drilling.
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you will know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. [John 14:16-17 (NLT)]
“To whom should we pray?” is a common question. People wonder, “If we pray to God the Father, are we leaving out His Son? But if we pray to Jesus, are we leaving out God? And where does the Holy Spirit fit in?”
Jeopardy contestant James Holzhauer became known for his 32-game winning streak, massive winnings, and his “all-in” hand gesture while putting all of his winnings on the line when answering a Daily Double. A new champion is in the making with Ph.D. student Matt Amodio. Like Holzhauer, he plays an aggressive game and is not timid when it comes to the Daily Double. Last Wednesday, after saying “all-in,” he wagered his entire holdings of $8,000 and lost it all; undeterred by the previous night’s Daily Double loss, he again went “all-in” with a $10,400 wager the next day. His willingness to go “all-in” has paid off handsomely and, by the end of the week, he’d won 28 games and amassed $1,004,001.
Devotions of the Heart 