98. News of Lazarus’ Illness
1Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointmenta and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3So the sisters sent to him saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.”4But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness is not unto death, it is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by means of it.”
5Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6When he heard that he was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. 7Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.”
8The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were but now seeking to stone you,b and are you going there again?”
9Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
11Thus he spoke, and then he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awake him out of sleep.”
12The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
13Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. 14Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead; 15and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”
16Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
(Jn. 11:1–16)
a “It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment”—See Ch. 114.
b “the Jews were but now seeking to stone you”—This refers to Jesus' recent visit to Jerusalem during the feast of Dedication. (See Ch. 85, Jn. 10:31.)
