The Commentary :: الطرح

Watos:

Let us go to Bethany, and see these great signs and miracles, that Jesus Christ performed, among the crown;

Those who came to the Feast, the sojourners and the people of the city, they went and saw, the resurrection that took place.

For truly the King of peace was there, showing His power and the might of His authority. Come to us, O celibate, the son of thunder, the beloved of our Savior, John the Son of Zebedee, to tell us about the joy of Mary and Martha and their only brother, Lazarus the righteous. This Lazarus became sick with the sickness of death while Jesus was in Jerusalem. When the Disciples informed Him, He told them, “Our beloved, Lazarus, is sick. Let us go and see him.” They answered Him and said, “He needs to be healed.” Behold, He told them publicly, “Lazarus died. Let us go to him that I may raise him.” So Thomas answered, saying, “Let us go and die with him.”

When Mary and Martha heard of Christ the Master, they rejoiced and worshiped Him and asked Him for the sake of their brother. When He saw them weeping with the women who were there with them, his eyes broke in tears. He showed His love to them and came to the tomb and proclaimed with His divine voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” The dead man came out and when all the Jews saw this great wonder, they believed in Him with all the hearts and confessed His divinity.

They also prepared a great feast in joy for the sake of the resurrection of Lazarus and [Jesus] dwelt in their midst. So Mary, Lazarus’ sister, took a flask of perfume and poured it on the head of the Savior, Jesus Christ the King of glory. The house became filled with the scent of the perfume. The news of the many wonders that He performed in Bethany and its border cities, spread in abundance, showing the glory of His divinity. Many of the nations of the earth believed in His holy name.

Pray to the Lord on our behalf O beloved of Christ, Lazarus the bishop, that He may forgive us our sins.

Adam:

Let us go to Bethany to see Jesus, His Disciples, and Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. Lazarus died, was buried for four days and was decomposed. So Jesus came with His Disciples and a multitude of people from Jerusalem to comfort the two sisters as it was the custom. When they saw [the two sisters] weeping for their brother, all have wept greatly and felt pain out of the great love to them.

The two sisters said to Christ the Master, “If You had been here, our brother would not have died.” So He answered them, saying, “Enough weeping and mourning. Your brother will rise again.” Then Mary said to Him, “Yes, he will rise again in the day of the resurrection.” The Lord said to them, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, shall never die.” Mary said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that God fulfills Your requests.” He asked them, “Where have you laid him?” Then they informed Him of the place of the tomb and so He came with His Disciples to it.

Then the Jews spoke among themselves, saying, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the man born blind, also have kept this man from dying?” Then Jesus stood before the cave, and the stone laid against its opening, and said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench.” So the Savior said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

Then they took away the stone and Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot, and his face was wrapped with a cloth as it was the custom for burial. The Savior said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” Then many who had gathered there believed in Christ and His deeds. And the news was spread to every place in Judea.

Oh what a great wonder that surpasses the minds and fascinates perception. Our Master raised the window’s son in Nain at his burial and Jairus’ daughter at her death hour. Those and many others have been raised from the dead on the day they died except for Lazarus who was raised after his death and burial in the tomb for four days.

Through the prayers of Lazarus the bishop, O Lord, grant us the forgiveness of our sins. Amen.