The miracles of Jesus - Classical Christian Literature by Athleo.net

352 THE RESURRECTION
take Him
;
but He escaped out of their hand."
From this retreat He was summoned by a cry for
help. Lazarus of Bethany was sick ;
and he and
his sisters, Martha and Mary, stood to Jesus in a
relation of closer intimacy than He appears to have
had with any others outside the circle of His disciples
;
their house was the nearest approach to a home which
He had known since He entered upon His ministry.
Very touching in its humility and trustfulness was
the message sent by the sisters of Lazarus, " Lord,
behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick." They do not
say what they themselves would have, they state the
fact, and leave the rest to I lis loving judgment.
From a comparison of the notes of time—since
Lazarus had been four days dead when Jesus arrived
at Bethany— it is probable that death had already
supervened when the message reached Jesus. But
as on His way to raise the daughter of Jairus He said,
" The maid is not dead, but sleepeth," so, in view
of all that was to be, He said of Lazarus, " This sickness
is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that
the Son of God might be glorified thereby." Thus,
also, when after two days, He proposed to His
disciples to go again into Judaea, He said unto
them, u Our friend Lazarus sleepeth ; but I go that
I may awake him out of sleep." Only when the
dull understanding of the disciples took His words
too literally, did He tell them plainly, " Lazarus is
dead." And He points to the root of good that may
be found if we seek it in every earthly misfortune,
the blessing that may spring out of sorrow
;
while
Himself grieving for His friend, while sympathising
with the sorrow of the darkened home, He could