Lazarus, come out!
The context of today’s gospel is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This was one of the most spectacular of Jesus’ miracles. He had raised other people from death, but not one who had been four days buried in the tomb. It was also a wonderful consolation to his friends who were grieving and whose faith had been severely tested by the apparent lack of response from the Master and friend whom they had sent for. However, as we have heard, this was also the occasion when the chief priests decided definitively to put him to death, fearing that if more people believed in him, the Romans would destroy their nation for following another leader apart from the Emperor. A wonderful and kind deed turned out to be the cause of his condemnation to death.
Behind the erroneous and evil actions of human beings was God’s plan in favor of his people. What God had promised through the Prophet Ezekiel, to gather his people from wherever they had been scattered and to cleanse them from their iniquities he was now fulfilling. As the High Priest prophesied without knowing, through the death of one-man God was saving his nation, and not only Israel but all mankind.
You may recall in your own experience when your good deeds have been used against you. You may remember people who have misused your kindness to exploit you. The usual reaction is to become discouraged, and even to stop doing good even to those who might be genuinely in need. But then this goes against the Lord’s command to do good to those who do us evil. In today’s readings, he shows us that even when people turn our good deeds against us, God’s plans for the good of his people are fulfilled, without this being an excuse for their malpractice. So, we should continue doing good as the Lord has taught and done.
