In Lazarum

Amphilochius, bishop of Iconium, discourse on the four-day Lazarus. Bring forward again the evangelist John; for it is good to examine the firstfruits of the resurrection. For you heard him just now saying: Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he raised from the dead. Did you see the firstfruits of the resurrection prefigured in Lazarus, which the faithful crowd recognized? The crowds recognized it, and the high priests reviled the miracle, turning it into malice. Indeed, they begrudged the resurrection of Lazarus, because after his resurrection, which you heard about, they plotted to kill him. Do you see the excess of malice? The one whom the Lord raised, they intended to kill, not realizing that even if they killed him, it would again be easy for the Lord to raise his friend. They plotted to kill Lazarus; nothing stung the Jews so much as the resurrection of Lazarus. This one miracle they were unable to slander. The restoration of sight to the man blind from birth they slandered, saying: This is he; this is not he; he is like him. The raising of Jairus’s daughter they slandered, saying that she had fainted and was not given over to complete death. The resurrection of the widow’s only son they slandered, saying that he had feigned death and was not swallowed up by the tyranny of death. The withered fig tree they slandered, saying that it had been stripped by birds and not dried up by the Lord’s word. The transformation of water into wine they slandered, saying that those at the dinner were already drunk and did not recognize the mockery.

They were unable to slander the resurrection of Lazarus alone. They knew Lazarus; the man was distinguished. They followed the funeral, saw the sealed tomb, consoled Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, according to custom, as at a death feast. They knew that he had been precisely placed in the tomb for four days, and that he was a four-day corpse, utterly disjointed, the flesh wasted, the bones loosened, the sinews torn apart, the entrails scattered, the belly emptied. Knowing these things, when they suddenly saw the resurrection of Lazarus whole, sound as from a lathe, gleaming with renewed life, they were disturbed. They nearly fainted, finding no words of pretext, how they might slander the resurrection of Lazarus, the Lord’s work having contrived this. What is this, the Lord’s work having prepared this? Listen briefly. When Lazarus naturally put off this present life, the Lord was not present in Bethany with physical eyes, but by his divinity he was present everywhere and filling all things. For after four days from Lazarus’ burial, Jesus came to Bethany to celebrate the resurrection of his friend. Hence, when the Lord arrived in Bethany, as soon as Martha, the sister of Lazarus, heard, she ran, hastened, fell down in supplication, offering a heretical entreaty. For falling down, she said to the Lord, speaking: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you.” The Lord himself, being a sea of patience, answered, saying:

What are you saying, Martha? You call him Lord, and you do not understand that he is Lord? Was I not here? Wait a little; for you will soon learn from your brother. For your brother will rise. I sympathize with you, Martha; for you are drunk with grief—as he himself said, one who is drunk stumbles even when calling out—but when you sober up, then you will come to your senses. For your brother will rise. And Martha, thus carried away by human words, replied to the Lord, saying: I know that he will rise on the last day. And the Lord said to her: Why do you stammer, O Martha? Why do you defer the resurrection to distant hopes? The resurrection is speaking to you, and you are speaking about the resurrection? I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live. While the Lord was saying these things, almost the entire city of Bethany ran down to the presence of the Lord, not to marvel but to laugh. For they had no hope that a four-day-old corpse could be raised. What then did the Lord do? When he saw such a crowd running down and that they were worthy and sufficient to bear witness to the one who was about to be raised by him, he answered them and said: Where have you placed Lazarus? Did the master of the place not know the place? He knew the place, but he contrived the manner, so that all would again be compelled to follow Jesus, in order that, having received the resurrection with their own eyes, they might become unquestionable heralds. Where have you placed him? And those who were asked said to him: Come and see. And as the Lord walked and hastened to the tomb, the crowd following behind said among themselves: What does this man want, to see the tomb of Lazarus?

If he is the son of God, he will raise this one. For we do not know about those who recently died, whom he raised. How then do we know if they were given over to complete death? He will raise this one, and we receive knowledge that he is truly the son of God. Hence Martha, carried along by these words, approached the Lord herself and said, "Where are you going, master? Why do you want to see Lazarus's tomb? Why do you stir up our pain? Why do you awaken the mourning? Why do you want to see the tomb? For you will accomplish nothing, master; he already stinks, for he is four days dead." And the Lord said to Martha, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God? You say to me, 'He already stinks.' Your sister is fragrant, and you smoke with unbelief? I want to see the tomb of my friend." Having said these things, the Lord went to the tomb. And approaching the tomb, he merely saw the monument and immediately wept. What need was there for him to weep, who was about to raise him? He wept. Why? Listen attentively. The Lord managed everything wisely; for he wept at the tomb in order to make public the opinion of those who followed, what suspicion they held about him. Therefore, when they saw him weeping, the crowds who followed, again suffering human emotions, began to debate among themselves and say, "See how he loved him. He who raised the dead and gave sight to the blind was not able to make it so that this one did not die, if indeed he loved him so?" And the Lord, when he saw them still speaking in human terms, answered them.

It was easy for me to hold back Lazarus’ life, as also that of Elijah and Enoch, but none of you knew that Lazarus’ life is held back by my will. For this reason I allowed him to be swallowed up by death, so that you might learn precisely that I have authority over life and death. And immediately the Lord said to them, as you all clearly know: “Roll away the stone.” He commanded the Jews: “Roll away the stone.” See how wisely he arranged everything, establishing precise witnesses of Lazarus’ resurrection. “Roll away the stone.” He commanded the disciples to move mountains with a word, and did he not himself roll away the stone? But arranging everything wisely, as I said before, for advantage, he said to the Jews: “Roll away the stone,” so that from the very stench of the corpse they might learn that it had rotted and not been stolen. “Roll away the stone.” When they had rolled it away with grumbling—for the foul, unmanageable stench of the corpse stung them—and when those present had rolled away the stone, immediately the Lord cried out, saying: “Lazarus, come out.” The Master is calling; no one contradicts. “Lazarus, come out; reassure your sister Martha that I command and do not entreat. Lazarus, come out. Before I descend, come out; in you the pledge, in me the fulfillment. Lazarus, come out.” And you, O friend, hearing “Lazarus, come out,” do not think that the Lord uttered many cries. He spoke once and raised whom he had formed; for he neither wept like Elijah nor was perplexed like Elisha. With a single-syllabled voice he awakened the one sleeping beside him, saying: “Lazarus, come out.” One word, and the miracles are manifold.

The Lord alone cried out, “Lazarus, come forth,” and immediately the flesh was filled out, the hair was replanted, the joints were bound together, the veins were refilled with pure blood. Hades below, smiting itself, sent Lazarus forth. The soul of Lazarus, being restrained and summoned by the holy angels, was melted back into its own body. And the most glorious thing of all was that he was bound hand and foot with bandages on every side and yet walked unimpeded. Therefore the Lord more emphatically commanded the crowds present, saying, “Unbind him and let him go.” See the Lord’s management and how he wisely orders everything. For the assurance of those present he said, “Unbind him and let him go; just as you rolled away the stone and revealed the tomb and partook of the fragrance, so also unbind the grave-clothes; keeping some as a blessing, preserving others as witnesses. If the high priests and Pharisees disbelieve that Lazarus has risen, show the grave-clothes; display the shrouds as the paralytic displayed his bed. But let us, bearing the palm branches, say, ‘Hosanna in the highest; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ Glory and power to him together with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.