What did Mary need to learn from Jesus?  Martha is the first of the two sisters to meet Jesus as he journeys to them. Martha enters into dialogue with Jesus about the death of her brother and the resurrection of the just on the final day. Martha is the one who hears Jesus proclaim, “I am the resurrection and the life.”  Martha is the one who makes the beautiful profession, “Yes, Lord, I have come to believe…”

Within her profession, Martha uses the titles “Lord”, “Christ” and the “Son of God” but when she comes to her sister she uses none of these titles so powerfully spoken in her profession. Rather, she says to Mary, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.”  What does Mary need to learn?  What is Jesus going to teach her?

After being met by Mary, Jesus lives out in action that which he proclaimed to Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life.”  Jesus does not show how a person can achieve the power of the resurrection or how to find that power.  No, Jesus says I AM the resurrection – echoing the name God gives Moses out of the burning bush. Jesus calls the dead Lazarus to come out of the tomb and Lazarus comes forth. When God speaks it happens. 

The gospel goes to some length to share that Lazarus had been dead for four days. A Jewish belief of the time was that the soul would remain around the body for three days and then depart. To say Lazarus was dead for four days was to say he was truly dead. For the dead Lazarus to come out of the tomb on the fourth day at the call of Jesus is the truest proclamation that Jesus, himself, is the resurrection and the life. 

An invitation for this week, take some time in prayer. Be honest, what is dead within you?  Where is there no hope?  A recurring sin? A deep fear?  A burning anger?  A broken relationship?  Acknowledge this dead thing and then hear Martha say to you, “The teacher is here and is asking for you.”  Take Jesus to the tomb of your dead thing and listen as he calls you forth into new life from the tomb of that which is dead.