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by Leonard Oprea
The multitudes were waiting on top of the hill that surrounded the cave.
Many from Jerusalem had come to Bethany, which was about fifteen furlongs off.
The sun was shooting flames, the hot air wavered, and out on the steps to the grave Jesus knew that many expect to be like the pillars of salt in this Sodom-and-Gomorra-like heat should they witness the miracle of a simple mortal being brought back from the dead.
Jesus knew that the resurrection of Jair’s daughter or that of the son of the widow from Nain were nothing like this resurrection which was to be watched and judged by tens of Jews just before His entrance into Jerusalem.
He did not turn his head, He did not move towards those who surrounded and hungrily awaited to curse Him, throw stones at Him, kill Him.
The moment He told Mary: ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live’ and added in an almost commanding voice:
‘And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die’, Jesus knew only too well that Lazarus’ sister could only answer: ‘I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.’ And the witness bore by the gentle and humble woman was but the first sip of the cup to be drunk to the last.
He heard behind him the weeping of those dear unto Lazarus, He listened to the wailing of those frightened unto death, and He felt from all over the place the heavy, burning breath of the Prince of this world, He recognized the merciless and rebellious waiting, and He issued the curt, indomitable command: ‘Get thee behind me, Satan!’ which could only be heard by the heavenly Father. And He alone felt the air becoming fresh, the heat subsiding, the souls around Him raising their brow to receive Him fearlessly, joyfully.
Yet did Jesus know that the will of the Father was that the claw of Darkness should still tear at the soul and the flesh of each Jew, and that it should throw a tarry veil over each man’s heart.
And Jesus groaned in His spirit.
But Lazarus had to be risen from the dead.
He smelled the black and toothless mouth of the grave put forth the stench of decay, of a man who had been dead four days, as Martha had told Him.
***
And Jesus groaned in Himself.
He heard behind him even His wretched disciples asking one another like people whose faith had gone astray: ‘Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, who had Jair’s daughter and the son of the widow of Nain rise from the dead, have caused that even this man should not have died?’
***
And again Jesus groaned in His spirit.
He stood upright, raised His arms, with palms turned toward the grave, and lifted up His eyes. He looked at the heavenly Father and gave thanks in Words with meaning unto Himself: ‘Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.’
And a light, gentle wind started to blow and his whole-piece linen cloth fluttered on His thin body like the touch of a gentle, white light.
And Jesus raised His voice to fill the heavens and the earth:
‘Lazarus, come forth! Eleazar, whom God has helped! Come out, the Son of Man is calling for you!’
And Jesus once more drank of the cup that had to be drunk unto the last. And in a flash He saw Himself on the wooden cross, stripped, covered in blood, soiled, and crowned with thorns, a prey to the flesh which screamed its unbearable pain, a prey to the soul which shed blood tears for its body, a prey to His incarnation which no longer wished the terrible agony, so human, so like that of any man killed slowly and cynically, a prey to his hopelessness which made his vinegar-burnt lips move and utter: ‘E’lo-i, E’lo-i, la’ma sabach-tha’ni? ’
And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin.
‘Welcome, Eleazar’, Jesus murmured.
Like so many pillars of salt did the Jews look on Lazarus, that is, Eleazar, that is, ‘God has helped’.
As if pierced by the sword of His Word, the disciples looked at the Christ as he stood motionless, arms stretched, palms turned toward the grave, his brow lifted toward Heaven.
And they saw a cross of gentle white light.
And Jesus watched Himself being brought down into the grave, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin.
Then He said unto them: ‘Loose him, and let him go.’
(from TRILOGY of THEOPHIL MAGUS – The Truth/ Ed. Xlibris Corporation/ Random House Ventures, 2008, USA/ copyright & all rights reserved by Leonard Oprea)