from Father Don Talafous, OSB (Chaplain Emeritus, Saint John's University, Collegeville, MN)
As Jesus wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:1-45)
those standing about remarked: "See how much He loved him!" The fact
that Jesus stands outside the tomb of the recently deceased Lazarus and
weeps shows how much He valued Lazarus' friendship. The story goes on to
show us Jesus calling Lazarus out of the tomb and back to life. "See
how much He loved him!" John's Gospel is full of lines that offer
several possible interpretations. Can't we see in the fact that Jesus
raises Lazarus back to life another indication of how much He loved him?
Furthermore John means for the modern reader to see a picture here of
how much Jesus loves all of us, enough to bring us all back to life and
even here and now to invigorate our slack and stumbling selves.
And there's more suggested in the many-layered writing of John: the love of anyone of us for another is a power that can bring the other back to life, revitalize a dead, somnolent existence. In our relationships we see again and again how life-giving love is. Love brings out intelligence and generosity, hope and courage in those who are loved, awakes dormant potential. Love makes people bloom who would otherwise stay slow-growing. Warmed by love, they come out like those daring crocuses that poke their heads out of the snow in early March in northern climes. We are both able to give this kind of love and see its results and to receive this kind of love and produce these results. Much of the good in anyone of us is the result of parents, teachers, coaches, friends who took the time and effort to love into life some vaguely formed quality of ours, to encourage what another without love would never see. "See how much He loved him."
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| Painting by Karl Isakson |
And there's more suggested in the many-layered writing of John: the love of anyone of us for another is a power that can bring the other back to life, revitalize a dead, somnolent existence. In our relationships we see again and again how life-giving love is. Love brings out intelligence and generosity, hope and courage in those who are loved, awakes dormant potential. Love makes people bloom who would otherwise stay slow-growing. Warmed by love, they come out like those daring crocuses that poke their heads out of the snow in early March in northern climes. We are both able to give this kind of love and see its results and to receive this kind of love and produce these results. Much of the good in anyone of us is the result of parents, teachers, coaches, friends who took the time and effort to love into life some vaguely formed quality of ours, to encourage what another without love would never see. "See how much He loved him."
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