After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
Then Thomas (also known as Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
REFLECTION
How do you think Lazarus' friends and family felt during those four days without Jesus?
How have you experienced grief and loss?
How do you think they felt when Jesus showed up after Lazarus had died?
Could they have felt he showed up "too late"?
PRAYER
God, where there is grief and sadness in the world, where there is grief and sadness in me, remind us of the joy and hope of resurrection.
May I be confident that you bring hope and joy where there is sadness. Amen.
