The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 88

more trinl of fnit.11, ono furlhor opportunily Yrr. 21.-MarLha therefore (h11ving mol o( recog-niziag his glory. Many of tJ,em bor Lord) s!Lid unto l eeue, Lord, if thou came I lo llfarth,i mid Mary. Thov <'Rme to hadst been here-t!JO ,I ~• if.5, oxprcssoe no oon1fort them, according to ordin°1uy usage comph\int: "If thou h11det been here," a nmong the Jews after bore11voment. This simple eoudilion of wh11t is now nn impoe- ceremony often 18,l!ted seven dnys. Concern- si ble event-my brother had not died. Meyer ing (their') brother. We cling to eerthly Mye, "If t~ou wart making thy residence in love. The gush of strong affection ihat Bethnny rather than in Porroa." 'l'his ie monrnen; lexish on the dead deepens their somewhat uuuatuml, and would hnvo beon lo.e to ono another, and the praises of the a complaint. Her faith hnd at least ground departed often gild and almost pierce the enough for this I\SSurance, but she mounts veil itself. The fact that many J ewe should above it. The two sisters, with their con- have taken the trouble to journey nearly two trasted natures, had grasped tbe lifo-giving, miles to comfort the bereaved ~istere ehowe joy-diffusing, hcaven-rcvenling powers of t!1at the f,.mily e.t Bet!Jany was one of some Jesus. They hnd believecl in hiw, with a v;calth, position, and importance (of. Matt. gracious o.ba.udonment of e.11 prejudice e.nd xni. 6-13). If eo, it is exceedingly un- in the sweeping force of o. great illumi.ue.ting likely that tile narrative stands in any re- love. Thoy had so.id often this same thing lation to the pn.rable of the rich man nnd to one another, o.nd now Martha pours her the beggar. high pereuo.sion into the eurs of her Lord ; Ver. 20.-The o<iv points baok probably but she proceeds further. to ver. 1. The type of charaotcr so beauti- Ver. 22.-And even now I know, that fully contrasted in the previous reference to whatsoever thing thou she.It ask of God, God the family at Bethany appears o.gain, and will give it thee. Nuv oil,a may be con- confirms tile historioal character of Luke x. trasted with ver. 27. In his presence ehe 38, et;o., as well e.s of the narrative before knows in.tnitively that nothing is impossible. us. Tl.wma says the.t this picture is " simply The ril-r11cr11 is a word of more human quo.lity painted with synopl.io colour." Me.rtha ie than that which our Lord customarily used tile mistress of the house. 'Martha therefore, for his 010n appeals to God. He spoke of when she heard tha.t 1esue WtLS ooming, went lp"'Tiiv, to seek I\S o.n equo.l; 1rapa1<a>-.,,11, to a.nd met him : but Kary eat still in the intercede for another; 1rpocrd,x,cr8a1, to pro.y : hc;ll!!e. MaJ"tha was a wom11n of impulse, i,,a-Bai, to supplicate. It was appropriate energy, practical duty; like Peter, she was enough thnt Mo.rtha should use tho verb ready even to give •dvice to her Lord, o.nd a1Tfiu11, Her word was e. burst of excited 1.:ager to put everybody in. his rightful place. feeling, and does not dictate to the Master On the firsi opportunity she hastened at what he should do. Her twofolcl mention onoe io "meet" Jesus, even without at first of the name of God with "thou" and warning her eieter of his approach. Mary, " thee," shows the.t ehe had not risen to contemplative, pensive, undemonstr11tive highest light on the Lord's mysterious re- under ordinary eircumsto.ncea, but with e. lation to the Father. She speaks of him great fund of love, wos sitting in the house and to him os of o. strangely gifted hnman receiving the condolences of the Jews Friend. But she hud doubtless heard of the (cf. ver. 19). Weise suggests that Jesus widow of No.in, and of Je.irue's de.ughter, was well awe.re, from the station of the and she mnde no irratione.1 suggestion. The family, 8.Ild from the fact that hitherto his 3cra covers much. Jesus loved Lazarus. He own frieudehip for the sisters had not sub- wae Friend to the whole group, e.nd known mitted them to the ban, that" many Jews" to them all would have congregated iu the house of Ver. 23.-Jeeue eaith unto her, Thy brother mourning. Consequently, Jesus does not 1hall rise again. Ilengsteu berg thinks that come straight to the house, but allows it to the reply of Jesus ie a grand dogmatic asser- be known that he is there. tion of the resnrrection of the dead, in special application to Lazarus, nnd it covers the kind 1 Lach.mo.nn, Tregelles, Alford (6th edit.), of lz,,&.cr-rauis which takes pince at death, 88 Wesicott e.nd Hort, BDd R.T., read ,rpos ..-¾,v, well as the resurrection at the last day. If so, with K, B, C, L, :X: but Meyer, Tiechen- surely our Lord would have said, "Lazarus dorf (8th edit.), and McLellau read rpor ..-a. is risen again." The Lord does elsewhere .,,pi, "came to the women that were about" speak of the dead e.e risen, and of their Martha and Mal:y, with A. C1, r, A, and angelic state, and of all the dead living unto other uncials and several ancieut versions. God; but he is here speaking of the imme- This reading might refer to the 8.Ilcient diate resurrection of Lo.zarus from whut is minstrels. called dcatll to that which is called life, and • l't, B, D, L, omit ,,_;,,,~.,, followed by Ti- wliich would be a pledge and type of the l!Ohendod (8th edit.), ILT.,and We~tcott 11.Dd final resurrection of all. Hort. Ver. 24.-Martha aaith to him, I know Oil, xr. 1-57.J 'l'Hg GCJSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. ,JOITN.