The Pulpit Commentary — John — Volume 2 — Section 93

dltlon apparently hopeless: nod (3) o. type They lifted the stone, and Jesus lifted up o.lso or one dertd in tre~po.sses and sins hill eyes to hea1Jen. This is not to be taken (Trench on tho M'imcles)-one whose ho.bits a.a an ordinary pra.yer, but a thanksgiving of trcapnss nnd bondngo to ovil seem to for- for pmyer already heard. "Jesus lifted up hltl nil ronewo.1. Godot thinks that MRrtho. his oyes," i.e. to heaven-to that sublime hnd specinl reasons for such a. speech. Others, symbol of the infln ·1te activity of God, which thnt o.11 that wo he.ve hero is the speculation surrounds us do.y o.nd night, and which is or fancy of Martha., o.nd tho.t it must be so. in numerous religious systems made a type She puts one moro o.rreet, a.a it would seem, and image of the Divine Being himself; nor upon the free a.et o.nd love of Jesus. This does our modern conception of the nniversc seems quito sufficient to account for the use dethrone it from this high place. Christ's of tho word. It would seem that, for some language is thanksgiving that God ho.a al- renson, the body had not been fully em- ready heard him. Godet and Hengstenberg balmed, or she would not have used the say that Jesus thanked God in anticipation expression. Still, all had been done with of the miracle, as though it were already spices and perfumes that was intended. The done. Meyer and Alford look back to some Tiibingen criticism eagerly lays hold on this earlier prayers. But surely there is some point, a.a proof that the fourth evo.ngelist reason for the thanksgiving. The stone is intended by such a touch to exalt and lifted, or removed; there lies the corpse, bu~ e:mggero.te the wonder-working power of no dank sepulchral vapour issues from it; Christ. There is no need whatever to see rather some sign is given tha.t prayer offered in it more than Martha's sisterly love get- by Christ had been already heard, and ting the better of her submission to her that death has not made the havoc with Master's order, TeTapTa.7os -y&p lun,' "For the fro.me which would otherwise have oc- he is of the fourth day (dead) (buried)." curred. Father, I thank thee that thou On the fourth day the countenance changes, heardest me, When he uttered the prayer and, a.a the Jewish proverb urged, the spirit we cannot say ; but we know that his takes its flight from the sepulchre, and no mincl was greatly exercised concerning hia longer hovers over the departed form. friend before he left Peraia. His words Ver. 40.-JeSllS saith unto her, So.id I not confess that his wishes have been in har- unto thee, that, if thou believedet, thou mony with the Divine eternal will. So shouldst see the glory of God 1 This was e. elsewhere the Lord tells his disciples, " If probable reference to the language of ver. ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, 4, o.nd also to the teaching of vers. 25, 26, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be where our Lord had encouraged her imper- done unto you ; " i.e. " your desires will be feot faith in himself to become a veritable in ho.rmony with the Divine purpose; you vision of Divine glory. Out of the deepest will not be able to pray for anything either humiliation comes the highest glory. The temporal or spiritual which God will not putrefaction of the grove is a stepping-stone bestow, has not indeed prepared himself to to his throne. More is meant than the bestow and you to receive." This is the true physical resurrection of Lazarus. She would mystery and meaning of prayer. The hypo- or might by faith see the glory of Divine thesis of the twofold nature of Christ, instead power and love which would, by what was of being shipwrecked on the fa.et of his a.bout to happen, dawn upon her. Christ prayers e.nd intercessions, throws light on was going to prove to· faith that he could the very nature of prayer it.self. o.nd would destroy the power of death, rob Ver. 42.-A.nd I knew that thou bee.rest him of sting, swallow up the grove in vic- me always: but because of the multitude tory, and proclaim the everlasting curse of which ste.ndeth around I so.id it, that they this myste1ious desh of ours to be a van- may believe that thou didst send me. This quished foe. great utterance declares o.ll the intimate Ver. 41.-Then they took away the stone relation which subsists between the Father r from the place where the dead was lo.id]. of all and the Son in Jesus. A continuous absolute communion is ever going on be- 1 See Xenophou,' Anab.,' vi. 4. 9,dH6e -yup tween heaven and earth in the heart of tua.v w,µ:rrn'io,, " They were already five Jesus. His consciousness of the Father is a do.ye (dead)." door opened in heaven. .Alas I these words • T.R., Griesbach, and Scholz here add, have been a stumbling-block to many; have oli ~v b TE8v11rcws rc.Cµevos, with c•, E, H, o.nd suggested to Baur the idea. of e. "show- many more o.uthoritiea; but the phrase is proyer," and to Weisse e. "deceptive dift"erently given in several unoio.ls. But prayer" (schaugebet), and to Strauss thnt neithor do ~. B, o•, D, L, X, 5, 24, and other cu1·sive~, nor docs Vulgo.to nor nu- Tr!\gelles, Alford, Westcott o.nd Hort, and merous other versions, conlo.iu the words. H.'f. 'fhe worcle a.re unnecessary to the 'l'hey uro omitted by Tischendorf (8th edit.), sense. 9ll THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO S1'. JORN, [llH, XI. 1-67,