As you listened to our gospel reading for today, you heard about the death and resurrection of a
close friend of Jesus. The death of Lazarus affected Jesus just like the death of our loved ones
affects us. In these verses, we find the shortest verse in the Bible: “Jesus wept.”
In reading up on this passage, there is something more interesting to take note of, at least it was
for me. One of the big issues that people have with the Bible is a translation problem. When you
translate something from one language to another, there are chances that words are used that
don’t really mean the same as the original word intended.
As one example, the Greek word, doulos can mean slave or servant. For me, slave and servant
are nowhere near the same and so you need to look at the text to figure out which meaning is
more appropriate.
We have a similar issue in today’s reading that changes the meaning in a very significant way.
We read in verse 33, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also
weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved.” And then again in verse 38, we
read, “Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was
lying against it.”
The phrase I am referring to is “greatly disturbed” and we get the impression that Jesus was
grieving because his good friend had died. Most of us have been there. Our friend or family
member had died and our hearts are breaking as we are faced with their death and so it is
easy to translate this phrase as being greatly disturbed.
But this particular phrase could mean something else which puts a whole different emphasis
on this passage. In both cases, this phrase more likely means “became really angry.” These
verses should be pointing out that Jesus is really ticked off about something.
That leaves us wondering what he is so angry about. Throughout his ministry, Jesus is fighting
the forces of sin and death that rule the world and in this story, those forces make it a lot
more personal. Mary, Martha and Lazarus are good friends and faithful followers of Jesus and
death laid claim to Lazarus.
So as death laid claim to Lazarus, Jesus became really angry because he was about a week
away from the cross where he would defeat death once and for all. But in Lazarus’ case, he
was a little late. There is another word used in the Bible for extreme anger and that is wrath.
Wrath is usually used in reference to God’s wrath which leads to death and destruction with
examples of the world when Noah lived, Sodom and Gomorrah. Everything in the path of
God’s wrath was wiped out; completely destroyed.
So the question becomes, was Jesus channeling the wrath of God in this story if he was in fact
extremely angry. In thinking through this idea, I actually think Jesus was channeling God’s
wrath against death and sins. But instead of bringing about death and destruction, this time
God’s wrath brought about life. Instead of bringing about destruction, God’s wrath brought a
new creation.
As our Lenten journey comes to an end for this year and we prepare for Holy Week which
begins next Sunday, God’s wrath brings new life for all.