Lecture 6
Lectio 6
The resurrection of Lazarus
Resurrectio Lazari
11:38 Jesus, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was laid over it. [n. 1541]
11:38 Iesus ergo rursum fremens in semetipso venit ad monumentum. Erat autem spelunca, et lapis superpositus erat ei. [n. 1541]
11:39 Jesus said: take away the stone. Martha, the sister of he who was dead, said to him: Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days. [n. 1544]
11:39 Ait Iesus: tollite lapidem. Dicit ei Martha, soror eius qui mortuus fuerat: Domine, iam foetet, quatriduanus enim est. [n. 1544]
11:40 Jesus said to her: did I not say to you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God? [n. 1547]
11:40 Dixit ei Iesus: nonne dixi tibi, quoniam si credideris, videbis gloriam Dei? [n. 1547]
11:41 They therefore took the stone away. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said: Father, I give you thanks that you have heard me. [n. 1549]
11:41 Tulerunt ergo lapidem. Iesus autem, elevatis sursum oculis, dixit: Pater, gratias ago tibi, quoniam audisti me. [n. 1549]
11:42 And I knew that you hear me always, but because of the people who stand about have I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. [n. 1554]
11:42 Ego autem sciebam, quia semper me audis; sed propter populum qui circumstat dixi, ut credant quia tu me misisti. [n. 1554]
11:43 When he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth. [n. 1557]
11:43 Haec cum dixisset, voce magna clamavit: Lazare, veni foras. [n. 1557]
11:44 And immediately he who had been dead came forth, his hands and feet bound with bandages, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them: unbind him and let him go. [n. 1558]
11:44 Et statim prodiit qui fuerat mortuus, ligatus manus et pedes institis, et facies eius sudario erat ligata. Dixit eis Iesus: solvite eum, et sinite abire. [n. 1558]
1540. The Evangelist, after having given certain preambles to the raising of Lazarus, now presents the raising itself. He considers four things:
1540. Postquam autem Evangelista posuit quaedam praeambula ad suscitationem, hic consequenter agit de ipsa suscitatione: circa quam quatuor agit.
first, Christ’s arrival at the tomb;
Primo de Christi ad monumentum perventione;
second, the removal of the stone, at it was a cave, and a stone was laid over it;
secundo de lapidis sublatione, ibi erat autem spelunca etc.;
third, Christ’s prayer, at and Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said;
tertio de Christi oratione, ibi Iesus autem, elevatis sursum oculis, dixit etc.;
and fourth, the actual raising of the dead Lazarus, at when he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth.
quarto de mortui resuscitatione, ibi haec cum dixisset, voce magna clamavit: Lazare, veni foras.
1541. In regard to the first he says, Jesus, again groaning in himself, came to the tomb.
1541. Dicit ergo quantum ad primum Iesus ergo rursum fremens in semetipso, venit ad monumentum.
The Evangelist is careful to frequently mention that Christ wept and was deeply moved because, as Chrysostom says, he will later show the power of his divinity. And so he affirms that Christ experienced the weaker and humbler marks of our nature so that we do not doubt the reality of his human nature. And just as John shows his divine nature and power more explicitly than the other Evangelists, so he also mentions his weaker aspects, and other such things which especially reveal the affections of Christ’s human nature.
Studiose autem Evangelista frequenter dicit, quod lacrymatus est et quod infremuit, ut Chrysostomus dicit, quia in futuro ostensurus erat suae divinitatis potestatem. Ne ergo dubites de veritate suae humanitatis, infirmiora et humiliora nostrae naturae de Christo asserit. Et sicut Ioannes ceteris Evangelistis expressius divinam naturam et potestatem ostendit, ita etiam quaedam infirmiora de eo loquitur, sicut quod lacrymatus est, quod infremuit, et huiusmodi, quae maxime affectum in Christo demonstrant humanae naturae.
As for the mystical sense, he was deeply moved in order that we might understand that those who rise from sin should continue to weep without interruption, according to: all the day I go about mourning (Ps 38:6). Or, one could say that while Christ was deeply moved before due to the death of Lazarus, he is deeply moved now because of the unbelief of the Jews. Thus the Evangelist mentioned their doubt about his previous miracle, when they said, could not he who opened the eyes of the man born blind, have kept this man from dying? (John 11:37). Indeed, he was deeply moved with compassion and pity for these Jews: he saw a great throng; and he had compassion on them (Matt 14:14).
Mystice autem infremuit, ut detur intelligere, eos qui a peccatis resurgunt, in continuo debere persistere luctu, secundum illud Ps. XXXVII, 7: tota die contristatus ingrediebar. Vel dicendum, quod supra infremuit spiritu, propter mortem Lazari, hic autem rursum in semetipso propter infidelitatem Iudaeorum. Unde Evangelista praemiserat dubietatem miraculi, dicentium non potuit hic, qui aperuit oculos caeci nati, facere ut hic non moreretur? Qui quidem fremitus fuit ex compassione et miseratione ad Iudaeos; Matth. XIV, 14: videns Iesus turbas, misertus est eis.
1542. The Evangelist next mentions the removal of the stone; and he does four things about this.
1542. Hic agitur de lapidis sublatione, ubi quatuor facit.
First, he describes the stone;
Primo describit lapidem;
second, he mentions the order of Christ to remove it;
secundo subdit mandatum Christi de lapide submovendo;
third, he adds the objection to taking away the stone;
tertio addit disceptationem de lapidis amotione;
fourth, he states that the order was carried out.
quarto insinuat mandati impletionem.
1543. The stone is described as being over the tomb; he says, it was a cave, and a stone was laid over it.
1543. Lapis autem describitur superpositus monumento; unde dicit erat autem spelunca, et lapis superpositus erat ei.
Note that in those regions they had certain cavities in the form of caves that were used as human burial places, and in them they could bury many bodies over the course of time. So they have an entrance which they could close and open with a stone when necessary. Thus we read, a stone was laid over it, i.e., over the entrance to the cave. We read the same when Abraham purchased a field and a cave for the burial of his wife Sarah (Gen 23:1–20).
Sciendum est enim, quod in partibus illis cavernas quasdam in modum speluncae habent ad hominum sepulturas, ubi possunt plura mortuorum corpora ponere diversis temporibus, et ideo habent foramen quoddam, quod lapide claudunt et aperiunt quando est necesse. Et ideo dicitur hic, quod lapis erat superpositus ei, scilicet ostio speluncae. Simile habetur Gen. XXIII, 1–20, ubi Abraham emit agrum et speluncam ad sepeliendum Saram uxorem suam.
In the mystical sense, the cave signifies the depths of sin, of which it is said: I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me (Ps 69:2). The stone laid upon the cave signifies the law, which was written on stone, and which did not take away sin, but held them in sin, because they sinned more gravely in acting against the law. Thus we read: the Scripture consigned all things to sin (Gal 3:22).
Mystice autem per speluncam intelligitur profunditas peccatorum, de qua habetur in Ps. LXVIII, 3: infixus sum in limo profundi, et non est substantia. Per lapidem superpositum intelligitur lex, quae in lapide scripta est, et peccatum non tollebat, sed tenebat eos in peccato: quia ex hoc gravius peccabant, quod contra legem faciebant; unde dicitur Gal. III, 22: conclusit Scriptura omnia sub peccato.
1544. Then when he says, Jesus said: take away the stone, he gives Christ’s order to remove the stone.
1544. Mandatum Christi de lapide submovendo ponit, dicens ait Iesus, tollite lapidem.
One might ask: since it is a greater thing to raise the dead than to remove a stone, why did not Christ also use his power to remove the stone?
Sed quaeritur, cum maius sit suscitare mortuum quam removere lapidem, quare non etiam simul cum hac virtute lapidem sustulit?
Chrysostom says that this was done in order to secure greater certitude about this miracle, that is, to make them such witnesses to the miracle that they could not, like they did in the case of the blind man, and say that this was not the same person.
Ad quod respondet Chrysostomus, quod hoc factum est ad maiorem certitudinem miraculi, ut scilicet eos testes faciat miraculi, ut non dicant quod in caeco dixerunt: non est hic, qui mortuus fuit.
For the mystical sense, according to Augustine, the removing of the stone signifies the removal of the weight of the legal observances from Christ’s faithful who came into the Church from the gentiles, for some wanted to impose these observances on them. Thus St. James says: for it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things (Acts 15:28); and Peter says in the same work: why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear (Acts 15:10). Concerning this our Lord says, take away the stone, i.e., the burden of the law, and preach grace. Or, the stone signifies those in the Church who live wickedly, and are a scandal to those who would believe, because they hinder their conversion. We read about this stone: lest you dash your foot against a stone (Ps 91:12). This stone our Lord orders removed: remove every obstruction from my people’s way (Isa 57:14).
Mystice, secundum Augustinum, remotio lapidis signat amotionem ponderis legalium observantiarum a fidelibus Christi ex gentibus ad Ecclesiam venientibus, quod eis aliqui imponere volebant. Unde dicit beatus Iacobus, Act. XV, 28: visum est Spiritui Sancto et nobis, nihil ultra imponere vobis oneris. Et Petrus dicit eodem: cur tentatis imponere iugum super cervices discipulorum, quod neque patres nostri, neque nos portare potuimus? De hoc ergo dicit Dominus, tollite lapidem, idest legis pondus, et gratiam praedicate. Vel per lapidem significat eos qui in Ecclesia corrupte vivunt, et offensioni sunt credere volentibus, dum eos a conversione retrahunt; de quo lapide in Ps. XC, 12: ne forte offendas ad lapidem pedem tuum. Qui quidem Dominus praecipit ut removeatur; Is. LVII, 14: auferte offendicula de via populi mei.
1545. Next, we see Martha’s objection.
1545. Disceptatio autem ponitur ex parte Marthae, et
First, we see what she said;
primo ponuntur verba Marthae disceptantis;
second, the words of Christ’s answer.
secundo verba Christi respondentis.
1546. The Evangelist mentions Martha’s words when he says, Martha, the sister of he who was dead, said to him: Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days. As for the literal sense, this happened in order to show the truth of the miracle, as his members were already beginning to corrupt and dissolve.
1546. Verba quidem Marthae ponit dicens dixit ei Martha, soror eius qui mortuus fuerat: Domine, iam foetet, quatriduanus enim est. Quod quidem ad litteram factum est ad ostensionem veritatis miraculi, quasi iam per putrefactionem inciperent membra resolvi.
As for the mystical sense, one who habitually sins is said to smell, that is, the foul odor of his reputation is spread abroad by his sins. For just as good works spread a good odor, as the Apostle says, we are the aroma of Christ to God (2 Cor 2:15), so from evil works there arises an evil odor and a stench. Such a person is aptly described in terms of four days, for he is pressed by the weight of earthly sins and sensual desires, and earth is the last of the four elements: the stench and foul smell of him will rise, because he has acted proudly (Joel 2:20).
Mystice autem de illo qui peccare consuevit iam foetet, scilicet per pessimam famam, cuius odor deterrimus per peccatum consurgit. Nam sicut ex bonis operibus fragrat odor bonus, secundum quod dicit Apostolus II Cor. II, 15: Christi bonus odor sumus Deo, ita ex malis operibus foetor et malus odor evaporat: qui etiam recte quatriduanus dicitur, quasi pressus pondere terrenorum peccatorum et cupiditatum carnalium, terra enim est ultimum de quatuor elementis; Ioel. c. II, 20: ascendet foetor eius, et ascendet putredo eius, quia superbe egit.
1547. Christ answers her, saying, did I not say to you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God? Here our Lord seems to reprove Martha for not remembering what Christ had said to her: he who believes in me, though he die, yet will he live (John 11:25). For Martha was not certain that Christ could raise a person who had been dead four days. Although Christ had recently raised certain dead persons, this seemed impossible to believe of her brother because of the long time he had been dead. And so our Lord said, did I not say to you that, if you believe, you will see the glory of God? That is, the raising of your brother, by which God will be glorified.
1547. Illi autem Christus respondit dicens nonne dixi tibi, quoniam si credideris, videbis gloriam Dei? Ubi Dominus videtur Martham arguere, quod non memor erat eius quod Christus ei dixerat: qui credit in me, etiam si mortuus fuerit, vivet; nam Martha diffidebat an Christus posset resuscitare mortuum quatriduanum. Licet enim aliquos recenter mortuos suscitasset, impossibile tamen hoc de fratre credebat ob dierum diuturnitatem. Et ideo Dominus dixit ei nonne dixi tibi: si credideris, videbis gloriam Dei? Idest suscitationem fratris tui, per quam Deus glorificabitur.
Although our Lord had said to his apostles before that this miracle would be for his glory, saying, that the Son of God may be glorified by it (John 11:4), that is, by means of this death, he now says to Martha that this miracle will be for the glory of God. The reason for this is that the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the same. However, he did not mention the glory of the Son here so as not to excite the Jews who were present and ready to dispute him.
Sed cum supra Dominus hoc miraculum apostolis dixerit futurum ad gloriam suam, inquiens ut glorificetur Filius Dei per eam, scilicet per mortem, hic tamen dicit Marthae hoc miraculum futurum ad gloriam Dei. Et hoc ideo, quia eadem est gloria Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. Ideo autem non expressit hic gloriam Filii, ne turbaret astantes Iudaeos, ad contradictionem promptos.