372. Monday after Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity.
Jesus, thou Lord of life, give us
the grace to believe in thee,
and to love thee. Amen.
John 11, 1-13. Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. (It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.) Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was. Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judæa again. His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him. These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.
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“Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” These are beautiful words; words expressive of pain, but still more of hope and trust. In this manner we also should speak to the Lord concerning our dear ones who are sick. Tell him your fears and troubles with genuine trust in his power and mercy. “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” This was all the message which they sent; having done which they had placed all their trouble on him. — “This sickness is not unto death.” This was the glorious reply which Jesus made; and these words also apply to all the diseases of all the friends of Jesus. — In the meantime Lazarus died, nevertheless. What must they then have thought of Jesus? What doubts must have crossed one another in their minds, do you think? Because Jesus loved them he waited two days, that Lazarus might die and be buried. He loves us; and therefore he allows us to be tortured with gloomy thoughts, to suffer, and to die; yet his purpose in all things is to give us life and salvation. “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth,” says Jesus. A black woman who had received the gift of faith was asked, if she had seen Missionary Kitchen recently; and she answered: “The fever attacked him; he said, ‘I go to God’; and he fell asleep.” “O, is Kitchen dead?” “Dead, sir? No; Father Kitchen cannot die. He fell asleep; and he sleeps until the voice of the Son of God wakes him. Mister Kitchen does not die, but he sleeps.” This is the echo of the words of Jesus: “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.” Now that Lazarus lay in the grave, it was the “day” for Jesus to go again into Judæa.
Dear reader; shall we not love him? If you do, no sickness which you have is unto death, but unto the honor of God and his Son. He shall try you with afflictions, and remain away from you longer than seems right to you; nay, he may let you wither and die; but he does this, in order that everything in you which is of sin and death may be destroyed. He shall have no difficulty in awakening you; and you shall rise again in perfect health. Let us only be able to say of you with truth: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick!”
Lord Jesus, I know that thou lovest us all with an ardent desire to save us. Give me, then, grace to love thee, that thou mayest say of me: “My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” Come into our hearts and houses, thou Lord of life, that when we or our loved ones are sick, we may say to thee: “Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.” And let us then hear thy answer: “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.” Amen.*
A slumber I know, in Jesus’ name,
A rest from all toil and sorrow;
Earth tenderly takes my weary frame,
To sleep till the blissful morrow;
In heaven my soul with God abides,
Forgotten are cares and trials.
O Savior, when darkens life’s last day,
And death in his bonds me keepeth,
Come unto my bed, in mercy say:
The child is not dead, but sleepeth.
Then grant me thy grace, that I arise
To praise thee in life eternal.
[TLH 592, ELH 525; listen here]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.