A upon their foreheads, do not touch." Behold the sign of the Old and of the New [Testament]; for it is the Cross itself which saves the world, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom be glory and power, now and always, and for ages of ages. Amen.
ORATION III.
On the Four-Day-Old Lazarus.
I. Bring forth again into the midst the evangelist John; for it is good to consider the firstfruits of the resurrection. For you heard him just now saying: "Six days before the Passover, B Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead." Do you see the firstfruits of the resurrection prefigured in Lazarus, which the faithful people recognized? The crowds recognized it, and the high priests reviled it, turning the miracle into an occasion for envy. Truly they envied the raised Lazarus, since after his resurrection, which you heard of, they took counsel to kill him. Do you see the excess of envy? Whom the Lord had raised, they thought to kill, not realizing that even if they should kill him, C it would be easy for the Lord to raise up his friend again. They took counsel to kill Lazarus. Nothing so stung the Jews as the resurrection of Lazarus. This one miracle they were unable to slander. The illumination of the man blind from birth they had slandered, saying: "This is he"—"No, he is not, he is like him." They had slandered the raising of the daughter of Jairus, saying that she had been overcome by a deeper sleep, and had not been given over to a total death. They had slandered D the resurrection of the only son of the widow, saying that he had feigned death, and had not been swallowed up by the tyranny of death. They had slandered the withered fig tree, saying that it had withered as if cut, and not dried up by the Dominical command. They had cast slander upon the changing of water into wine, saying that it was already a matter for those intoxicated at a banquet, who did not perceive the mockery. Only the resurrection of Lazarus they could not manage to slander. They saw Lazarus himself: the man was prominent; they had been companions to the funeral procession; they had seen the tomb sealed; they had comforted according to custom, as at a funeral rite and banquet for the dead. They had comforted Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus. They knew he had been there for three days, accurately placed in the monument, and that he was a four-day-old corpse, his limbs dissolved on every side, his flesh diminished, the binding of his sinews torn apart, his entrails scattered, his abdomen poured out. Having been witnesses to these things, as they saw the resurrection of Lazarus suddenly sound, whole, shining as if from a lathe, [possessing] an entirely youthful, vigorous, and radiant appearance, they were disturbed. They came near to breathing their last, not finding pretexts,
how they might calumniate the resurrection of Lazarus, since the work of Christ brought this about. B
II. But what is this art of the Lord that prepared this? Hear it in a few words. When Lazarus naturally put off the present life, the Lord was not present in Bethany with bodily eyes, though He was present everywhere by means of His divinity, and filling all things. For after four days from the burial of Lazarus, Jesus came to Bethany to bring the resurrection of His friend onto the stage. Whence, when He had arrived in Bethany and Martha, the sister of Lazarus, heard of it, she ran, hastened, and fell down in supplication, offering a petition in the manner of a heretic. C For she spoke rashly to the Lord, saying: "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." The Lord Himself, being an ocean of long-suffering, answered, saying: "What are you saying, Martha? You call Him Lord, and yet you do not recognize the Lord? Was I not here? Wait a little; for you shall soon learn from your brother. For your brother will rise again. I forgive you, Martha; for you are drunk with grief. As if He had said to her: 'He who is drunk wanders from what is good; when you are sobered, then you will be wise. For your brother will rise again.'" But Martha, having conducted herself thus with human words, answered the Lord, saying: "I know that he will rise again in the last day." The Lord said to her: "Why are you alarmed, Martha? Why do you defer the resurrection to distant hopes? The Resurrection is speaking to you, and do you argue about the resurrection? I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." D
III. While the Lord was conversing in these terms, the whole city of Bethany almost ran together at the Lord’s arrival, not to marvel, but to laugh. For they had no hope that a man four days dead could rise. What, then, did the Lord do? As He saw such a multitude run together, and that they were worthy ones to whom faith might be held, and suitable so that by the raising they might bear witness to Him, He answered them and said: "Where have you laid Lazarus?" Was the Lord of the place ignorant of the place? He knew the place, but He arranged the method so that all, being compelled, might follow Jesus, in order that, having witnessed the resurrection with their own eyes, they might become heralds beyond all doubt. "Where have you laid him?" And they who had been asked said to Him: "Come and see." And as Jesus was walking and hastening to the tomb, the crowd that followed behind pondered among themselves, saying: "Why does this man wish to see the tomb of Lazarus?"
A If He is the Son of God, He will raise him. For we do not know about those recently dead whom He raised. Whence then shall we know? If they were truly dead, He will raise this man, and we shall gain the knowledge that He is truly the Son of God. Whence also Martha, yielding herself to such words, approached the Lord, saying to Him: "Where are You going, Master? Why do You wish to see the tomb of Lazarus? Why do You stir up our pain? Why do You awaken our mourning? Why do You wish to see the tomb? You will gain nothing from it, Master; he is already stinking, for he has been dead four days." But the Lord said to Martha: "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" Are you telling Me, "He is already stinking"? Your sister anoints Him with ointment, and you yourself become darkened by unbelief? I wish to see the tomb of My friend.
B IV. Having said these things, the Lord proceeded to the tomb, and as He approached the tomb, C as soon as He saw the monument, He immediately wept. What was the need for Him to weep, He who was about to raise him? The Lord wept, seeing that He managed all things wisely. For He wept at the tomb so that He might make public the opinion that those who accompanied Him held concerning Him. Whence also, when the crowds who were following saw Him weeping, again suffering in a human way, they began to dispute among themselves and say: "See how He loved him! Could He who raised the dead and gave sight to the blind not have caused that this man also should not die, if indeed He loved him so?" But the Lord, as He saw them still speaking in a human way, answered them: "It was a light thing for Me to keep the life of Lazarus, just as with Elijah and Enoch, but none of you would have known that by My will the life of Lazarus was preserved. For this reason, I allowed him to be swallowed up by death, so that you might learn accurately that I have power over life and death." And immediately the Lord said to them, as you all know clearly: "Roll away the stone." See how He managed all things wisely, establishing them as accurate witnesses of the resurrection of Lazarus. "Roll away the stone." He permitted the disciples to move mountains by a word, and yet He would not roll away the stone Himself? But, as I said, managing all things wisely toward a useful end, He said to the Jews: "Roll away the stone," so that from the very odor of the bier they might learn that he had putrefied and had not been stolen. "Roll away the stone." And when they, murmuring, had rolled it away (for the foul odor of the corpse bit at them); when those present had rolled away the stone, the Lord immediately cried out, saying: "Lazarus, come forth." It is the Master who calls: let no one contradict. "Lazarus, come forth; give assurance to your sister Martha that I command, and do not entreat. Lazarus, come forth." Before I descend, run through and declare within yourself the pledge; in Me, however, is that which is perfect. "Lazarus, come forth."
D ...in that sweet exchange of the proposal alone. Therefore, before I seek the underworld death, be a herald to men; of your own resurrection as firstfruits, and of my own as one perfected; indeed, as his.
A But do not think that the Lord uttered many voices. He spoke once, and him who He had fashioned, He raised. For He did not weep as Elijah did, nor did He hesitate as Elisha did. With a monosyllabic voice He awakened him who was sleeping near Him, saying, "Lazarus, come forth." The word was one, but the miracles were diverse. The Lord merely called out, "Lazarus, come forth," and immediately the flesh was replenished, the hair grew back, the joints were reconnected, the veins were refilled with pure blood. The underworld, struck from beneath, sent Lazarus forth. The soul of Lazarus, being held in custody and entreated by the holy angels, was fused back into its own rightful place. B And the most glorious thing of all was that, although he was bound hands and feet and on his face with burial wrappings, he walked without hindrance. Therefore, the Lord commanded the crowds present more forcefully, saying, "Unbind him, and let him go." Behold the Lord's stewardship, and how He orders all things wisely. For the assurance of those present, He said, "Unbind him, and let him go," just as you rolled away the stone, and pointed out the tomb, and perceived the stench, and unbound the grave-clothes—the one, keeping them as a blessing; the other, keeping them as witnesses. If the chief priests and the Pharisees, being incredulous, claim that Lazarus did not rise, show them the grave-clothes; exhibit the burial cloths as the paralytic exhibited his mat. But we, carrying the palm branches, let us say: "Hosanna in the highest; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." To Him be the glory and the power, with the all-holy and life-giving Spirit, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.