Bethany

BETHANY

By Jordan, at the place where baptism
By John, once called the Baptist, had performed
His chosen task, the Lamb of God did stay
Along with His disciples, He that had
His ministry unto the multitudes
Performed to bring relief and salvation
To many, now was given urgent word
Concerning Lazarus, the brother of
Mary and Martha, who was sick and close
To death. Upon his hearing this message,
The Lamb of God, to his disciples, said:
“This sickness will not end in death. No, for
It is for the glory of God so that
The Son of God may glorified be through it.”
Great was the love that He, the Lamb of God
Did hold within His heart for Lazarus
And his two sisters, Mary and Martha
Yet chose He, upon hearing the grave news
Did stay awhile by Jordan’s waters for
Two days further, for reasons which we do
Not know, save for insight divine within
The mind of Him who sees and knows all that
Takes place and all the circumstances which
Surround such events. Not in mortal mind
Can such knowledge its comprehension find.
This time elapsed, declared the Lamb of God
Unto his disciples: “Let us go back
Unto Judea.” The minds of them who were
With Him now troubled were and in dire strait
Of confusion and fear, for they knew not
The mind and purpose of the Lamb of God,
But limited were they in their own thought
And reason. Therefore in their minds disturbed,
Said they unto Him: “Rabbi, but a short
While ago, the Jews had tried to stone you,
Why venture therefore back to that same place?”
The Lamb of God, on hearing their protest,
Did speak as one whose mystic vision bright
Did hope to enlighten their darkened minds.
And He said unto them: “Are there not twelve
Hours of the light of day? A man who walks
By day will stumble not. For he sees by
The light of this world. Only it is when
He walks by night that he will stumble, for
No light has he.” Yet furthermore He said
To them: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen
Asleep; but I am going there to wake
Him up.” With minds still dark, His disciples
Said unto Him: “Lord, if he sleeps, then he
Will better be.” Yet unbeknown to them,
The Lamb of God, superior in mind
And thought, had spoken of his death, whereas
Repose of body, to their minds most dull
Occurred to them. Then plainly did the Lamb
Of God, to bring the true light to their minds
Most dark, speak to them: “Lazarus is dead,
And for your sake, I am glad that I was
Not there, so that you may believe. But let
Us go to him.” The disciple Thomas,
(Called Didymus) unto the rest of the
Disciples said: “Let’s also go, that we
May die with Him.” Did thought of martyrdom
Or some vainglory enter into this
Misguided train of thought, or had he thoughts
Of finally being rid of his calling
To be a disciple, or did a thought
Of resignation to his fate compound
His mindset? We shall never know just why
He spoke those words, but by his following
The Lamb of God would he see finally
Purpose divine to take away the scales
Which blinded him and all the others who
To human thought and reason were entrapped.
Arriving now at Bethany, the Lamb
Of God was told that Lazarus entombed
For four days was, and thoughts of death were in
The minds of those already there who had
To Mary and Martha come now to bring
Solace and comfort in their grievous loss.
O Bethany, sweet Bethany, so close
Unto your city great, Jerusalem
Wherein dwells Yahweh, within and without
Its walls. Could not the power of Yahweh come
To your aid from that great city? Could not
The Lamb of God come more swiftly to bring
Deliverance from death and Sheol’s grip?
Now did one of the sisters come to Him,
Martha, while Mary stayed at home. So spake
Martha unto the Lamb of God: “Lord, if
You had been here, my brother would have not
Death seen. But even now I know that God
Will give you whatever you ask of Him.”
With look of love that touched her heart, the Lamb
Of God said: “Your brother will rise again.”
To His assurance, Martha did reply:
“I know that he will rise again in the
Resurrection at the last day.” To which
The Lamb of God, with foreknowledge, replied:
“I am the resurrection and the life.
Anyone who believes in me will live,
Even though death comes, and anyone who
Lives, and believes in me, will never die.
Do you believe this?” asked the Lamb of God,
As if to search her heart and mind, to which
Martha did say: “Yes Lord, I believe that
You are the Christ, the Son of God, who was
To come into the world.” With that she went
Back to her sister Mary and did call
Her to one side, and spoke these words to her:
“The Teacher is here, and he asks for you.”
With haste Mary got up and with great speed
Ran unto Him, though he remained outside
The village where Martha had met him. Now
The Jews, in their mistaken thought, did think
As Mary had so suddenly taken flight,
To follow her, as it occurred to them
That now was time for her to go unto
The tomb, to mourn her brother once again.
Yet Mary, unbeknown to her had sped
Unto the resurrection and the life
Who stood before her. Falling at his feet,
She said, echoing Martha’s very words:
“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would
Not have died.” she said, through her vale of tears.
The resurrection and the life was moved
By her pure grief and that of those who had
Followed her. Moved deeply and troubled was He in His spirit, Asked He of them: “Where
Have you laid him?” They replied: “Come and see.”
The Lamb of God, now following beheld
The tomb that blocked the light of day from him
In whose depths now incarcerated lay
In Sheol’s depths, awaiting for that day
When resurrection finally shall rend
Its gates and life in Paradise shall call
Those who, with Lazarus, to ascend to
Eternal joys and peace and happiness.
O Sheol, would you but know now that you
Will cheated be of your prize, for without
Your gates now stands the one who will remove
The prisoner confined within the tomb!
But now the Lamb of God, in sombre state
With heart flowing with love let fall a tear
Of gold; yet further tears, like diamonds
And pearls of great price, worthy of a king,
Fall at his feet, and sighs, and weeping sounds
Make their ascendance to the Throne of Grace
In soft petition asking for new life
To be conferred to one now four days dead
So that the resurrection and the life
Will glorify Yahweh who sits upon
That same throne. How that sight so moved those who
Were gathered there, they said among themselves:
“See how he loved him!” Yet cynical were
Some of them who questioned the miracles
Performed in earlier times, for thus they said:
“Could not he, who opened the blind man’s eyes
Have kept this man from dying?” Faithless brood!
You have been blessed with eyes, yet you cannot
See beyond your own thoughts so cynical.
Those who claim to see things by their own eyes
Are spiritually blind, incapable
Of higher thought and words and perception
And will remain, until they humbly come
To faith with penitence and receive from
The Lamb of God true wisdom and insight
And countless treasures from the Throne of Grace!
Closer and closer came the Lamb of God
Unto the tomb, a rough hewn cave and sealed
By a great stone laid there, an obstacle
Which might hope to defy anyone who
Would dare to expose its dark secrets bare.
The Lamb of God, in surety of mind
And purpose, called out: “Take away the stone!”
Great murmurings now heard at such a thing
Could be demanded, for the stench of death
To their disgust would fill the air, such was
The lack of faith displayed. And Martha said:
“But Lord, there will a bad odour be, for
My brother has been dead these past four days.”
In gentle chide, the Lamb of God replied:
“Did I not tell you that if you believed,
You would see the glory of God?” The stone
Was thus removed, and, looking up to Heaven,
The Lamb of God, unto the Throne of Grace,
Prayed forth these words: “Father, I thank you that
You have heard me. I knew that you always
Hear me, but I said this to benefit
The people standing here, so that they may
Believe that you sent me.” When He had said
These words, the Lamb of God, expectantly
Called in a loud voice: “Lazarus, come forth!”
A deadly hush befell the gazing crowd
As they, not knowing what would happen next,
Looked at the open tomb, quaking with fear
At what a sight, an apparition, would
Befall their eyes. In swift obedience
The gates of Sheol opened up to let
Its captive soul go free, mourning its loss
And powerlessness to hold but for a time
Its third and final captive prisoner
Until that time when, lifted up on high,
The Lamb of God would pay the price of sin
And Sheol’s gates would be made powerless
And rendered for eternity, no more
To hold within its iron grip those souls
Who had from ages past been held within.
The blackness of the cave was pierced by form
That was bound up by dull grey strips of cloth
And face covered, yet staggering from the cave
Came Lazarus, no stench of death was there
Nor was there any fear of touching that
Which was deemed dead; uncleanness brought to naught.
The shock of such a sight did shake the ground;
Screams of fear mixed with those of sheer delight
Amid gasps of amazement, for never had
The people gathered there seen such a sight.
The Lamb of God called out to those nearby:
“Take off the grave clothes and then let him go.”
Such was the sight that had befallen those
Who came to visit Mary and Martha
That many of them put their faith in Him,
But some of them, so unconvinced by what
They saw, went to the Pharisees to state
What they had seen, hardness of heart still reigned.