Likely, this story is familiar to you. Lazarus falling ill and dying; Mary and Martha sending for Jesus’ help; his delaying and later weeping at Lazarus’ tomb; Martha’s confession of faith; and Jesus’ raising of Lazarus and ordering that he be unbound; all is familiar.

There’s rich soil here for our consideration and edification. Yet towards the end there’s a curious twist we may well overlook. It is this act, the act of comforting Mary and Martha, of raising Lazarus and ordering him unbound that finally does it. This is what finally solidifies their decision to arrest Jesus and put him to death.

It is curious; this act of Jesus is a supreme act of love. John makes a point to tell us that Jesus loves Lazarus and his sisters Mary and Martha. While we know that Jesus loves all, it is important to note that these three siblings, along with the disciple whom Jesus loves, are noteworthy in Jesus’ loving affection. So, what Jesus does here in his weeping and in his comforting; in his declaration, “I AM the resurrection and the life;” in his rising up and unbinding is all a supreme act of love. And it’s curious that this act of love is what seals his fate as being the one who will die for the sake of his people…of course, Jesus already knows this is what it means for him to be the Messiah.

Love can be a wonderful thing, comforting and affirming. But love can also be an unsettling thing. It invites vulnerability and growth; growth well beyond what we might experience outside of love. We might think, “of course! We want to be loved!” But love can pose a very real threat to our normal order of things. The Chief Priests and the Pharisees are all too aware of this and so their answer is to kill love. We may be tempted to scold them for this behavior; but love, especially the love of Jesus, invites us to consider how we too may respond to the amazing, grace-filled, abundant love of Jesus in this way and how we might respond to that same love with Martha’s confident, “yes Lord, I believe.”