Lazarus Saturday and Palm Sunday
Saturday, we celebrate a glorious feast day in the Church calendar; Lazarus Saturday.
This is an important feast in the life of the Church and for all Christians because it is the pre-figuration of our Lord’s Holy Resurrection and triumph over death.
“This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Jn 11:4
When Jesus received word from Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus was terribly sick and about to die, He stayed in the place where He was for two more days in order for the people to believe and praise God; knowing that Jesus truly is the Messiah, the Son of the living God!
Moreover, in Jewish tradition it is said that for the first three days of the persons death, the soul remains with the body. However, on the fourth day the person is considered dead!
Thus, in order for the people to comprehend the resurrection and eliminating any confusion or misinterpretation, in regards to the soul re-entering the body, Jesus waited after the four days for this Holy event to take place.
When Jesus arrived He was received by Martha, crying and in a state of hysteria she exclaimed, “What kind of person are you? I sent word to you that my brother was on the brink of death, and you took your sweat causal time to get here! (the equivalent in the Aramaic language) Now what? Look! He is dead! You could have prevented this!
Therefore, Jesus seeing Martha's heartache and the pain of the family, He too was overcome with emotion and wept bitterly. Further taking place, at the grave site of Lazarus, crying sorrowfully in His humanity.
Moreover, it didn’t make the situation easier on everyone due to the fact that Jesus was Mary, Martha and Lazarus' cousin. They grew up together playing in the streets and perhaps annoying the older people with their screaming laughter whilst the oldies where having their afternoon siesta.
Further, such memories would have been going through Jesus' mind as is the case with us when we loose someone who we hold dear to our heart; remembering the fun times and the fond memories we made together.
Thus, for our Lord it would have been that slightly more personal, because in His humanity, He had a much deeper and closer bond with Lazarus than with let's just say Tim three villages away.
Hence, when they arrived at the place where Lazarus was entombed Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Yet Martha replied to the Lord, “But by now there would be a stench, for it has been four day’s he has been dead.” At which Jesus rebuttals, “Did I not say to you that if you believe you would see the glory of God.” Jn 11:39
It is interesting to note that, the stone being rolled out of the way (which sealed the doorway to the tomb) symbolises Christ entering hades; shattering it’s doors and unbinding the shackles in which people had been placed in before God’s great intervention!
“I am the Resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, shall live.” Jn 11:25
* * * * *
Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance from the oil. Jn 12:3
It was the Jewish custom to cover the body of a dead person with oil and spices; thus Mary Magdalen pouring the oil on the Lord’s feet was to prefigure the oil and spices that were going to be used after His Holy death as He stated, “ Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of my burial.” Jn 12:7
When Judas saw Mary using the expensive oil on the feet of Jesus, he was instantly uneasy stating, “why was not this oil sold for 3 hundred denarii and given to the poor?” Jn 12:5
As one of the twelve apostles, it was the role of Judas to oversee the finances and make sure it was used in the proper way.
Judas in his lust for power and money regularly raided the Church accounts as it were. Thus, when he had witnessed the oil being poured on our Lord’s feet, he saw that as his money going down the drain. Hence, in order not to be unmasked, he uses the poor as an excuse as to why he was so perplexed that the oil was used.
Thus, word spread of Lazarus being raised from the dead by Jesus, so as curious beings, people wanted to see Lazarus for themselves and behold He who performed this miracle in particular.
Those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah, cut branches from palm trees and laid them out; creating a path for their hero. (laying out the red carpet)
It is interesting to note that, when the sacrificial lambs where offered to God in the old covenant, vegetation was laid under it. (The laying of Palms under Jesus as the lamb)
Moreover, in the minds of the Jewish people, the Messiah was the one who would liberate them from their enemies; more so the Roman empire which sought to take over and conquer their lands.
Thus, days later it was the same crowd that cried out hosanna which now changed their tune to crucify Him! Why???
When the people learned that Jesus had not come to liberate them in the form they had expected, (to bring war and punishment upon their enemies/ the warrior King) they could not except this! Hence, fuelled by anger, feeling that they had received false hope and being taken for a ride, the people sought to put Jesus to death via fraudulent grounds of blasphemy!
Furthermore, as is written in the exarchal encyclical on faith and as I have re-echoed in past homilies; when we begin to imagine or plan how situations truly are, “we derail from the truth and invent our own reality in accordance to our emotions which are constantly fluctuating!”
Finally, we who wholeheartedly believe in the teachings of the Church which is orthodox and has remained unchanged and uncorrupted for over two thousand years due to apostolicity; let us now lay down the palms of our faith in order to render due honour and worship to the King of glory who comes to render us whole via going to His voluntary passion for us as the blameless lamb who stands before the shearers, who does not open His mouth (Is 53:7) so we may have life in Him who never dies!
Troparion of Lazarus Saturday
Thou didst give a pledge of the general resurrection before Thy Passion, O Christ our God, by raising Lazarus from the dead. Therefore, we too, like the children, carry the symbols of victory and cry to Thee, the Vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the Heights! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Troparion of Palm Sunday
Thou didst give a pledge of the general resurrection before Thy Passion, O Christ our God, by raising Lazarus from the dead. Therefore, we too, like the children, carry the symbols of victory and cry to Thee, the Vanquisher of death: Hosanna in the Heights! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of the Lord.
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