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Commentaries
English
John
  
1Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.2It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.3So the sisters sent to him, saying, "Lord, he whom you love is ill."


During Christ’s preaching in the region of Jordan, a man called Lazarus fell ill. He belonged to a village on the Mount of Olives. Jesus had often been a guest at his house. Christ’s talk with Martha, Lazarus’ sister, is famous. John does not recount those events, since they are found in another gospel. He does, however, tell us of Mary who poured out a jar of ointment on Jesus’ feet. The evangelist mentions this mystic woman hungry for the Lord’s words. After she had anointed his feet with oil she wiped them with her hair (John 12:1–8). She demonstrated her humility, faith and love for God’s Son.
The news of Lazarus’ illness made Jesus sad. However, the sisters’ faith drew him to join them. They did not beg Jesus to come speedily to heal his friend, but simply sent him news about his condition, confident that he would heal from a distance. They felt sure that Jesus’ affection for Lazarus would move him to act. "Lazarus" means "God has helped". So this name became a motto for the last miracle mentioned in John.