Two Lazarus-es, part 2

I am still studying about this subject. My previous post is Part 1 and you should read it before you read this one.

I recently was pointed in the direction of this article, which makes a case that the rich man in the parable with Lazarus was actually the High Priest Caiaphas. That adds another interesting dimension for me. That fact would contribute to a theory that Jesus was very clearly getting the attention of those who were following Him, both as enemies and friends, while the culmination of His earthly ministry and His true purpose was becoming clear as He walked this earth. It would have been well known that Jesus raised Lazarus of Bethany, Mary and Martha's brother. The religious leaders of the time had no true heart for God or their fellow man (the 2 great commandments) but they would have liked a powerful leader that would overthrow the Roman rule and thus give them more power. Jesus' Kingdom was not one of earthly power, He came to shake things up and show true love, the kind of love that sacrifices for the good of others, unselfish and kind, and puts even lowly beggars as equally beloved by God, as any king or rich man.

Up until now, I actually felt the rich man was pitiable, a tortured soul, who realized the TRUTH too late. I thought he was remorseful, and was actually trying to look out for his brothers by asking for a warning for them. I felt his torment was so great that even the thought of begging for a drop of water on his unimaginably parched tongue seemed a relief. (I can only liken this to a time when I had such a horrible stomach virus and flu, and was not able to eat or drink or keep anything down for 2 days. I was finally able to rouse myself from the sickbed, and found a room-temperature can of diet cola. I had a tiny, tentative drink of it, my thirst was great, but I feared I would not be able to keep even that down. I had been so sick that the little sip of this warm, generic soda was extremely refreshing. I can't fully explain how good it was - but in my head, I see the rich man in search of that kind of small relief.) And as for him asking for Lazarus' help, I'd always thought that might have been his own way of being finally humble - he was asking for help from someone who he didn't even want to acknowledge, let alone be touched by in his former life. With all the OT teachings on clean and unclean people, animals and things, and what to avoid and how to wash - surely a beggar was considered 'dirty.' To ask for Lazarus to so intimately and personally touch his tongue, the way a mother or physician would nurse someone who was ill, well that had to speak of his now helplessly low state. I thought this had showed how the rich man had changed his mind, and regarded Lazarus as a ministering angel of mercy. Now I'm not so sure.

I have since read a few opinions from others that don't give the rich man anything close to a noble intention from his hellish position. One person surmised that the rich man was actually scheming to get Lazarus to come to him that he might trick him and somehow even trade places. Another person thought the rich man continued to show the same selfishness and disdain for Lazarus that he showed him when they were both alive. He asks for Lazarus to fetch him water, and he shows no sorrow or repentance for how he treated him before. Nor does he give any acknowledgment of respect for Lazarus now in his privileged position in Abraham's bosom, from his deflated and tortured position.

Thanks to the folks over at ChristianBoard, who gave me all this to chew on, from here.

I am still focused on Lazarus being the key to all of this and that there is something important about his name and a connection with the other Lazarus, brother of Mary and Martha.


image by Lawrence OP.

A Tale of Two Lazarus-es

The Bible, like our own circle of friends, family and acquaintances, often records people having the same name. At the pre-school where I worked we had three children named Aiden at one time, and a couple of Briannas. The New Testament of the Bible records several Marys. There are at least three other men named Judas in addition to the most notable one who betrayed Jesus. Today I am focused on two men named Lazarus, who were spoken of in the New Testament of the Bible.

One man named Lazarus, along with his two sisters Mary and Martha, were all good friends of Jesus. You can read their remarkable story in John Chapter 11. The other Lazarus is presumably fictional, a beggar character from one of the parables Jesus told. You can read about him in Luke Chapter 16. If you're not familiar with those passages you might take a moment to click on the links and read them, they are not very long.

Up until recently I thought it was unremarkable that these two men shared the same name. After all, that was common throughout the Bible. Then it hit me - one man was from a parable and the other was an actual person among Jesus' followers. I was even more interested to note Jesus told more than 50 parables, yet none but this one record a name. Jesus refers to the parable characters in general descriptive terms. They are called things like 'the unjust judge,' 'the widow' and 'the sower' and a 'certain' woman or man. Even in the parable with Lazarus, the other man is simply called 'the rich man.' I wonder why The Lord gave the beggar in this particular story a name, and what is the significance of that?

The name Lazarus itself means "God's assistance" or "God will help." And God surely did help him. I think Jesus also could have given a name to the parable Lazarus to further stress that the disenfranchised of the world are known and loved by God. As the parable tells, the rich man had his respect, ease and comfort in this world - but in the afterlife he suffered because He did not know and love God or his neighbor. The beggar Lazarus was ignored and despised by the world, yet in the afterlife, he was received with comfort and love.

First of all, this particular parable is not simply a learning tool of analogy, as many of the parables are. Parables such as The Woman and the Lost Coin and The Pearl of Great Price teach us that God's Kingdom is precious and to be highly valued, sought diligently and kept. The parable of the sower and the seed teach us about how people will respond to the Gospel message. This parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man does contain those types of principals but it also contains something prophetic at the end, therefore having a multilayer-ed meaning.

In the parable the rich man asks Father Abraham to send someone to warn his brothers. As Jesus tells it, Father Abraham responds with prophetic words that directly apply to Jesus Himself: If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t listen even if someone rises from the dead. Jesus is the one telling this story-parable and He is, or will be, the one who was raised from the dead, though that had obviously not yet happened at the time He told this story. I think it's quite notable then, that Jesus performed a miracle that raised an actual man named Lazarus from the dead. It's sort of like a double prophecy, isn't it? Just to be even more gracious and drive the point home even more, He sent His own friend, poor, four-days-dead Lazarus - like what the rich man requested the beggar Lazarus be allowed to do - back from the dead. I suppose He did this to further demonstrate to His contemporaries and all those around that He was who He said He was. When Jesus raised Lazarus, it was well known at the time it happened. It was what stirred up Jesus' enemies even more to plot against Him, and it preceded His own death an resurrection by a very short space of time. Could that be the reason for the name? I think there is a strong chance it could be.

I believe there must be some reason why Jesus chose to name the beggar in this parable and hope to continue to study further.

See Part 2 here.


picture from here.

10 Little Goals for the New Year

In no particular order.

1. Master Hula-Hooping and do it almost every day.

2. Read more chapter books aloud with my children.

3. Walk outside more.

4. More Sunday dinners, home-made, in the dining room on the good dishes.

5. Pare down various things in my life and house, to try and have a simpler life. Get rid of excess things.

6. Try to start a small internet and flea market business.

7. Continue in my weight loss and fitness, it'd be cool to lose one full clothing/dress size by the end of the year.

8. Focus on the women's and girl's ministry ideas I have been given.

9. Do art daily - sketch, draw and even paint.

10. Canoe more often.

Funny Friday, vol. 3

The Dream of the 90's is alive in Portland (rated PG)

Article on John Lennon Has Me Thinking About Faith, Art & Life

I took this picture in Strawberry Fields in Central Park last summer.
I did some New Year's cleaning and organizing this past weekend and came across an older issue of the magazine Guideposts. I enjoyed this lovely article about one woman's encounter with John Lennon, and have it here for your enjoyment. My comments follow, so this it a longer entry today.

"

The bicyclist pedaled closer, his face unshaven, his eyes hidden beneath round wire-rimmed glasses. Hair spilled from his wide-brimmed hat. His clothes fluttered in the breeze. "How you doing?" he shouted, waving hello. A hippie, I thought, dismissing him as I walked up the busy street with my family. He coasted past, vanishing down the road. Something about him seemed familiar. A minute later another bicycle raced by: a Japanese woman, with long, curly hair—and an unmistakable face. "That's Yoko Ono," I said to myself. Oh, my…That "hippie" had to be John Lennon. What are they doing here in Karuizawa?

My husband, Stephen, was a minister and we moved to this Japanese mountain town five years earlier, in 1971, to work at the missionary camp his parents managed, a place where people came eager to experience a new world and deepen their faith. But it was hard work raising our three young children, Becky, seven, Peter, five, and Debby, two, on top of the chores that had to be done. I cooked three meals a day for up to 50 people. Nights I set up the coffeehouse we ran.

"Come to the Power and Light Company," read the signs we put up along the machi, the main street in town, inviting the community for free coffee, cake and conversation in English.

Missionaries had been coming to Karuizawa for years to enjoy the cool breezes coming off the evergreen slopes of Mt. Asama, the charming little shops that lined the machi, which sold cherry-wood carvings and kokeshi dolls. The Japanese elite fell in love with Karuizawa too. Emperors, diplomats and entertainers built grand, Victorian-style homes with gorgeous moss gardens. That must be why John is here, I thought. He must own one of those mansions.

I wasn't a Beatles fan. Back in Oregon where I grew up, I adored Pat Boone. Beatlemania shocked me—the moppy hairstyles and the loud, raw rock 'n' roll. "We're more popular than Jesus now," the papers quoted John as saying. I was appalled. How could he be so arrogant? I wasn't surprised disillusioned Beatles fans burned their records in response. Anyway, I decided to put the John and Yoko sighting out of my mind. I'll never see them again, I bet.

That Sunday, as always, missionaries from the different denominations in town packed into Union Church. Midway through the service, I heard murmuring in the back. I strained my neck to see. A man and woman were walking down the aisle, looking for an open seat. You guessed it. John and Yoko. They settled in, but the whispering didn't stop.

"Who is that?" "He's one of the Beatles." "I didn't know they went to church…" The minister cleared his throat, loudly, and everyone went back to listening to his sermon. But I couldn't focus. What was John doing in our church?

Later that week Peter and Debby played in the sandbox in our yard. I sat in a lawn chair, keeping an eye on them while some people from the church were visiting. I just wanted to relax before I had to bake the cakes for the coffee shop. Suddenly two bicycles slowed down at our house and pedaled into our yard. It was them! Their son, Sean, was sitting in a child's seat attached to John's handlebars. Stunned, I got up and walked toward them. What do I say to the most famous Beatle of all? "I saw your signs on the machi and thought they were clever," John said, breaking the silence. "I was telling Yoko here that we needed to see what it was all about." The camp volunteers saw who'd showed up and quickly began gathering. "What are you doing in town?" I managed to ask.

"We're staying at a cabin owned by Yoko's family," he told me. It was crazy. John Lennon, coming here because he saw our sign?

One woman pushed in front. She had a reputation for being blunt. "I read about your divorce—how could you leave your first marriage?" she asked. "What are you doing now that the Beatles have broken up?" Everyone crowded closer. I expected John and his family to turn around and pedal away as fast as they could.

But John just smiled. "Right now I am putting my music on hold to spend time with my wife and son," he said. The woman didn't seem quite satisfied.

"Do you belong to a church?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. "I'm C. of E."

A worried look came across the woman's face. "The See…what?"

John laughed playfully. "The Church of England. Haven't you heard of them?"

More questions came, and he listened to each, answering kindly and politely. He didn't contradict anyone in any way. One of the most famous people in the world—notorious even, to some—in our humble yard, being scrutinized by people he didn't know, and taking it all in stride. Even I had to admit, I was surprised by his patience.

"How could you say those things about being bigger than Jesus?" someone asked. I had wondered that same thing myself.

John shook his head. "When we talk to reporters, we play around with them," he said. "We're just a music group. Don't people know that Jesus is far greater than we are?" Finally, the crowd seemed satisfied. Maybe he wasn't just some arrogant rock star.

Just then there was a commotion in the sandbox. Debby had hit Peter with a plastic shovel. I knelt down to placate the two of them.

"How old are your kids?" John asked.

"Debby's two and Peter is five."

"Sean's about the same age as your little girl, but he's so quiet and shy. Maybe he could benefit from playing with a girl like that." I looked at Sean as John reached down and gently ruffled his hair. In that moment, John didn't seem like a hippie anymore—he seemed like any other concerned dad.

We talked a little more about our kids. Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and he, Yoko and Sean prepared to pedal off on their bikes. "It's good to talk to all of you," John said. "I've been looking for something this summer, something spiritual," he continued. "I've been speaking with a lot of the missionaries I've met here, about life and what it all means. Thank you for your words." He waved goodbye—and I waved back as they rode off, little Sean perched on his daddy's handlebars.

I had made all sorts of assumptions about John Lennon—that he was arrogant, disrespectful, antireligious, a rebellious hippie. But the man I met was none of those things. In fact, he was modest and self-effacing. Not like my idea of a rock star at all!

I never did speak to John again. But I hope we helped him that summer. He certainly helped me. He reminded me of why I had come to Japan in the first place. To welcome people—not to judge them. And to grow in my understanding of the world.

"

I liked that this article sort of set the record straight regarding much of the demonetization the conservative Christian Church in the USA has regarding that old statement John Lennon made about being "bigger than Jesus." You may also recall Lennon was in the news again recently in December regarding lost interview tapes and the anniversary of his death. I heard a snippet or two of that old interview in the news while the story made the rounds, and it struck me at how much his family values were aligned with mine, though we are so very different. He was weathering criticism for wanting to take a break and raise his youngest son, and his commitment to his spouse, and those types of choices, etc. I find this particularly compelling being at a similar point in my life, albeit much less talented, and with different struggles and situations. I am am concerned with my own things as an artist in 40th decade of my life. I was a productive artist once, and I was an artist before I was a wife and mother, and before my family went through it's tragedy*. Now I am trying to be all the things I want to be and am called to be, as a child of God. It's good to know others have been on this path before and made it work, and it's good to be reminded that my time among the living could be up at any time. There are things I'd like to accomplish, and at least, leave this world with a little more done than I am currently doing.

Anyway, enjoy.

On The Lighter Side...

Who can come up with a caption for this photo?


So, Big Daddy caught up on my blog tonight and let me know things have been a little on the gloomy side around here. I went back and by golly, he's right - those holidays can be tough for me. So I resolve to balance my blue with some sunshine and fun.

A Misty Morning - journal entry

This morning I awoke to a wet mist. A definite smell of salt, ocean and mangroves invaded my nostrils, and filled the air with a tangible dampness. Reminding me of something old and familiar, yet undefinable: a goodness I associate with being at or near the ocean. I am blessed to be where I am, on a little island. I realized that I had not been outside for a substantial amount of time in a few days. That old enemy, depression, was lurking about and I'd better do my best to make myself inhospitable to him. I need some Sonlight in my soul, I must read the Word, and I need sunlight by going for a walk.