Bethany signifies “Place of Tears” – the name of a small village about two miles from Jerusalem, where Jesus’ dear friends, Lazarus and his two sisters, Martha and Mary resided. It was here, at the tomb of Lazarus, where it is first recorded in the Gospel of John that “Jesus wept.” In a deep sense, our world, our nation, and all of us as partners in prayer at this time, have arrived at our “Bethany” – our “place of tears” – as we contemplate the outer appearances of death and loss. We know the Bible story of how Jesus’ visit to Bethany preceded His entry into Jerusalem, which we call “Palm Sunday.”
We want to remember together that even when all seemed lost, Lazarus – the vibrant youth that is the eternal nature of the true Self — was restored to life and that the youth then accompanied Jesus and His other followers into the gates of the City on that happy day. We know that the story unfolds to include the Lord’s Supper, the Trial, the Crucifixion, and the Resurrection. Just as we’ve been advised that we are going through a very trying time right now, we are learning together how to come through our “Bethany” to a realization of “Hosanna!”
Responsive Reading for Sunday, April 5
Jesus entered the village of Bethany, “where a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him. She had a sister named Mary [who] sat beside the Lord at his feet, listening to him speak. Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving. Tell her to help me.’ The Lord said to her in reply, ‘Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her” (Luke 10:38-42).
“I have an open heart, one thing I need.
I have chosen the better part, it shall not be taken from me.”
“Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles away. And many [people] had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them about their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him, but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died . . . .’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life . . . . Do you believe this?’ . . . When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary secretly, saying, ‘The teacher is here and is asking for you’” (John 11:28).
“The Teacher is here and calling for me. Here in the Presence,
when the student is ready, the Teacher appears.”
“When Jesus saw her weeping . . . he became perturbed and deeply troubled, and said ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Sir, come and see.’ And Jesus wept . . . . So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave and a stone lay across it. Jesus said, ‘take away the stone.’ . . . So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me.’ And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, ‘Untie him and let him go’” (John 11:33-44).
“I believe in everlasting Life. ‘Father, I thank You for hearing me.
I know that you always hear me.’”
“Six days before Passover Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served, while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him. Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil made from genuine aromatic nard and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them wither hair; the house was filled with the fragrance . . .” (John 12:1-3).
“At the feet of the Master, my alabaster heart
overflows with the sweetest devotion,
filling the house with the fragrance from my alabaster heart.”
Palm Sunday: The “large crowd . . . found out that he was there and came not only because of Jesus, but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead” (John 12:9)