John 11:38

“After the Evangelist has set down certain preambles to the raising, he here consequently deals with the raising itself: concerning which he does four things. First, concerning Christ's arrival at the tomb; second, concerning the removal of the stone, at the words "Now it was a cave" etc.; third, concerning Christ's prayer, at the words "And Jesus, lifting up his eyes, said" etc.; fourth, concerning the raising of the dead man, at the words "When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice: Lazarus, come forth." He says, then, as to the first point: "Jesus therefore again groaning in himself, cometh to the grave." Now the Evangelist carefully and frequently says that he wept and that he groaned, as Chrysostom says, because he was about to show in what followed the power of his divinity. Lest, then, you doubt the truth of his humanity, he asserts of Christ the weaker and humbler things belonging to our nature. And just as John, more expressly than the other Evangelists, shows the divine nature and power, so too he speaks certain weaker things of him, such as that he wept, that he groaned, and the like, which most of all show the affection of human nature in Christ. Mystically, however, he groaned so as to give us to understand that those who rise again from sins ought to persist in continual mourning, according to that word of Psalm 37:7: "I walked sorrowful all the day long." Or it may be said that above he groaned in spirit on account of the death of Lazarus, but here again in himself on account of the unbelief of the Jews. Whence the Evangelist had earlier set down the doubt as to the miracle, of those saying: "Could not he that opened the eyes of the man born blind have caused that this man should not die?" This groaning, indeed, arose from compassion and pity toward the Jews; Matthew 14:14: "Jesus, seeing the multitudes, had compassion on them." Here it deals with the removal of the stone, where he does four things. First he describes the stone; second he adds Christ's command concerning the removal of the stone; third he adds the disputing over the taking away of the stone; fourth he indicates the fulfillment of the command. Now the stone is described as laid upon the tomb; hence he says: "Now it was a cave, and a stone was laid over it." For it should be known that in those parts they have certain caverns in the manner of a cave for the burial of men, where they can place several bodies of the dead at different times, and therefore they have a certain opening, which they close and open with a stone when necessary. And so it is said here that "a stone was laid over it," namely, over the mouth of the cave. A like thing is found in Genesis 23:1-20, where Abraham buys a field and a cave in which to bury Sarah his wife. Mystically, however, by the cave is understood the depth of sins, of which it is said in Psalm 68:3: "I am stuck fast in the mire of the deep, and there is no sure standing." By the stone laid over it is understood the law, which was written on stone and did not take away sin but held them fast in sin: because thereby they sinned the more gravely, in that they acted against the law; whence it is said in Galatians 3:22: "Scripture hath concluded all under sin." He sets down Christ's command concerning the removal of the stone, saying: "Jesus saith: Take away the stone." But it is asked, since it is a greater thing to raise a dead man than to remove a stone, why did he not also, together with this power, take away the stone himself? To this Chrysostom answers that this was done for the greater certainty of the miracle, namely, that he might make them witnesses of the miracle, so that they might not say, as they said concerning the blind man: "This is not he who was dead." Mystically, according to Augustine, the removal of the stone signifies the taking away of the burden of the legal observances from the faithful of Christ coming from the Gentiles to the Church, which certain persons wished to impose upon them. Whence blessed James says, Acts 15:28: "It hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no further burden upon you." And Peter says in the same place: "Why tempt you God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?" Of this, then, the Lord says, "Take away the stone," that is, the burden of the law, and preach grace. Or by the stone he signifies those who live corruptly within the Church and are a stumbling-block to those wishing to believe, in that they hold them back from conversion; of which stone it is said in Psalm 90:12: "Lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone." This stone the Lord commands to be removed; Isaiah 57:14: "Take away the stumblingblocks out of the way of my people." The disputing is set down on the part of Martha, and first are set down the words of Martha disputing; second, the words of Christ answering. The words of Martha he sets down, saying: "Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith to him: Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he is now of four days." This indeed happened literally for the showing forth of the truth of the miracle, as it were, that the members had already begun to be dissolved through putrefaction. Mystically, however, "he stinketh already" refers to one who has been accustomed to sin, namely, through his very evil reputation, whose most vile odor rises up through sin. For just as from good works a good odor gives forth fragrance, according to what the Apostle says in 2 Corinthians 2:15, "We are the good odour of Christ unto God," so from evil works stench and evil odor exhale: and he is rightly called "of four days," as it were pressed down by the weight of earthly sins and carnal desires, for earth is the last of the four elements; Joel 2:20: "His stench shall ascend, and his rottenness shall go up, because he hath done proudly." To her Christ answered, saying: "Said I not to thee, that if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?" Here the Lord seems to reprove Martha, in that she was not mindful of what Christ had said to her: "He that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live"; for Martha doubted whether Christ could raise a dead man of four days. For although he had raised some who had recently died, she nevertheless believed this to be impossible in the case of her brother because of the length of the days. And therefore the Lord said to her: "Said I not to thee: if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God?" That is, the raising of thy brother, through which God will be glorified. But whereas above the Lord had said to the apostles that this miracle would be for his own glory, saying "that the Son of God may be glorified thereby," namely, through the death, here nevertheless he says to Martha that this miracle would be for the glory of God. And this because the glory of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is the same. He did not, however, express here the glory of the Son, lest he disturb the Jews standing about, who were prone to contradiction. There is intimated, moreover, in these words of the Lord a twofold fruit of our faith. The first is the working of miracles, which is owed to faith; Matthew 17:19: "If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say to this mountain: Remove from hence hither, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible to you." Whence also the Apostle says, 1 Corinthians 13:2: "If I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains." And Mark 16:20 says: "But they going forth preached everywhere, the Lord working withal, and confirming the word with signs that followed." This working of miracles, indeed, is for the glory of God: and therefore he says: "if thou believe, thou shalt see the glory of God." The second fruit is the vision of eternal glory, which is owed to faith as its reward; whence he says "thou shalt see the glory of God"; Isaiah 7:9, according to another reading: "If you will not believe, you shall not understand." 1 Corinthians 13:12: "We see now through a glass, in a dark manner," through faith, "but then face to face." The fulfillment of the command he sets down, adding: "They took away the stone therefore." Here it should be considered, according to Origen, that the delay in removing the stone that lay against the tomb was caused by the sister of the dead man. And therefore, for as long as she detained Christ with words, the raising of her brother was delayed; but as soon as, obeying, she carried out Christ's command, her brother was raised. So that by this we may learn to interpose nothing between the commands of Jesus and their execution, if we desire that the effect of salvation should follow immediately; Psalm 17:45: "At the hearing of the ear he hath obeyed me." Here it deals with Christ's prayer, in which he gives thanks: concerning which the Evangelist sets down four things. First he sets down the manner of praying; second, the efficacy of the prayer; third, he excludes the necessity of praying; fourth, he subjoins the utility of the prayer. He sets down the fitting manner of praying, in that "lifting up his eyes," that is, he raised up his understanding, bringing it through prayer to the Father on high. But for us, if we wish to pray after the example of Christ's prayer, it is necessary to lift up the eyes of our mind to him, removing them from present things, from memory, from thoughts, and from intentions. We also lift up our eyes to God when, not trusting in our own merits, we hope from mercy alone, according to that word of Psalm 122:1: "To thee have I lifted up my eyes, who dwellest in heaven," and: "Behold as the eyes of the handmaid are on the hands of her mistress, so are our eyes unto the Lord our God, until he have mercy on us"; Lamentations 3:41: "Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens." He sets down the efficacy of the prayer, when he says: "Father, I give thee thanks that thou hast heard me." In this we have an argument that God is ready to bestow, according to that word of Psalm 10:17: "The Lord hath heard the desire of the poor," so that he hears the desire even before it brings forth words; Isaiah 30:19: "At the voice of thy cry, as soon as he shall hear, he will answer thee"; and 65:24: "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will hear; as they are yet speaking, I will hear." Much more, then, is it fitting to judge concerning the Lord Savior that God the Father, forestalling his prayer, had heard him: for the tears which Christ had shed for the death of Lazarus had the force of a prayer. Moreover, by the fact that at the beginning of the prayer he gives thanks, an example is given to us that when we wish to pray, before we ask for things to come, we should render thanks to God for benefits received; 1 Thessalonians 5:18: "In all things give thanks." Now as to what he says, "that thou hast heard me," if it be expounded of Christ according as he is man, it presents no difficulty: for thus Christ was less than the Father, and according to this it is fitting for him to pray to the Father, and to be heard by him. But if, as Chrysostom would have it, it be expounded of Christ according as he is God, then the word presents a difficulty: for according to this it does not befit him to pray nor to be heard, but rather to hear the prayers of others. And therefore it must be said that one is then heard when his will is fulfilled. Now the will of the Father is always fulfilled, because, as it is said in Psalm 113:3, "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, he hath done." Since, then, the will of the Father and of the Son is the same, whenever the Father fulfills his own will, he fulfills the will of the Son. The Son says, then, according as he is the Word, "that thou hast heard me," that is, thou hast done the things which were in thy Word to be done. For he spoke, and they were made. He excludes, however, the necessity of praying, saying: "And I knew that thou hearest me always" etc. Here the Lord, as it were under a veil, shows his divinity, as if he were to say: in order that my will should be done, I have no need of prayer, because from eternity my will has been fulfilled; Hebrews 5:7: "He was heard for his reverence." For "I knew," namely, with certainty, "that thou hearest me," the Word, "always": because whatsoever thou dost, it is in me that it should be done. Likewise, "me," as man, "thou hearest always," because my will is always in conformity with thy will; "but because of the people who stand about, I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me." In which it is given to understand that he did and said many things for the benefit of others; below, chapter 13:15: "I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also." For every action of Christ is our instruction. Now Christ wished, especially by this working, to show that he was not alien from the Father, but acknowledged him as his own principle: and therefore he adds, "that they may believe that thou hast sent me"; below, 17:3: "This is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent"; Galatians 4:4: "God sent his Son, made of a woman, made under the law." And in this is set down the utility of the prayer. Here it deals with the raising of Lazarus, and concerning this he does three things. First is set down the voice of him raising up; second, the effect of the voice, at the words "And presently he that had been dead came forth"; third, the command concerning the loosing of him who was raised up, at the words "Jesus said to them: Loose him." Now the voice of him raising up is set down as loud, whence he says: "When he had said this," namely Jesus, "he cried with a loud voice": and this literally, in order to destroy the error of the Gentiles and of certain Jews, who said that the souls of the dead dwell in the tombs with their bodies. And therefore he cries out, as it were calling the soul from afar, which was not present in the tomb. Or it may be said, and better, that the voice of Christ is called loud on account of the greatness of his power: for so great was his power that he raised Lazarus, dead four days, from death, just as a sleeper is roused from sleep; Psalm 67:34: "He shall give to his voice the voice of power." This loud voice, moreover, is representative of that great voice which shall be at the common resurrection, by which all shall be raised up from the tombs; Matthew 25:6: "At midnight there was a cry made" etc. He cries out, I say, saying: "Lazarus, come forth." Him he calls by his own proper name, because so great was the power of his voice that all the dead would equally be compelled to come forth, had he not, by the expression of the name, determined his power to one alone, as Augustine says concerning the Word of the Lord. It is also given to be understood by this that Christ calls sinners to come forth from the conversation of sin; Apocalypse 18:4: "Go out from her, my people." Likewise, concerning the hiding of it, that by confession one should manifest the sin itself; Job 30:33 [al. 31:33]: "If as a man I have hid my sin." Consequently, where it says "And presently he that had been dead came forth," the effect of the voice is set down: and first is set down the resurrection of the dead man; second, the disposition of the dead man rising again. Now the resurrection of the dead man was swift at the command of the Lord; whence he says: "And presently he that had been dead came forth." For so great was the power of Christ's voice that it conferred life without delay of time: just as it will be at the common resurrection, when in the twinkling of an eye, the dead hearing the trumpet sound, "the dead who are in Christ shall rise first," as is said in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 [al. 16]. For already there is anticipated the office of Christ, which is said above, 5:25: "The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live." Thus, then, was fulfilled what the Lord had said: "I go, that I may awake him." Now as to the disposition of him rising again, he is said to be "bound," that is, having his hands and feet bound "with winding bands," that is, with bandages, with which the ancients used to wrap the dead, "and his face was bound about with a napkin," lest, namely, it cause horror. He commanded him, therefore, to rise bound and covered, so that the miracle might be the more approved. Consequently, where he says "Loose him, and let him go," he commands that he be loosed. The reason for this is that those who loosed him might themselves be more confident witnesses of the miracle, and might have a more tenacious memory of what had been done. Likewise also, while they touch him and draw near to him, they might see that it is truly he. He therefore adds "and let him go," so as to show that the miracle was not a phantasm. For certain magicians have sometimes seemed to raise the dead, yet they could not bring them to the point of carrying out their former offices: and this was because their raising was only a phantasm, and not true. It should be known, moreover, that this whole passage, "And presently he that had been dead came forth," is expounded mystically by Augustine; and this in two ways, according to a twofold manner of coming forth. For the sinner comes forth when he goes out, by repenting, from the habit of sin to the state of righteousness; 2 Corinthians 6:17: "Go out from among them, and be ye separate." Yet he has his hands bound with winding bands, that is, with carnal desires: because, still established in the body, they cannot be free from troubles, even when rising from sins; whence the Apostle says, Romans 7:25: "I myself, with the mind, serve the law of God; but with the flesh, the law of sin." Now that his face was covered with a napkin signifies that in this life we cannot have full knowledge of God; 1 Corinthians 13:12: "We see now through a glass in a dark manner, but then face to face." And therefore he commands him to be loosed, and to go: because after this life all veils shall be taken away from those rising from sin, so that they may contemplate God face to face, as is said in 1 Corinthians 13:12. For then shall the corruptibility of the body be loosed, which is, as it were, a certain bond binding and weighing down the soul, keeping it from all such full and clear contemplation; Isaiah 52:2: "Loose the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of Sion." So, then, appears one manner of coming forth spiritually, which is set down by Augustine, in the book of the Eighty-Three Questions. The other manner of coming forth is through confession, concerning which it is said, Proverbs 28:13: "He that hideth his sins shall not prosper: but he that shall confess and forsake them shall obtain mercy." For thus to come forth is, by going out from hidden things, to be made manifest through confession; but that you may confess, God does this by voice, that is, by grace, calling with a loud voice. Now the dead man coming forth, still bound, is one confessing while still guilty. But that his sins may be loosed, it is commanded to the ministers that they loose him, and let him go. For him whom Christ inwardly quickens through himself, the disciples loose, because those quickened are absolved through the ministry of priests; Matthew 16:19: "Whatsoever thou shalt loose upon earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven." Now certain persons, pursuing this mystery, say that just as Christ quickened Lazarus through himself, and commanded him, once quickened, to be loosed by the disciples, so God inwardly quickens the soul through grace, remitting the guilt, and absolving from the liability to eternal punishment, but the priests, by the power of the keys, absolve from a part of the temporal punishment. But this position attributes too little to the keys of the Church. For it is proper to the sacraments of the New Law that grace is conferred in them. Now the sacraments consist in the dispensation of the ministers, whence in the sacrament of Penance contrition and confession are held materially, on the part of the one receiving the sacrament; but the causative force of the sacrament is in the absolution of the priest, by the power of the keys, through which he applies, in a certain manner, the effect of the Lord's Passion to him whom he absolves, that he may obtain remission. If, then, the priest were not to absolve except only from punishment, the sacrament of Penance would not be one that confers grace, by which guilt is remitted; and consequently it would not be a sacrament of the New Law. It must therefore be said that just as in the sacrament of Baptism the priest, pronouncing the words and washing outwardly, exhibits the ministry of Baptism, Christ baptizing inwardly, so the priest, outwardly, by the power of the keys, renders the ministry of absolution, Christ remitting the guilt through grace. But this seems to raise a doubt, in that to Baptism there commonly come children, not justified before Baptism, who obtain the grace of remission in Baptism; but to the obtaining of absolution there commonly come adults who have already, beforehand, through contrition, obtained the remission of their sins: so that the following absolution would seem to do nothing toward the remission of sins. But if one considers diligently, taking adults on both sides, an entire likeness will be found. For it happens that some adults, before they actually receive the sacrament of Baptism, having it in desire, obtain the remission of sins, being baptized with the baptism of desire; and yet the Baptism that follows, as far as it is of itself, effects the remission of sins, although in the case of one to whom they have already been remitted this does not take place, but he obtains only an increase of grace. If, however, some adult had not been perfectly disposed, before Baptism, to obtain the remission of sins, in the very act of being baptized he obtains remission by the power of Baptism, unless he places an obstacle to the Holy Spirit through insincerity. And the like must be said in Penance. For if anyone, before the priest's absolution, has been fully contrite, he obtains the remission of sins, in that he has it in his desire to submit himself to the keys of the Church, without which true contrition would not exist. But if beforehand his contrition had not been full enough to be sufficient for remission, in the very absolution he obtains the remission of guilt, unless he places an obstacle to the Holy Spirit. And the like holds in the Eucharist and Extreme Unction, and in the other sacraments.”

“Jesus therefore groaning in himself,.... Not only through grief, just coming up to the grave, where his dear friend lay, but through an holy anger and indignation at the malice and wickedness of the Jews; cometh to the grave of Lazarus, it was a cave; either a natural one, such as were in rocks and mountains, of which sort there were many in Judea, and near Jerusalem being a rocky and mountainous country, of which Josephus (x) makes mention; where thieves and robbers sheltered themselves, and could not easily be come at and where persons in danger fled to for safety, and hid themselves; and the reason why such places were chose to bury in, was because here the bodies were safe from beasts of prey: or this was an artificial cave made out of a rock, in form of one, as was the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea; and it was the common custom of the Jews to make caves and bury in; yea, they were obliged to it by their traditions: thus says Maimonides (y), "he that sells a place to his friend to make in it a grave or that receives from his friend a place to make in it a grave, , "must make a cave", and open in it eight graves, three on one side and three on another, and two over against the entrance "into the cave": the measure of "the cave" is four cubits by six, and every grave is four cubits long, and six hands broad, and seven high; and there is a space between every grave, on the sides a cubit and a half, and between the two in the middle two cubits.'' And elsewhere (z) he observes, that "they dig "caves" in the earth, and make a grave in the side "of the cave", and bury him (the dead) in it.'' And such caves for burying the dead, were at and near the Mount of Olives; and near the same must be this cave where Lazarus was buried; for Bethany was not far from thence: so in the Cippi Hebraici we read (a), that at the bottom of the Mount (of Olives) is a very great "cave", said to be Haggai the prophet's; and in it are many caves.--And near it is the grave of Zachariah the prophet, in a "cave" shut up; and frequent mention is made there of caves in which persons were buried; See Gill on Mat 23:29; perhaps the custom of burying in them might take its rise from the cave of Machpelah, which Abraham, their father, bought for a buryingplace for his dead. The sepulchre of Lazarus is pretended (b) to be shown to travellers to this day, over which is built a chapel of marble, very decent, and comely, and stands close by a church built in honour of Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus, in the place where their house stood; but certain it is, that the grave of Lazarus was out of the town: and a stone lay upon it. Our version is not so accurate, nor so agreeable to the form of graves with the Jews, nor to this of Lazarus's; their graves were not as ours, dug in the earth and open above, so as to have a stone laid over them, for they often were, as this, caves in rocks, either natural, or hewn out of them by art; and there was a door at the side of them, by which there was an entrance into them; and at this door a stone was laid it would be better rendered here, and "a stone was laid to it"; not "upon it", for it had no opening above, but to it, at the side of it; and accordingly the Syriac and Persic versions read, "a stone was laid at the door of it"; and the Arabic version, "and there was a great stone at the door of it", as was at the door of Christ's sepulchre. In the Jewish sepulchres there was "a court" (c) which was before the entrance into the cave; this was four square; it was six cubits long, and six broad; and here the bearers put down the corpse, and from hence it was carried into the cave, at which there was an entrance, sometimes called , "the mouth of the cave" (d); and sometimes, , "the door of the grave" (e); of its form, measure, and place, there is no express mention in the Jewish writings: it is thought to be about a cubit's breadth, and was on the side of the cave; so that at it, it might be looked into; and at the mouth of the cave was a stone put to stop it up, which was called from its being rolled there; though that with which the mouth of the cave was shut up, was not always a stone, nor made of stone; Maimonides (f) says, it was made of stone, or wood, or the like matter; and so in the Misna (g) it is said, , "the covering for a grave", (or that with which it is stopped up,) if it be made of a piece of timber, whether it stands, or whether it inclines to the side, does not defile, but over against the door only;'' See Gill on Mat 27:60. (x) Antiqu. l. 14. c. 15. sect. 5. (y) Hilchot Mecira, c. 21. sect. 6. (z) Hilchot Ebel, c. 4. sect. 4. (a) P. 27, 29. Ed. Hottinger. (b) ltinerar. Bunting. p. 364. (c) Misn. Bava Bathra, c. 6. sect. 8. (d) Misn. ib. (e) Maimon. R. Samson, & Bartenora in Misn. Ohalot, c. 15. sect. 8. (f) In Misn. Ohalot, c. 2. sect. 4. (g) Ib c. 15, sect. 8.”

“It was a cave, etc. - It is likely that several of the Jewish burying-places were made in the sides of rocks; some were probably dug down like a well from the upper surface, and then hollowed under into niches, and a flat stone, laid down upon the top, would serve for a door. Yet, from what the evangelist says, there seems to have been something peculiar in the formation of this tomb. It might have been a natural grotto, or dug in the side of a rock or hill, and the lower part of the door level with the ground, or how could Lazarus have come forth, as he is said to have done, Joh 11:44?”

“Jesus again groaning in himself--that is, as at Joh 11:33, checked or repressed His rising feelings, in the former instance, of sorrow, here of righteous indignation at their unreasonable unbelief; (compare Mar 3:5) [WEBSTER and WILKINSON]. But here, too, struggling emotion was deeper, now that His eye was about to rest on the spot where lay, in the still horrors of death, His "friend." a cave--the cavity, natural or artificial, of a rock. This, with the number of condoling visitors from Jerusalem, and the costly ointment with which Mary afterwards anointed Jesus at Bethany, all go to show that the family was in good circumstances.”