“As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto Him. Now Jesus was not yet come unto the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him. The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, ‘She goeth unto the grave, to weep there.’ Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, ‘Lord, if Thou hads’t been here my brother had not died.’ When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled; and said, ‘Where have ye laid him?’ They said unto Him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.”
Christ, the Son of God, wept with the mourners. Although He knew He should raise Lazarus from the dead, He shed tears at the sight of human grief.
They came to the grave. It was a sepulchre hewn out of the rock, and a large stone had been rolled against the entrance. Jesus desired that this stone should be rolled away. Then Martha reminded Him that Lazarus had been dead four days. She said this because in hot countries like Judæa bodies decompose rapidly after death. But Christ replied,—“Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”
The stone was removed. Jesus first lifted up His eyes, and prayed, then He cried in a loud voice,—“Lazarus, come forth!”
And the man who had been dead four days came forth, all wrapped in his grave-clothes, and his face bound about with a napkin. Those who stood round and beheld this miracle, were too astounded to approach Lazarus, until Christ said,—“Loose him, and let him go.” St. John adds:—“Many of the Jews which came with Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on Him.”
SOME OF MY LITTLE FRIENDS:
Janey.
The name of my little friend, whose picture you see on the last page, is Janey; and I will tell you how I became acquainted with her.