Hari
OM
Story-day is for cultural exploration, puraanas and
parables and finding out about leading lights in spiritual philosophy.
The
Eastern Orthodox church works to a slightly different calendar than the Western
Christian churches. For the Orthodox, today is
celebrated as Lazarus Saturday. It is held up as
important because it was at the raising of the four-days-deceased body of
Lazarus that Jesus was finally and fully declared as being 'the Messiah', and
it precedes the arrival of Jesus into Jerusalem on the back of a young ass. (Palm Sunday.)
Importantly,
in St John ch 11, we read that Jesus foretells his own demise - though the
disciples are slow to pick up on it. When Mary Magdalene sends a message of
distress at the sickness of her brother Lazarus; 4 ...Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is
for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” The
disciples do not want their master to head back into the area of Judea, where
he had already been persecuted. Jesus is determined and Thomas Didymus (he who
later travelled to India) entreats his fellow travellers to obey the master.
On arriving in Bethany, they are greeted by Mary who bemoans the
loss of her brother, due to the delay of the master in coming. However, Jesus
tells her that her brother will live again and when she misunderstands 25 Jesus said to her, “I
am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me
will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by
believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” He goes to the
home of the family and calls upon Lazarus to rise and come out. He does this
knowing that there are visitors from Jerusalem present, and that word will get
back to the authorities. Which of course it does, and the Sanhedrin pharisees
are very concerned that this is the prophesied Messiah come among them. As
Jesus arrives into the city on the ass and to great hosannas of the people, the
priests plot His downfall...