THE DEATH OF LAZARUS
An illness had fallen on Lazarus. By his bedside sat Mary. The
curtains were drawn, and a lamp burned on a table near by. Bending
over the couch Mary called softly, "Lazarus! Lazarus!" She
straightened up and looked down at the body of her brother with grave
concern. "Three days," she said to herself, "hath his groaning fallen
heavily on my heart. Now doth the silence fall with heavier weight.
Yet doth the skill of the physician avail not." Stepping to the door
she called Martha. "Through the night I have been with him," she said
to her sister as she came in, "and have done as the physician directed.
Yet even before the midnight cock-crowing did he moan until tears wet
my eyes for his much suffering. With bath and soothing words did I
minister to him until the morning cometh, and sleep. But it is not
good sleep."
Hastening to the couch, Martha bent over, calling anxiously, "Lazarus!"
There was no reply. "I like not this sleep. It is too heavy--too
heavy. Rub thou his hands while I summon the physician."
"Aye, but, Martha, three days hath the physician poured potions between
the lips of our brother to no avail. Let us despatch a swift messenger
for him we love, who hath more healing in his voice and touch than have
all the physicians in Jerusalem. Beside the couch of Lazarus hath my
heart cried for Jesus."
"Aye, so doth my heart cry out for Jesus. Yet hath he taken a far
pilgrimage to Peraea. The physicians of Israel were good enough for
our father and mother."
"Even so. Yet rest their bones in the tombs of their fathers! Is this
good enough for our brother Lazarus?"
"Thou dost alarm my heart. With speed will I summon the physician."
"And send thou to me the servant."
Quickly on Martha's departure Eli came into the sick chamber. "With
haste lend thine hand to help awaken thy master Lazarus," Mary said.
"Rub thou his feet diligently while I rub his hands." After a few
moments of effort which brought no response, Mary gave fresh orders.
"He doth not awaken. Take thou the rue and the pennag and make a brew
over the coals. Bring it steaming! Hasten."
"Doth our brother awake?" Martha asked, reentering the room. "Nay? A
messenger is well on his way with a command of haste and the promise of
thrice his fee if the physician is swift."
"Thou art wise. The promise of gold putteth wings on slow heels. But,
Martha, my sister, would that the servant, Eli, had wings and were
flying toward Peraea. Through the night as I did watch beside my
brother, I did think of the many suffering ones the Master hath healed.
And not one of them all did he love as he loveth our brother."
"Aye, he loveth Lazarus. And if death crosses our threshold will it
not be as if death entered his own abode?"
"Lazarus--oh, my brother--wouldst thou lie so silent if the Master
called thy name?" Mary pleaded, bending over the couch. Then to Martha
she said, "The minutes pass like aged oxen turning rocky soil."
"The physician will not be long coming. With haste must I set the
house in order." And Martha hung several garments on hooks in the
wall, smoothed the couch covers, straightened the cups and bowls on the
table, blew out the lamp and pulled back the curtains. Looking out the
window she gave a short cry, exclaiming, "The sky is red--red as if a
great veil had been dipped in blood and hung across the sun. Such a
sight in the morning is an evil sign," and her face showed fear.
"I put not faith in signs," Mary replied.
"Since the beginning hath Israel been warned by signs and dreams," and
Martha shook her head in sadness.
"Signs take neither the living nor bring back the dead. Hand me the
pot of herbs and help me here," and Mary turned to the couch.
"Doth he swallow?" Martha inquired anxiously as she held her brother's
head while Mary tried to administer the dose.
"Nay."
"As well. There is no virtue in it. He hath swallowed a water pot
full already. Evil is about. The sky is red."
While the sisters stood about the bed the physician, garbed in a long
coat of brown and striped turban, hurried in with an air of importance.
He was followed by a servant carrying a bundle of herbs, some green
sprigs and several cruises of oil. "What evil thing hath befallen thy
brother since yesternoon?" he asked, going to the couch.
"A strange sleep hath fallen upon him."
The physician turned back his patient's eyelids and looked carefully.
"Evil spirits are about," he announced. "When the medicine I did leave
yesterday drove from his veins the devils of fire, then did demons of
sleep rush in. So doth he sleep."
"Canst thou awaken him?" Mary asked.
"By my rare skill I can. Pour out thine oil," this to the servant,
"and set forth the herbs. Mix thou a bitter potion and I will
administer a prayer." From a wallet the physician took a small paper
which he rolled into a pill between the palms of his hands. The pill
he dipped in a bowl. "This is to dispel evil spirits," he explained.
"Make fast his head while I push the prayer between his lips."
Mary and Martha raised the shoulders of Lazarus, and the physician
tried to force the pill into his throat.
"Even of his mouth have the evil spirits taken possession," he said,
failing to force open the set teeth of the man. "Bring the oil." Then
followed an elaborate anointing while the physician tried to rub in his
prayers. Meantime several neighbors had entered the room and while
Mary watched eagerly for the awakening of her brother, Martha stepped
to the door to tell in anxious whispers of her brother's serious
condition.
"Evil spirits have taken entire possession," the physician told the
sisters when no sign of life responded to the oil bath. "There be yet
one manner in which evil may be driven from thy brother. Wilt thou
give of thy abundant hair, Mary?"
"Of my hair? Yea, thou shalt have all--even my blood for my brother
Larazus."
"Seat thyself and bid thy servant to give me a plait of thy hair. And
thou, Martha, bring me a knife wholly of iron and have thy man-servant
in readiness with an ax."
Mary sat down on a stool and unbound her hair. In the middle of the
back a plait was made, and this was cut from her head.
"Evil are the spirits that have taken possession of the master of this
abode and fierce must be the contention of the angel of the Lord else
they accomplish their dark desire. Pray thou who standest about this
bed and seest the knife bound in this hair, that the path of evil
spirits be cut off." Taking the iron knife which Martha handed him, he
prayed over it, tied Mary's hair about it, uttered another prayer and
turned toward the servant who had appeared with an ax. "Take thou this
to the valley. Find there a thorn-bush aside from the pathway and
there tie the iron knife by the hair of Mary and repeat the scripture
which is on the scroll I give thee, and as the Lord appeared in a
thorn-bush to Moses, so shall he appear again. And if thine eyes be
holden that thou seest not the flame, yet will it of a surety be there,
this being the sign--the bush be not consumed. Then shalt thou turn
aside as did Moses when the Lord commanded him to take his shoes from
his feet, for so shalt thou be on holy ground. And when thou hast hid
thy face a sufficient time for the angel of the Lord to find thy iron
knife to destroy the evil spirits, then shalt thou turn again to the
bush and cut it down. Go thou, and hasten."
"How long ere thy skill will waken our brother?" Martha asked anxiously.
"Until the angel of the Lord doth overcome the demons of disease."
"Aye," said Mary, "but the time passes and the sleep of our brother
deepens." She bent over the couch and taking the hand of her brother
called softly, "Lazarus! Oh, that the Master was here! One touch of
his hand--one sound of his voice would be enough!"
"Who is this to whom thy sister's heart calleth?" the physician asked
Martha. "Some magician?"
"The Galilean Rabbi--Jesus," she answered.
"Him they call 'Jesus of Nazareth'?"
"Even the same."
"He is an impostor. Away with him! To whom hath it been given save to
a physician to cast out evil spirits with his pills and potions? Thy
sister doth behave foolishly."
While the household was engaged about the bedside a party of mourners,
having been told by the servant of the condition of Lazarus, gathered
about the door seeking information.
"A terrible and deadly evil hath lain hold of the master of the house,
a young man rich and noble," a neighbor said.
"What sayeth the physician?"
"A deep sleep hath fallen upon him from which neither the voices of his
sisters nor the skill of the physician can awaken him."
"Thou sayest he is rich?"
"He hath vineyards and olive orchards."
"His sisters love him much--much will they pay for loud mourning."
"Yea, much they love him. Listen how Mary doth entreat him to answer
her and Martha doth plead with the physician."
"Aye, aye," the mourners answered, nodding, "They will require much
wailing."
At the bedside the sisters hovered, making frequent appeals to the
physician for help. "His hands are getting cold!" Mary suddenly
exclaimed. "And the cold creepeth upon him," and she rubbed his arms.
"He groweth cold?" asked the physician. "Then did not the iron knife
cut off the way of the evil spirits. Hath there been a sign?"
"A red sky," Martha answered, fear showing on her face.
"When?" and there was eager interest in the physician's voice.
"This morning," replied Martha.
"Thou shouldst have told me," he said sternly, "that my oil I might
have saved."
"Now do I send for the Master," Mary announced with decision. Turning
to the door filled with neighbors and mourners she said, "A messenger!
Is there among you one fleet of foot?" A lithe youth pushed his way to
the front. "My blessings on thee, and a purse of gold if thou make thy
tracks like that of a roe before a beast of prey. Fly thou to Peraea.
Take thou the road by the upper ford and follow on past Bethabara. As
thou goest inquire for the Galilean Prophet and when thou hast found
him, this say, 'Him whom thou lovest lies sick unto death!' And when
he shall ask who sent thee, naught say save 'Mary.' Hasten thee! And
God give thy feet wings like the eagle!"
"Thy brother will be dead before thy messenger gets beyond the brow of
Olive," the physician announced.
Throwing herself by the couch Mary cried, "Brother--my brother! Speak
thou to me--just once more speak thou thy sister's name!"
"No more shall his lips be opened till the Judgment Day," the steady
voice of the physician replied.
"Hearest thou not my voice? I am thy sister Mary. God of my fathers!
Dost thou not hear?"
"Closed be his ears until the trumpet of the dead shall sound," was the
comment.
"Thou dost not mean Lazarus sleeps the sleep of the dead?" Martha cried
in pain.
"By evil spirits hath my unfailing skill been set at naught. Thy
brother sleepeth the sleep of death."
"No--no!" sobbed Mary, as the physician turned to collect his oil and
herbs. "Lazarus is not dead!" and throwing her arms around Martha down
whose face tears were streaming, she cried over and over, "He is not
dead--he is not dead!"
While the sisters were giving way to their grief, the mourners filed
into the room. Some had cymbals, some flutes, some pieces of sackcloth
which they put over their heads before turning their faces to the wall.
"Alas the lion--alas the hero--alas for him!" wailed the mourners.
"Woe! Woe! Death hath entered into the place of the living and hath
taken the flower of its strength! Oh, grave! Oh, tomb! Hungry art
thou! Woe! Woe! From the garden of woman's smiles hath he gone to
darkness and the bat. Corruption hath gathered him to its bosom!
Weep! Howl! Never shall he return to the place of the living from the
place of the dead!"
Before the mourners had finished their lamentations, the body of
Lazarus had been wrapped in a sheet and was being hastily borne from
the house. Following the body, with her arms around her sister, Mary
sobbed, "If the Master had only been here, my brother had not died."