And Jesus goes to Bethany at a good pace. Simon Zealot and Marjiam are beside
Him. They are both very happy to have been chosen for that visit.
Marjiam, who is now in better spirits, asks many questions about the woman
who came from Ephesus and whether Jesus was aware of the fact.
«I did not know. The kind actions of My Mother are countless and are done in
such mild silence that they are generally unknown.»
«But the episode is really beautiful» says the Zealot.
«Yes, so much so that I want to let John of Endor know. What do You think,
Master? Shall we find his letters at Bethany?»
«I am almost certain that we shall.»
«We should find also the woman who was cured of leprosy» remarks the Zealot.
«Yes. She complied with the precepts faithfully. But the time of her purification
must now be over.»
Bethany appears on its tableland. They pass in front of the house where once
there were peacocks, flamingoes and stilt-birds. The house is now closed and
forsaken. Simon notices it.
But his remark is interrupted by the cheerful greeting of Maximinus, who
appears at the gate. «Oh! Holy Master! How much happiness in so much grief!»
«Peace to you. Why grief?»
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«Because Lazarus is suffering terribly with his ulcerated legs. And we do not
know what to do to relieve his pain. But he will feel better, at least spiritually,
when he sees You.»
They go into the garden and while Maximinus runs ahead, they walk slowly
towards the house.
Mary of Magdala runs out shouting adoringly: «Rabboni» and she is followed
more calmly by Martha. They both look very pale like people who have suffered
and lost sleep.
«Stand up. Let us go to Lazarus at once.»
«Oh! Master! Master, You can do everything, cure my brother!» implores
Martha.
«Yes, good Master! He suffers more than he can bear! He is worn out and he
groans with pain. He will certainly die, if he continues so. Have mercy on him,
Lord!» urges Mary.
«I am full of mercy. But the time of miracle has not yet come for him. Let him
be strong and be strong with him. Help him to do the will of God.»
«Ah! Do You mean that he must die?!» asks Martha moaning and weeping.
And Mary, whose eyes are shining with tears and love, a double love, for Jesus
and her brother, exclaims: «Oh! Master, but in this way You prevent me from
following and serving You, and You prevent my brother from enjoying my
resurrection. Do You not want Lazarus' house to rejoice because of a
resurrection?»
Jesus looks at her smiling kindly and wittily and He says: «Just for one? One
only? Come on! You do not think much of Me if you think that I can do one
thing only! Be good and strong. Let us go. And do not weep like that. You
would dispirit him with grievous suspicion.» And He sets outs ahead of them.
In order to nurse Lazarus more comfortably, they have placed him in a room
near the library, opposite the dining hall. Maximinus shows Him the door, but
lets Jesus go in alone.
«Peace to you, Lazarus, My dear friend!»
«Oh! Holy Master! Peace to You. There is no more peace for me, for my body.
And my soul is depressed. I am suffering so much, Lord! Give me the dear
order: “Lazarus, come out” and I will rise completely cured to serve You...»
«I will give it to you, Lazarus. But not now» replies Jesus embracing him.
Lazarus is very thin and yellowish, with deep-set eyes. He is clearly very ill and
weak. He weeps like a child showing his bluish swollen legs, with sores, which I
think are varicose and are bleeding in several parts. He perhaps hopes that by
showing Jesus the dreadful situation, He may be moved and work the miracle.
But Jesus covers the sores delicately with the linen bandages sprayed with balm.
«Have you come to stay here?» asks Lazarus disappointedly.
«No, but I will come here frequently.»
«What? Are You not spending Passover with me this year either? I made them
bring me here on purpose. At the Feast of the Tabernacles You promised me that
You would stay with me for a long time after the Dedication...»
«And I will. But not now. Shall I annoy you if I sit here, on the edge of your
bed?»
«Oh! no. On the contrary the coolness of Your hand seems to mitigate the heat
of my fever. Why are You not staying, Lord?»
«Because as you are tormented by sores, I am tormented by enemies. Although
Bethany is considered to be within the limits for the Supper for everybody, in
My case it would be considered a sin, if I celebrated Passover here. Everything I
do is considered sinful by the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees...»
«Ah! the Pharisees! That is true! But in my house, then... At least that!»
«Of course! But I will mention it at the last moment, as a precaution.»
«Yes! Do not trust them. Everything went well with John. You know? Ptolmai
came yesterday with other people and he brought some letters for You. My
sisters have them. But where are Martha and Mary? Are they not doing the
honours of the house to You?» Lazarus is restless like many sick people.
«Do not worry. They are outside with Simon and Marjiam. I came with them.
And I do not need anything. I will call them.» And He calls those who had
wisely remained outside.
Martha goes out and comes back with two rolls which she hands to Jesus. In the
meantime Mary informs them that a servant of Nicodemus has said that he has
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come ahead of his master, who is coming with Joseph of Arimathea. And at the
same time Lazarus remembers a woman who «came yesterday in Your name»
he says.
«Ah! Yes! Do you know who she is?»
«She told us. She is the daughter of a rich man from Jericho, who went to Syria
many years ago, when he was young. He called her Anastasica in remembrance
of the flower of the desert. However, she would not reveal the name of her
husband» explains Martha.
«It is not necessary. He repudiated her and thus she is only “the disciple.”
Where is she?»
«She was tired and she is sleeping. She had a hard time during the last days and
nights. If You wish so, I will call her.»
«No. Let her sleep. I will see to her tomorrow.»
Lazarus looks at Marjiam admiringly. Marjiam is on tenterhooks. He would like
to know the contents of the rolls. Jesus notices it and opens them. Lazarus says:
«What? Does he know?»
«Yes, he does, as well as the others, with the exception of Nathanael, Philip,
Thomas and Judas...»
«You did the right thing in not letting him know» exclaims Lazarus. «I have
many doubts and fears...»
«I am not unwise, My dear friend» says Jesus interrupting him and He reads the
rolls and then He relates the main pieces of news, that is, that the two have
settled down, that the school is thriving and that everything would be proceeding
very well, if John's health were not declining. But He can say no more because
they are informed of the arrival of Nicodemus and Joseph.
«May God protect You, Master! Always, as this morning!»
«Thank you, Joseph. And you, Nicodemus, were you not there?»
«No, I was not. But I heard that You had arrived and I thought I should come to
Lazarus's house, as I was almost certain that I would find You here. And Joseph
joined me.»
They speak of the events of the morning, standing around the bed of Lazarus,
who is greatly interested in them and seems relieved of his suffering.
«But Gamaliel, Lord! Did You hear him?» asks Joseph of Arimathea.
«Yes, I did.»
Nicodemus says: «I instead say: But Judas of Kerioth, Lord! After You left I
found him shouting like a demon in the middle of a group of disciples of the
rabbis. He was accusing and defending You at the same time. And I am sure that
he was convinced that he was doing the right thing. They wanted to find fault
with You, and were certainly instigated to do so by their teachers. He refuted
their accusations heatedly saying: “My Master has one fault only! He does not
enhance His power enough. He misses good opportunities. He wearies good
people with His excessive meekness. He is King! And He must act as a King.
You treat Him as a servant because He is so meek. He ruins Himself by being
nothing but meek. The only thing that counts with you, vile cruel people, is the
lash of absolute violent power. Oh! why can I not make a violent Saul of
Him!”»
Jesus shakes His head without saying anything.
«And yet, he loves You in his own way» remarks Nicodemus.
«What a disconcerting man!» exclaims Lazarus.
«Yes. You are right. Although I have been with him for two years, I do not
understand him yet» confirms the Zealot.
Mary of Magdala stands up with the majesty of a queen and in her beautiful
voice she proclaims: «I have understood him more than anybody else: he is
abomination placed close to Perfection. And there is nothing else to be said» and
she goes out to perform a task and takes Marjiam with her.
«Perhaps Mary is right» says Lazarus.
«I think so, too» says Joseph.
«And what do You think, Master?»
«I say that Judas is a “man.” As Gamaliel is. A limited man close to infinite
God. Man is so limited in thought, that unless he breathes in a supernatural
atmosphere, he can accept one idea only, with which he becomes encrusted and
remains forever. And he does so even against evidence, stubbornly and
obstinately, even out of faith in what has struck him most. Gamaliel, after all,
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has faith, like few people in Israel, in the Messiah, Whom he recognised and of
Whom he got a glimpse in a Child. And he is faithful to the words of that
Child... And the same applies to Judas. Saturated as he is with the Messianic
idea, as most people in Israel entertain it, and in which he was confirmed by the
first manifestation he had of Me, he sees and wants to see Christ as king. An
earthly powerful king... and he is faithful to such opinion. Oh! How many, even
in future, will ruin themselves because of an erroneous concept of faith,
stubborn against reason! But what do you think? That it is easy to follow truth
and justice in everything? What do you think? That it is easy to reach salvation
just because one is Gamaliel or the apostle Judas? No. I solemnly tell you that it
is easier for a boy, for a common believer to be saved, than it is for one elevated
to a special task or mission. Generally the pride of their vocation overwhelms
those who are called to a special destiny, and such pride opens the door to Satan
and rejects God. It is easier for stars to fall than it is for stones. The Cursed One
strives to put stars out and he insinuates himself crookedly to lever up the
chosen ones and thus overturn them. If a thousand or ten thousand men fall into
common errors, their ruin effects them only. But if one appointed to a special
destiny falls and becomes the instrument of Satan instead of God's, his voice
instead of “mine”, his disciple instead of “mine”, then the ruin is much greater
and may even bring about deep heresies, which injure countless souls. The good
I give will bear much good if it falls on humble ground, which will remain
humble. But if it falls on proud ground or which becomes proud because of the
gift received, then the good turns into evil. Gamaliel was granted one of the first
manifestations of the Christ. It was to be his early call to the Christ. That is why
he is deaf to My Voice calling him. Judas was granted to be an apostle: one of
the twelve apostles among the thousands of men in Israel. It was to be his
sanctification. But what will it be?... My friends, man is the eternal Adam...
Adam had everything. Everything except one thing. He wanted that one. And if
man would only remain Adam! Very often he becomes Lucifer. He has
everything except divinity. He wants that. He wants the supernatural to astonish,
to be applauded, feared, known, celebrated... And in order to have something
which God only can give gratuitously, he embraces Satan, who is the Monkey of
God and gives simulated supernatural gifts. Oh! How horrible is the fate of
those demons! I leave you, My friends. I will withdraw for a little while. I need
to concentrate on God...»
Jesus, Who is quite upset, goes out... Those who are left: Lazarus, Joseph,
Nicodemus and the Zealot, look at one another.
«Did you notice how upset He was?» Joseph asks Lazarus in a low voice.
«I did. He seemed to be seeing a dreadful sight.»
«What can be worrying Him?» asks Nicodemus.
«He only and the Eternal Father know» replies Joseph.
«Do you know what it is, Simon?»
«No. He has certainly been depressed for months.»
«May God save Him! But hatred is certainly growing.»
«Yes, Joseph. Hatred is growing... I am afraid that Hatred will soon overcome
Love.»
«Don't say so, Simon! If that must happen I will no longer ask to be cured! It is
better to die than watch the most dreadful error.»
«The most dreadful sacrilege, you should say, Lazarus...»
«And yet... Israel is quite capable of that. It is ready to repeat the gesture of
Lucifer by going to war with the Blessed Lord» says Nicodemus with a sigh.
Sad silence follows, as if each of them had a lump in his throat... It is getting
dark in the room where four honest people are meditating on future criminals.