Horror gripped the heart of the World War I soldier, as he saw his life-long friend fall in battle. Caught in a trench with continuous gunfire whizzing over his head, the soldier asked his lieutenant if he might go out into the "No Man's Land" between the trenches to bring his fallen comrade back.
"You can go," said the lieutenant, "but I don't think it will be worth it. Your friend is probably dead and you may throw your own life away."
The lieutenant's words didn't matter, and the soldier went anyway. Miraculously he managed to reach his friend, hoist him onto his shoulder, and bring him back to their company's trench. As the two of them tumbled in together to the bottom of the trench, the officer checked the wounded soldier, then looked kindly at his friend.
"I told you it wouldn't be worth it," he said. "Your friend is dead, and you are mortally wounded."
"It was worth it, though, sir," the soldier said.
"How do you mean, 'worth it'?" responded the lieutenant. "Your friend is dead!"
"Yes sir," the private answered. "But it was worth it because when I got to him, he was still alive, and I had the satisfaction of hearing him say, 'Jim, I knew you'd come.'"
What a beautiful story of authentic friendship!
Today’s Gospel, just like last week, is very rich in meaning. We could spend a lot of time reflecting on themes which it presents such as Martha’s profession of faith, or the nature of death, the resurrection, and so on. However, I wish to direct our focus on one theme which I find to be just as important as those topics mentioned.
Today, I wish to reflect on the friendship between Jesus and Lazarus, and this friendship is just as beautiful, if not to say a lot more than, the friendship between the two soldiers in the story stated above.
Knowing that his friend, Lazarus, whom he loved, had fallen ill, Jesus decided to go back to Judea. This decision certainly proved to be shocking to his disciples. They told him: “Rabbi, the Jews were just trying to stone you, and you want to go back there?”
Indeed, in Judea, Jesus gained as many enemies as he gained many friends. The Jews there had started plotting to have him killed. Just like the introductory story, Jesus returning to Bethany seemed to be a suicidal mission. The disciples tried their best to talk him out of it.
However, Jesus would have none of that. His friend was ill and he was not going to let the danger prevent him from coming to see Lazarus.
Just like the soldier in our story, despite the fact that those around kept telling him that it would not be worth the danger, Jesus came for his friend anyway.
Poor Thomas, I imagine, rolled his eyes and muttered to the other disciples: “Let us also go to die with him.” –this could translate: O Jeez, we’re all gonna die!
When they arrived at Martha’s and Mary’s place, they found out that Lazarus had been dead for four days. Upon hearing the news and witnessing the grief of Martha and Mary, Jesus wept for his friends. He must have cried a lot, because those around him muttered “See how he loved him.”
Can we see the beauty of Jesus’ friendship for Lazarus?
For his friend, Christ was willing to risk his life. For his friend, Christ was willing to dive into danger while others kept insisting that it was not worth it. For his friend, Christ was willing to reach beyond death to bring him back.
This is the friendship of God-made-man. And this friendship, he willingly offers to us all.
One of the most beautiful titles that are attributed to God is Philanthropos – Friend of humanity. Friendship with the human race seems to be to God more important than anything.
Because of this friendship, He was willing to strip off all his glory and take upon himself human nature. He did so in order to be closer to his friends. He did so in order to be one among his friends.
Because of this friendship, he worked tirelessly for three years preaching the Kingdom, healing the sick, helping the blind see, and opening the tongue of the mute.
And ultimately, upon the hill of Calvary, he laid down his life willingly for all his friends.
It really does not seem to worth it. Humanity does not seem to appreciate his friendship. For all the good works he did, they wanted him to be crucified. Those who were close to him abandoned him to the hands of sinners. Upon the cross, Jesus Christ was completely alone. He was showing humanity the depth of his love, and they turned their face, they ridiculed him, humiliated him, and mercilessly pierced his Sacred Heart.
No, no, it is not worth it at all in the eyes of the world.
But God’s love and friendship is not as the world’s. His love “does not reason, does not measure, does not create barriers, does not calculate, does not remember offenses, and does not impose conditions.”[1] It “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.” (1 Cor. 13: 7)
Very soon, we will once again celebrate The Triduum. We will, once more, recall the sacrifice of “one who lays down his life for his friends.” We will, once more, recall the depth of God’s love for humanity and the extent that he would go to show it.
The suffering of the cross was despicable. But for Jesus Christ, the Philanthropos, because of his friends, it was worth it all.
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