Gospel: John 12:1-11

 

We have entered into Holy Week, the week of the Passover of Jesus, of His passing from this world to the Father. Liturgy today places before us the beginning of chapter 12 of the Gospel of John, which serves as a link between the Book of the Signs and the Book of the Glorification. 

 

At the end of the “Book of Signs” there appears, very clearly, the tension between Jesus and the religious authority of the time and the danger which Jesus was facing. 

 

Several times they had tried to kill Him. It was such that Jesus was obliged to lead a clandestine life, because He could be arrested at any moment.

 

Jesus persecuted by the Jews, goes to Bethany. Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany to the house of His friends Martha and Mary and of Lazarus. The police were looking for Him. They wanted to kill Him. But even now that the police were looking for Jesus, Mary, Martha and Lazarus received Him in their house and offered Him something to eat. Because love overcomes fear.

 

The crowds and the authority. To be the friend of Jesus could be dangerous. Lazarus is in danger of death because of the new life received from Jesus. The Jews had decided to kill Him. Lazarus alive was a living proof that Jesus was the Messiah. This is why the crowd was looking for Him, because people wanted to experience closely the living proof of the power of Jesus. A living community runs the risk of its life because it is the living proof of the Good News of God!