John Chrysostom, On Lazarus i

while the sun was shining, how was the gold plundered? Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. The word is faithless, and yet also weak; for when the potter is present, it was possible for the fallen vessel to be molded again. Jesus says to her: Your brother will rise again. But she to him, I know that he will rise again on the last day. But Jesus said, I am the resurrection.

Why then do you seek what you have, Wait a little, and you will see the grace. Martha heard, she believed, and she rouses her sister, and all the mourners, who were consoling the grief, are brought running. Again Jesus is in a crowd and at a wedding and in mourning, everywhere for those who believe solving the difficulties. And when he saw the mourning and the tears, Jesus says: Where have you laid him? Why do you inquire, O Master? Though absent, did you not know of the death, and being present you do not know the place, but say, Where have you laid him? Give me, he says, those who buried, those who bound, those who wrapped the corpse. These having been established as my witnesses of the things to come, may they recognize their own works, so that when they see the one buried by them raised, they might not think the deed to be a phantom. He came to the tomb; he who knows all things endured them showing him; after this he also wept. And why do you weep, if what you promised is true, if you are about to raise him? But he weeps for the man, showing the philanthropy of his mind; and perhaps also because of the ingratitude of the Jews, because even after this miracle they again remained in unbelief.

For some of them said, Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? He could have. But why do you take up the reproach? Wait, and see the deed. Jesus says to them: Take away the stone. The word is strange. He who overturns bronze gates, and shatters iron bars of death, says, Take away the stone? Why do you not move away the stone with a word, Master? Take away, he says, you slanderers the stone, you faithless, you deceivers; take it away, feel, be fully assured, so that you may not again disbelieve yourselves, make the sight secure. No shadow is about to come out, nor a phantom; for these can come out even when stones are blocking the way. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, says to him: Lord, by this time he stinks; for he has been dead four days. It was necessary that he, being a servant, not be likened to the master's gifts.

For the Master according to his own promises rose on the third day; but he rises on the fourth day; for a servant is one thing, and a Master another. They say to him, Lord, he is four days dead, and already stinks. These things are small for God; not yet dry bones, not yet bereft of flesh and sinews, as once in the time of Ezekiel the army of the dead lying on the ground, and bereft 62.775 of all, of soul, of sensation, of perception, of vital spirit, he stood by the tomb already providing a clear proof of the future resurrection. Martha fell silent, and the stone was removed, and all were in suspense, the living dead; and perhaps even Hades itself, the gates of death already being unloosed. And first Jesus the Lord begins with a doxology. For he lifted up, it says, his eyes to heaven, indicating the manner of his own descent, giving thanks on our behalf to the Father, and saying: Father, I thank you, that you have heard me. Though having from himself the supply of life, he does this, since Mary and Martha said to him: We know that whatever you ask of God, he will give you. For this reason, seeing their weaker understanding, he says: You know entirely, that if I should ask anything of the Father, he will give it to me; therefore, advance in understanding to me, and to the Father.

And finally he adds, saying: I thank you, Father, that you have heard me. And I knew that you always hear me; but I said it for the sake of those standing by. Did you see how he does not need prayer? but he does this because of the unbelief of those present. You have heard me, he says, always. Do not seek the, when? for as much as we examine, we do not comprehend. You pray

ἡλίου φαίνοντος, πῶς ὁ χρυσὸς ἐσυλᾶτο; Κύριε, εἰ ἦς ὧδε, οὐκ ἄν μου ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀδελφός. Ἄπιστος ὁ λόγος, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἀσθενής· κεραμέως γὰρ παρόντος, δυνατὸν ἦν τὸ διαπεσὸν σκεῦος πάλιν ἀναπλασθῆναι. Λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἀναστήσεται ὁ ἀδελφός σου. Ἡ δὲ πρὸς αὐτὸν, Οἶδα ὅτι ἀναστήσεται ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ. Εἶπε δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς, Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἀνάστασις.

Τί τοίνυν, ὃ ἔχεις, ζητεῖς, Ἔκδεξαι μικρὸν, καὶ ὄψει τὴν χάριν. Ἤκουσεν, ἐπίστευσεν ἡ Μάρθα, καὶ τὴν ἀδελφὴν ἐπεγείρει, καὶ δρομαῖοι φέρονται πάντες οἱ πενθοῦντες, οἱ τὸ πάθος παραμυθούμενοι. Πάλιν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν ὄχλῳ καὶ ἐν γάμῳ καὶ ἐν πένθει, πανταχοῦ τοῖς πιστεύουσι λύων τὰς δυσκολίας. Ὡς δὲ εἶδε τὸ πένθος καὶ τὰ δάκρυα, λέγει ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ποῦ τεθείκατε αὐτόν; ∆ιὰ τί ἐξετάζεις, ὦ ∆έσποτα; μὴ παρὼν ᾔδεις τὸν θάνατον, καὶ παρὼν οὐκ οἶδας τὸν τόπον, ἀλλὰ λέγεις, Ποῦ τεθείκατε αὐτόν; ∆ότε μοι, φησὶ, τοὺς θάψαντας, τοὺς καταδήσαντας, τοὺς ἐνειλίξαντας τὸν νεκρόν. Οὗτοί μου μάρτυρες τῶν ἐσομένων καταστάντες γνωρίσωσι τὰ ἑαυτῶν, ἵν', ὅταν ἴδωσι τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῶν ταφέντα ἀναστάντα, μὴ φαντασίαν εἶναι νομίσωσι τὸ ἔργον. Ἦλθεν ἐπὶ τὸ μνημεῖον ἠνέσχετο δεικνύντων ὁ πάντα εἰδώς· μετὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐδάκρυσε. Καὶ τί δακρύεις, εἰ ἀληθεύεις ὃ ὑπέσχου, εἰ μέλλεις αὐτὸν ἐγείρειν; Ἀλλὰ δακρύει τὸν ἄνθρωπον, δεικνὺς τὸ φιλάνθρωπον τῆς γνώμης· τάχα δὲ καὶ διὰ τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀγνωμοσύνην, ὅτι καὶ μετὰ τοῦτο τὸ θαῦμα πάλιν τῇ ἀπιστίᾳ παρέμειναν.

Τινὲς γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶπαν, Οὐκ ἠδύνατο οὗτος ὁ ἀνοίξας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ τυφλοῦ, ποιῆσαι ἵνα καὶ οὗτος μὴ ἀποθάνῃ; Ἠδύνατο. Τί δὲ προσλαμβάνετε τὴν λοιδορίαν; μείνατε, καὶ βλέπετε τὸ ἔργον. Λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἄρατε τὸν λίθον. Παράδοξος ὁ λόγος. Ὁ πύλας χαλκᾶς ἀνατρέπων, καὶ μοχλοὺς σιδηροῦς συντρίβων τοῦ θανάτου, λέγει, Ἄρατε τὸν λίθον; διὰ τί τῳ λόγῳ τὸν λίθον οὐκ ἀφορμάζεις, ∆έσποτα; Ἄρατε, φησὶν, ὑμεῖς οἱ συκοφάνται τὸν λίθον, οἱ ἄπιστοι. οἱ ἀπατεῶνες· ἄρατε, ψηλαφήσατε, πληροφορήσατε, ἵνα μὴ πάλιν ἑαυτοῖς ἀπιστῆτε, ἀσφαλίσασθε τὴν θέαν. Οὐ σκιὰ ἐξιέναι μέλλει, οὐδὲ φαντασία· ταῦτα γὰρ καὶ λίθων πεφραγμένων ἐξιέναι δύναται. Λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ ἀδελφὴ τοῦ τεθνηκότος Μάρθα· Κύριε, ἤδη ὄζει· τεταρταῖος γάρ ἐστιν. Ἐχρῆν αὐτὸν δοῦλον ὄντα μὴ τοῖς δεσποτικοῖς χαρίσμασιν ἐξομοιοῦσθαι.

Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ∆εσπότης κατὰ τὰς ἰδίας ὑποσχέσεις τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἀνέστη· αὐτὸς δὲ τεταρταῖος ἐξανίσταται· ἄλλο γὰρ δοῦλος, καὶ ἄλλο ∆εσπότης. Λέγουσιν αὐτῷ, Κύριε, τεταρταῖός ἐστι, καὶ ἤδη ὄζει. Μικρὰ ταῦτα πρὸς Θεόν· οὔπω ὀστᾶ ξηρὰ, οὔπω σαρκῶν καὶ νεύρων ἔρημα, ὥς ποτε ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ τῶν νεκρῶν τὸ στρατόπεδον χαμαὶ κείμενον, καὶ ἔρη 62.775 μον πάντων, ψυχῆς, αἰσθήσεως, ἀντιλήψεως, ζωτικοῦ πνεύματος, ἔστη παρὰ τὸν τάφον ἤδη τῆς μελλούσης ἀναστάσεως ἀπόδειξιν ἐναργῆ παρέχον. Ἐσιώπησε Μάρθα, καὶ ὁ λίθος ἀφήρμοστο, καὶ πάντες ἦσαν μετέωροι, νεκροὶ ζῶντες· τάχα δὲ καὶ ὁ ᾅδης αὐτὸς, ἤδη τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου παραλυομένων. Καὶ πρῶτον Ἰησοῦς ὁ Κύριος ἀπὸ δοξολογίας ἄρχεται. Ἦρε γὰρ, φησὶ, τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, τῆς οἰκείας καθόδου μηνύων τὸν τρόπον, εὐχαριστῶν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τῷ Πατρὶ, καὶ λέγων· Πάτερ, εὐχαριστῶ σοι, ὅτι ἤκουσάς μου. Ἔχων μὲν ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν τῆς ζωῆς χορηγίαν, ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο, ἐπειδήπερ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ Μαρία καὶ Μάρθα ἔλεγον· Οἴδαμεν ὅτι ὅσα ἂν αἰτήσῃς τὸν Θεὸν, δῴη σοι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀσθενεστέραν αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν βλέπων λέγει· Ὅλως οἴδατε, ὅτι εἴ τι ἂν αἰτήσω Πατέρα, δώσει μοι· τοίνυν προέλθετε τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐμοὶ, καὶ τῷ Πατρί.

Καὶ λοιπὸν ἐπάγει λέγων· Εὐχαριστῶ σοι, Πάτερ, ὅτι ἤκουσάς μου. Ἐγὼ δὲ ᾔδειν ὅτι πάντοτέ μου ἀκούεις· ἀλλὰ διὰ τοὺς παρεστῶτας εἶπον. Εἶδες πῶς οὐ δεῖται τῆς προσευχῆς; ἀλλὰ τοῦτο ποιεῖ διὰ τὴν τῶν παρόντων ἀπιστίαν. Ἤκουσάς μου, φησὶ, πάντοτε. Μὴ ζήτει τὸ, πότε; ὅσον γὰρ ἐξετάζομεν, οὐ καταλαμβάνομεν. Εὔχῃ