Book of Common Prayer
The challenge of love
11 This is the message which you heard right from the start, you see, that we should love one another. 12 We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one, and murdered his brother. Why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, while his brother’s were right.
13 Don’t be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the family. Anyone who doesn’t love abides in death. 15 Everyone who hates their brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has the life of the coming age abiding in them. 16 This is how we know love: he laid down his life for us. And we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 Anyone who has the means of life in this world, and sees a brother or sister in need, and closes their heart against them—how can God’s love be abiding in them? 18 Children, let us not love in word, or in speech, but in deed and in truth.
The death of Lazarus
11 There was a man in Bethany named Lazarus, and he became ill. Bethany was the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This was the Mary who anointed the Lord with myrrh, and wiped his feet with her hair. Lazarus, who was ill, was her brother.)
3 So the sisters sent messengers to Jesus.
“Master,” they said, “the man you love is ill.”
4 When Jesus got the message, he said, “This illness won’t lead to death. It’s all about the glory of God! The son of God will be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. 6 So when he heard that he was ill, he stayed where he was for two days.
7 Then, after that, he said to the disciples, “Let’s go back to Judaea.”
8 “Teacher,” replied the disciples, “the Judaeans were trying to stone you just now! Surely you don’t want to go back there!”
9 “There are twelve hours in the day, aren’t there?” replied Jesus. “If you walk in the day, you won’t trip up, because you’ll see the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, they will trip up, because there is no light in them.”
11 When he had said this, Jesus added: “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I’m going to wake him up.”
12 “Master,” replied the disciples, “if he’s asleep, he’ll be all right.”
13 (They thought he was referring to ordinary sleep; but Jesus had in fact been speaking of his death.)
14 Then Jesus spoke to them plainly.
“Lazarus,” he said, “is dead. 15 Actually, I’m glad I wasn’t there, for your sakes; it will help your faith. But let’s go to him.”
16 Thomas, whose name was the Twin, addressed the other disciples.
“Let’s go too,” he said. “We may as well die with him.”
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.