THE MAN WHO NEVER SPOKE
The recipient of the greatest miracle recorded in the Bible also surprisingly is never recorded to have said anything. The raising of Lazarus from the dead will surely be the greatest miracle because of the duration between his death and his resurrection. When Jesus arrives late to raise Lazarus and asks to be taken to the tomb, Martha his sister says,
“——by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days” (John 11:39)
Four days is a long time, and multiple changes would have taken place to the dead body of Lazarus. At death, the heart stops beating, rapidly setting in motion a process of loss of temperature, causing cooling of the body, discoloration of dependent areas due to blood pooling, death of cells throughout the body with resultant decomposition, and initial rigor mortis with subsequent flaccidity. By 24 hours, maggots appear on the body and putrefaction is well set in by four days.Hence Martha’s statement is accurate. Imagine what it would take to resurrect such a body!
Yet that is what follows. The Lord of all the earth commands and nothing is impossible for him. The decomposed body of Lazarus is restored and the spirit which had left him returns to inhabit him once more. And as he walks out of the grave, he continues to maintain his distinct identity of a man who was quiet, never saying a word despite being the beneficiary of the greatest miracle ever.
“The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen and cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go’” (John 11:44)
We initially read of Lazarus when his sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick” (John 11:3). To begin with, he was one loved by Jesus. Perhaps it was his quietness and simplicity that won the heart of Jesus. This family of siblings was close to Jesus and he probably stayed with them whenever he visited Bethany, as was the custom of Jesus to stay with some of his followers. We read of the discussions he had with the ever-questioning Martha, of the acts of devotion that Mary offered, but of Lazarus what stands out is his quietness and simplicity. Even when we read of him becoming a celebrity with many Jews coming to see him and the chief priests subsequently making plans to kill him, Lazarus remained true to his identity of quietness and simplicity.
This prized virtue is perhaps best understood by David’s words in Psalms 131,
“I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. But I have stilled and quieted my soul within me; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me” (Psalms 131:1,2). Quietness within comes from trusting God through the most difficult circumstances. The baby receives food from the mother and rests in the comfort of being held by the mother. Likewise, we learn to stick close to God and know that we shall receive all we need in due time. There will always be things beyond our comprehension or control, but faith helps to quieten out soul and hence our lives. What follows is a simplicity that helps us glide through life.
The man who never spoke was one who was the epitome of simplicity.
