Yuēhànfúyīn 11

1 Yǒu yī gè huànbìng de rén , míng jiào Lāsalù , zhù zaì Bódàní , jiù shì Mǎlìyà hé tā jiĕjie Mǎdà de cūnzhuāng .

2 Zhè Mǎlìyà jiù shì nà yòng xiānggāo mǒ zhǔ , yòu yòng tóufa cā tā jiǎo de . huànbìng de Lāsalù shì tāde xiōngdi .

3 Tā zǐ meì liǎng gè jiù dǎfa rén qù jiàn Yēsū shuō , Zhǔ a , nǐ suǒ aì de rén bìng le .

4 Yēsū tīngjian jiù shuō , zhè bìng búzhìyú sǐ , nǎi shì wèi shén de róngyào , jiào shén de érzi yīncǐ dé róngyào .

5 Yēsū sùlái aì Mǎdà , hé tā meìzi , bìng Lāsalù.

6 Tīngjian Lāsalù bìng le , jiù zaì suǒ jū zhī dì , réng zhù le liǎng tiān .

7 Ránhòu duì méntǔ shuō , wǒmen zaì wǎng Yóutaì qù ba .

8 Méntǔ shuō , Lābǐ , Yóutaìrén jìn lái yào ná shítou dǎ nǐ , nǐ hái wǎng nàli qù má .

9 Yēsū huídá shuō , bái rì bù shì yǒu shí èr xiǎoshí má . rén zaì bái rì zǒu lù , jiù bù zhì diēdǎo , yīnwei kànjian zhè shìshang de guāng .

10 Ruò zaì hēi yè zǒu lù , jiù bì diēdǎo , yīnwei tā méiyǒu guāng .

11 Yēsū shuō le zhè huà , suíhòu duì tāmen shuō , wǒmen de péngyou Lāsalù shuì le , wǒ qù jiàoxǐng tā .

12 Méntǔ shuō , Zhǔ a , tā ruò shuì le , jiù bì hǎo le .

13 Yēsū zhè huà shì zhǐ zhe tā sǐ shuō de . tāmen què yǐwéi shì shuō zhào cháng shuì le .

14 Yēsū jiù míng míng de gàosu tāmen shuō , Lāsalù sǐ le .

15 Wǒ méiyǒu zaì nàli jiù huānxǐ , zhè shì wéi nǐmen de yuángù , hǎo jiào nǐmen xiāngxìn . rújīn wǒmen kĕyǐ wǎng Tānàli qù bā .

16 Duōmǎ , yòu chēngwèi Dītǔmǎ , jiù duì nà tòng zuò méntǔ de shuō , wǒmen yĕ qù hé tā tóng sǐ bā .

17 Yēsū dào le , jiù zhīdào Lāsalù zaì fùnmù lǐ , yǐjing sì tiān le .

18 Bódàní lí Yēlùsǎlĕng bù yuǎn , yuē yǒu liù lǐ lù .

19 Yǒu xiē Yóutaìrén lái kàn Mǎdà hé Mǎlìyà , yào wéi tāmende xiōngdi ānwèi tāmen .

20 Mǎdà tīngjian Yēsū lái le , jiù chū qù yíngjiē tā . Mǎlìyà què réngrán zuò zaì jiā lǐ .

21 Mǎdà duì Yēsū shuō , Zhǔ a , nǐ ruò zǎo zaì zhèlǐ , wǒ xiōngdi bì bú sǐ .

22 Jiù shì xiànzaì , wǒ yĕ zhīdào , nǐ wúlùn xiàng shén qiú shénme , shén yĕ bì cìgĕi nǐ .

23 Yēsū shuō , nǐ xiōngdi bìrán fùhuó .

24 Mǎdà shuō , wǒ zhīdào zaì mòshì fùhuó de shíhou , tā bì fùhuó .

25 Yēsū duì tā shuō , fùhuó zaì wǒ , shēngmìng yĕ zaì wǒ . xìn wǒde rén , suīrán sǐ le , yĕ bì fùhuó.

26 Fán huó zhe xìn wǒde rén , bì yǒngyuǎn bù sǐ . nǐ xìn zhè huà má .

27 Mǎdà shuō , Zhǔ a , shì de , wǒ xìn nǐ shì Jīdū , shì shén de érzi , jiù shì nà yào líndào shìjiè de .

28 Mǎdà shuō le zhè huà , jiù huí qù ànàn de jiào tā meìzi , Mǎlìyà shuō , fūzǐ lái le , jiào nǐ.

29 Mǎlìyà tīngjian le jiù jímáng qǐlai , dào Yēsū nàli qù .

30 Nàshí , Yēsū hái méiyǒu jìn cúnzi , réng zaì Mǎdà yíngjiē tāde dìfang.

31 Nàxiē tóng Mǎlìyà zaì jiā lǐ ānwèi tāde Yóutaìrén , jiàn tā jímáng qǐlai chū qù , jiù gēn zhe tā , yǐwéi tā yào wǎng fùnmù nàli qù kū .

32 Mǎlìyà dào le Yēsū nàli , kànjian tā , jiù fǔfú zaì tā jiǎo qián , shuō , Zhǔ a , nǐ ruò zǎo zaì zhèlǐ , wǒ xiōngdi bì bú sǐ .

33 Yēsū kànjian tā kū , bīng kànjian yǔ tā tóng lái de Yóutaìrén yĕ kū , jiù xīnli bēitàn , yòu shén yōuchóu .

34 Biàn shuō , nǐmen bǎ tā ānfàng zaì nàli . tāmen huídá shuō , qǐng zhǔ lái kān .

35 Yēsū kū le .

36 Yóutaìrén jiù shuō , nǐ kān tā aì zhè rén shì hédĕng kĕnqiè .

37 Qízhōng yǒu rén shuō , tā jìrán kāi le xiāzi de yǎnjing , qǐbù néng jiào zhè rén bù sǐ má .

38 Yēsū yòu xīnli bēitàn , lái dào fùnmù qián . nà fùnmù shì gè dòng , yǒu yī kuaì shítou dǎng zhe .

39 Yēsū shuō , nǐmen bǎ shítou nuó kāi . nà sǐ rén de jiĕjie Mǎdà duì tā shuō , Zhǔ a , tā xiànzaì bì shì fā chòu le , yīnwei tā sǐ le yǐjing sì tiān le .

40 Yēsū shuō , wǒ bù shì duì nǐ shuō guō , nǐ ruò xìn , jiù bì kànjian shén de róngyào má .

41 Tāmen jiù bǎ shítou nuó kāi . Yēsū jǔmù wàng tiān shuō , fù a , wǒ gǎnxiè nǐ , yīnwei nǐ yǐjing tīng wǒ .

42 Wǒ yĕ zhīdào nǐ cháng tīng wǒ , dàn wǒ shuō zhè huà , shì wéi zhōuwéi zhàn zhe de zhòngrén , jiào tāmen xìn shì nǐ chāi le wǒ lái .

43 Shuō le zhè huà , jiù dàshēng hūjiào shuō , Lāsalù chūlai .

44 Nà sǐ rén jiù chūlai le , shǒu jiǎo guǒ zhe bù , liǎn shàng bāo zhe shǒujin . Yēsū duì tāmen shuō , jiĕkāi , jiào tā zǒu .

45 Nàxiē lái kānMǎlìyà de Yóutaìrén , jiàn le Yēsū suǒ zuò de shì , jiù duō yòu xìn tāde .

46 Dàn qízhōng yĕ yòu qù jiàn Fǎlìsaìrén de , jiāngYēsū suǒ zuò de shì gàosu tāmen .

47 Jìsīzhǎng hé Fǎlìsaìrén jùjí gōnghuì , shuō , zhè rén xíng hǎoxiē shénjī , wǒmen zĕnme bàn ne .

48 Ruò zhèyàng yóu zhe tā , rénrén dōu yào xìn tā . Luomǎ rén yĕ yào lái duó wǒmen de dì tǔ , hé wǒmen de bǎixìng .

49 Neì zhōng yǒu yī gèrén , míng jiào Gāiyàfǎ , bĕn nián zuò Dàjìsī , duì tāmen shuō , nǐmen bù zhīdào shénme .

50 Dú bù xiǎng yī gèrén tì bǎixìng sǐ , miǎndé tōng guó mièwáng , jiù shì nǐmen de yìchu .

51 Tā zhè huà bù shì chūyú zìjǐ , shì yīn tā bĕn nián zuò Dàjìsī , suǒyǐ yùyán Yēsū jiāngyào tì zhè yī guó sǐ .

52 Yĕ búdàn tì zhè yī guó sǐ , bìng yào jiāng shén sì sǎn de zǐmín , dōu jùjí guī yī .

53 Cōng nà rì qǐ , tāmen jiù shāngyì yào shā Yēsū .

54 Suǒyǐ Yēsū bù zaì xiǎnrán xíng zaì Yóutaìrén zhōngjiān , jiù líkāi nàli wǎng kàojìn kuàng yĕ de dìfang . dào le yī zuò chéng , míng jiào Yǐfǎlián , jiù zaì nàli hé méntǔ tóng zhù .

55 Yóutaìrén de Yúyuèjié jìn le . yǒu xǔduō rén cōng xiāng xià shǎng Yēlùsǎlĕng qù , yào zaì jiē qián jiéjìng zìjǐ .

56 Tāmen jiù xúnzhǎo Yēsū , zhàn zaì diàn lǐ bǐcǐ shuō , nǐmen de yìsi rúhé , tā bù lái guō jiē má .

57 Nàshí , Jìsīzhǎng hé Fǎlìsaìrén zǎo yǐ fēnfu shuō , ruò yǒu rén zhīdào Yēsū zaì nàli , jiù yào bào míng , hǎo qù ná tā .

Yuēhànfúyīn 11 Commentary

Chapter 11

The sickness of Lazarus. (1-6) Christ returns to Judea. (7-10) The death of Lazarus. (11-16) Christ arrives at Bethany. (17-32) He raises Lazarus. (33-46) The Pharisees consult against Jesus. (47-53) The Jews seek for him. (54-57)

Verses 1-6 It is no new thing for those whom Christ loves, to be sick; bodily distempers correct the corruption, and try the graces of God's people. He came not to preserve his people from these afflictions, but to save them from their sins, and from the wrath to come; however, it behoves us to apply to Him in behalf of our friends and relatives when sick and afflicted. Let this reconcile us to the darkest dealings of Providence, that they are all for the glory of God: sickness, loss, disappointment, are so; and if God be glorified, we ought to be satisfied. Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. The families are greatly favoured in which love and peace abound; but those are most happy whom Jesus loves, and by whom he is beloved. Alas, that this should seldom be the case with every person, even in small families. God has gracious intentions, even when he seems to delay. When the work of deliverance, temporal or spiritual, public or personal, is delayed, it does but stay for the right time.

Verses 7-10 Christ never brings his people into any danger but he goes with them in it. We are apt to think ourselves zealous for the Lord, when really we are only zealous for our wealth, credit, ease, and safety; we have therefore need to try our principles. But our day shall be lengthened out, till our work is done, and our testimony finished. A man has comfort and satisfaction while in the way of his duty, as set forth by the word of God, and determined by the providence of God. Christ, wherever he went, walked in the day; and so shall we, if we follow his steps. If a man walks in the way of his heart, and according to the course of this world, if he consults his own carnal reasonings more than the will and glory of God, he falls into temptations and snares. He stumbles, because there is no light in him; for light in us is to our moral actions, that which light about us to our natural actions.

Verses 11-16 Since we are sure to rise again at the last, why should not the believing hope of that resurrection to eternal life, make it as easy for us to put off the body and die, as it is to put off our clothes and go to sleep? A true Christian, when he dies, does but sleep; he rests from the labours of the past day. Nay, herein death is better than sleep, that sleep is only a short rest, but death is the end of earthly cares and toils. The disciples thought that it was now needless for Christ to go to Lazarus, and expose himself and them. Thus we often hope that the good work we are called to do, will be done by some other hand, if there be peril in the doing of it. But when Christ raised Lazarus from the dead, many were brought to believe on him; and there was much done to make perfect the faith of those that believed. Let us go to him; death cannot separate from the love of Christ, nor put us out of the reach of his call. Like Thomas, in difficult times Christians should encourage one another. The dying of the Lord Jesus should make us willing to die whenever God calls us.

Verses 17-32 Here was a house where the fear of God was, and on which his blessing rested; yet it was made a house of mourning. Grace will keep sorrow from the heart, but not from the house. When God, by his grace and providence, is coming towards us in ways of mercy and comfort, we should, like Martha, go forth by faith, hope, and prayer, to meet him. When Martha went to meet Jesus, Mary sat still in the house; this temper formerly had been an advantage to her, when it put her at Christ's feet to hear his word; but in the day of affliction, the same temper disposed her to melancholy. It is our wisdom to watch against the temptations, and to make use of the advantages of our natural tempers. When we know not what in particular to ask or expect, let us refer ourselves to God; let him do as seemeth him good. To enlarge Martha's expectations, our Lord declared himself to be the Resurrection and the Life. In every sense he is the Resurrection; the source, the substance, the first-fruits, the cause of it. The redeemed soul lives after death in happiness; and after the resurrection, both body and soul are kept from all evil for ever. When we have read or heard the word of Christ, about the great things of the other world, we should put it to ourselves, Do we believe this truth? The crosses and comforts of this present time would not make such a deep impression upon us as they do, if we believed the things of eternity as we ought. When Christ our Master comes, he calls for us. He comes in his word and ordinances, and calls us to them, calls us by them, calls us to himself. Those who, in a day of peace, set themselves at Christ's feet to be taught by him, may with comfort, in a day of trouble, cast themselves at his feet, to find favour with him.

Verses 33-46 Christ's tender sympathy with these afflicted friends, appeared by the troubles of his spirit. In all the afflictions of believers he is afflicted. His concern for them was shown by his kind inquiry after the remains of his deceased friend. Being found in fashion as a man, he acts in the way and manner of the sons of men. It was shown by his tears. He was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. Tears of compassion resemble those of Christ. But Christ never approved that sensibility of which many are proud, while they weep at mere tales of distress, but are hardened to real woe. He sets us an example to withdraw from scenes of giddy mirth, that we may comfort the afflicted. And we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. It is a good step toward raising a soul to spiritual life, when the stone is taken away, when prejudices are removed, and got over, and way is made for the word to enter the heart. If we take Christ's word, and rely on his power and faithfulness, we shall see the glory of God, and be happy in the sight. Our Lord Jesus has taught us, by his own example, to call God Father, in prayer, and to draw nigh to him as children to a father, with humble reverence, yet with holy boldness. He openly made this address to God, with uplifted eyes and loud voice, that they might be convinced the Father had sent him as his beloved Son into the world. He could have raised Lazarus by the silent exertion of his power and will, and the unseen working of the Spirit of life; but he did it by a loud call. This was a figure of the gospel call, by which dead souls are brought out of the grave of sin: and of the sound of the archangel's trumpet at the last day, with which all that sleep in the dust shall be awakened, and summoned before the great tribunal. The grave of sin and this world, is no place for those whom Christ has quickened; they must come forth. Lazarus was thoroughly revived, and returned not only to life, but to health. The sinner cannot quicken his own soul, but he is to use the means of grace; the believer cannot sanctify himself, but he is to lay aside every weight and hinderance. We cannot convert our relatives and friends, but we should instruct, warn, and invite them.

Verses 47-53 There can hardly be a more clear discovery of the madness that is in man's heart, and of its desperate enmity against God, than what is here recorded. Words of prophecy in the mouth, are not clear evidence of a principle of grace in the heart. The calamity we seek to escape by sin, we take the most effectual course to bring upon our own heads; as those do who think by opposing Christ's kingdom, to advance their own worldly interest. The fear of the wicked shall come upon them. The conversion of souls is the gathering of them to Christ as their ruler and refuge; and he died to effect this. By dying he purchased them to himself, and the gift of the Holy Ghost for them: his love in dying for believers should unite them closely together.

Verses 54-57 Before our gospel passover we must renew our repentance. Thus by a voluntary purification, and by religious exercises, many, more devout than their neighbours, spent some time before the passover at Jerusalem. When we expect to meet God, we must solemnly prepare. No devices of man can alter the purposes of God: and while hypocrites amuse themselves with forms and disputes, and worldly men pursue their own plans, Jesus still orders all things for his own glory and the salvation of his people.