In the Third Scrutiny (5th Sunday of Lent) Jesus resurrects Lazarus from the dead, John 11:1-35. Lazarus falls ill but Jesus does not go immediately to him. Lazarus dies before Jesus departs for Judea and Jesus, knowing this without being told, tells the disciples “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going to awaken him.” Lazarus had already been in the tomb for 4 days when Jesus arrived. Jesus told Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.”
It is interesting to observe the progression, the deepening of belief and understanding of who Jesus is that occur in the Scrutinies. Jesus relieves a woman of her sins, cures a man’s eyesight then raises another man from the dead. His miracles are progressively and exponentially more impressive, for a reason.
The Samaritan woman first observes Jesus to be a Jewish man. Jews and Samaritans did NOT get along and would surely NOT share food or drink! Furthermore, women, on the whole, were no better than second class citizens and this particular woman was so sinful no one would visit the well at the same time as she! So, Jesus, a Jew, is speaking to a very sinful Samaritan woman and asking for a drink. I’m sure she was shocked. Then, Jesus tells her the truth about herself and she is amazed and now she believes him to be a prophet! Then she tells Jesus that the Messiah is coming and “he will tell us everything” to which Jesus replies, “I am He, the one speaking with you.” She brings many to come and see Jesus (“Could he possibly be the Christ?” she says to them) and they come first because of her word but they end up believing that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ because of His word. This sinful woman was relieved of her sin, found the Christ in Jesus, believed in him and converted many people to the same faith! She never asked for forgiveness, but she did acknowledge her sin and Jesus took that sin away.
The man born blind first tells people that “The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’” But when interviewed by the Pharisees he states that Jesus is a prophet. In the end Jesus asks him if he believes in the Son of Man and he wants to know who he is so he can believe in him and Jesus tells him that He is the Son of Man. The man born blind, who now sees, says, “I do believe, Lord” and he worshipped him. This man was once blind both physically and mentally and now he sees, in all ways. Even this man’s parents were too frightened to admit that their son had been healed by Jesus because at that time people were threatened with excommunication from the temple if they paid mind to Jesus and his teachings. The progression of belief in this scrutiny is, I think, most powerful because of the physical and spiritual correlation!
Lazarus raised from the dead was a miracle for the benefit of those who believed but still had doubts, who believed that Jesus was favored by God and could ask much of God, but didn’t believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Martha tells Jesus that had he been there she knows that Lazarus would not have died, and that even now she believes that whatever Jesus asks of God will be given. She does not understand fully who Jesus is and what is possible through him. Martha tells Jesus that she knows Lazarus will rise in the resurrection on the last day. Jesus tells Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world.” The death of Lazarus had a greater purpose, to glorify God and to glorify Jesus as the Son of God through the miracle of the resurrection of Lazarus. The progression of belief in Martha was mirrored in many others who witnessed the resurrection of Lazarus by Jesus and thus came to believe that he is the Son of God. This is the Gospel, the Good News.
This progression of belief is like that of the Catechumens/Elect. It is for their benefit of complete conversion that we scrutinize these readings. When I was an Elect I could personally relate to these readings. I saw myself in each of the roles. It was easy to put myself into the role of the Samaritan woman…why would Jesus talk to me? Why would he share water with me? Why would Jesus offer me the water of life? I am certainly no better that the Samaritan woman. Like a doctor who doesn’t administer to the healthy, Jesus didn’t come here to minister to those who had faith but to those who didn’t believe. He didn’t come to save some, but came to save all.
The Psalm this week is Psalm 130: With The Lord There Is Mercy
We are not singing alleluia during Lent, but “Praise to You Lord Jesus Christ”. Follow the link to Matt’s site, sing the 5th verse which corresponds to the 5th Sunday of Lent, for the Gospel Acclamation. You can print the lead sheet that contains all the verses.