The Friday after Jubilate Sunday
Posted on May 16, 2025 by under
Scripture: St. John 11:1-13 (NKJV)
11:1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.”
8 The disciples said to Him, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?”
9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if one walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
12 Then His disciples said, “Lord, if he sleeps he will get well.” 13 However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.
Devotion
The disciples were worried about Jesus’ plan to return to Jerusalem. The last time he had journeyed there the Jews had tried to stone Him. What was He thinking by wanting to go back? Jesus responded that, although the hour of darkness was coming, He still walked in the day. There were still many hours remaining before He would be betrayed into the hand of sinners and put to death. As long as it was day, Jesus planned to continue His prophetic work. He would return to Judea, comfort Mary and Martha, raise Lazarus from the dead, cleanse the temple, preach sermons to the people, refute the Pharisees and Sadducees, and give final instruction to His chosen Apostles. As Jesus said in John 9:4, “I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day.”
It is day for us, as well. Each of us has hours remaining in our lives in which we can still work and do the will of the heavenly Father. Who are we to decide when our night has come? Who are we to decide when our work has ended? God has still given us day! There are yet “twelve hours” in which we may work in our God-given vocations. So walk, while it is yet day! “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble.”
Collect: Almighty God, Who showest to them that be in error the light of Thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness: Grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s Religion that they may eschew those things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable to the same; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
