John 11:44-48: a reflection

44He who was dead came out, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Free him, and let him go.” 45Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary and saw what Jesus did believed in him. 46But some of them went away to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done. 47The chief priests therefore and the Pharisees gathered a council, and said, “What are we doing? For this man does many signs. 48If we leave him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”

After Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead, the responses divide sharply. Many who saw it believed in him. But the chief priests and Pharisees, faced with the same undeniable sign, respond not with faith but with alarm for their own position: If we leave him alone, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation. A man had been raised from the dead before their eyes; and their response was to plot against Jesus, out of fear of losing their position. Fear for what they might lose hardened them against the clear evidence.

Notice how fear for their position hardened the leaders against clear truth. The evidence was undeniable; a dead man had been raised. Yet the leaders did not follow the evidence to faith; they saw in it a threat to their place and nation, and hardened against it, plotting to destroy the one who had done it. What should have led them to believe led them instead to protect themselves; their fear of losing their position blinded them to the truth before their eyes. Self-interest hardened them where the evidence should have softened them.

That hardening is a danger for us too, for fear of what we might lose can harden us against truth we would rather not face. When the truth would cost us something, our position, our comfort, our way of life, we can harden against it, refusing to follow the evidence because of what it would cost us, as the leaders hardened against the risen Lazarus for fear of their place. Beware of letting fear for your own position or comfort harden you against truth you would rather not face; the leaders saw a man raised and still would not believe, because the truth threatened what they held. Do not let self-interest blind you to the truth; be willing to follow the truth even when it costs you, rather than hardening against it, as the leaders hardened against the clear sign of Christ because they feared losing their place.

Lord Jesus, after you raised Lazarus from the dead, the responses divided sharply. Many who saw it believed in you. But the chief priests and Pharisees, faced with the same undeniable sign, responded not with faith but with alarm for their own position: if we leave him alone, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will take away both our place and our nation. A man had been raised before their eyes; and their response was to plot against you, out of fear of losing their position. Show me how fear for their position hardened the leaders against clear truth. The evidence was undeniable; yet they did not follow it to faith; they saw in it a threat to their place, and hardened against it. What should have led them to believe led them instead to protect themselves; their fear of losing their position blinded them. Self-interest hardened them where the evidence should have softened them. That hardening is a danger for me too, for fear of what I might lose can harden me against truth I would rather not face. When the truth would cost me something, my position, my comfort, my way of life, I can harden against it. Keep me from letting fear for my own position or comfort harden me against truth I would rather not face; the leaders saw a man raised and still would not believe. Keep self-interest from blinding me to the truth, Lord; help me be willing to follow the truth even when it costs me, rather than hardening against it.