![]() ![]() Scholars have recreated the sources of the four gospels, and one of these is usually called L. Outside John, the foot-washing theme occurs only in Luke’s gospel, and that overlap is important in terms of what it suggests about sources. As I have discussed in earlier columns, John’s story has many similarities to versions in other gospels, but also differs substantially in detail. This is related to another theme, as Lazarus’s sister Mary anointed Jesus, and washed his feet with her hair. The miracle stirs the Jews to anger, provoking them to try and kill him. However, he heals him, raising him from the dead. He does come at their request, but arrives when Lazarus has been dead four days. The sisters know that Lazarus is ill, and they send to ask Jesus to help. It tells the story of a group of siblings who lived at Bethany, namely Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Lazarus is best known from a passage that occurs in what is now John’s chapters 11-12, although the original readers knew nothing of any such divisions. Or, and I will argue, most likely, both history and parable grew out of a homily or sermon – in fact, one of the very earliest Christian homilies of which we have record. Or, a historical episode morphed into a parable. The obvious question is: which came first? What evolved into what? ![]() But I will suggest that the same plot elements, and the same vocabulary, appear elsewhere in the New Testament, except that they manifest in totally different genres and settings. According to John’s gospel, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. My focus is on the story of Lazarus, which in the Gospel of John involves a spectacular miracle accomplished by Jesus. ![]()
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