This morning I am reading from John 11:1-3 NIV:
[1] "Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. [2] (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) [3] So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
Now one would think that in reading from this chapter that my thoughts would be on Lazarus, and how Jesus raised him from the dead, instead I find myself thinking about Bethany, and how it came to be special to Jesus. Sometimes it is interesting to dig into unusual themes, as the Lord did nothing that was trivial in His ministry.
There were a few significant things about Bethany, first it was from Bethany that Jesus traveled into Jerusalem (Mark 11:1) when He was acclaimed King (we celebrate this on Palm Sunday). When He cleansed the temple, he went back to Bethany (Matt 27:17). Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, so it appears that this became Jesus' base of operations from where He ministered into Jerusalem.
Secondly, it was just outside of Bethany that Jesus ascended into Heaven (Luke 24:50-51).
Third, Jesus was anointed for burial when Mary (John 11:2) had poured the expensive perfume on His head (Mark 14:3), while he was at dinner at the home of Simon the Leper, who had obviously been healed, otherwise He would have been an outcast from society.
Fourth, He stayed with Martha and Mary previously (Luke 10:38-42) and clearly knew the family well. He obviously had spent some considerable time there, for John describes them again, as one who walked with the Lord, as loved by Jesus (John 11:5).
Fifth, this was where he raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44)
Finally, it was from Bethany that He entered into Jerusalem for the Last Supper (Luke 19: 29).
Thus, Bethany was a place Jesus knew well, a place where He stayed regularly, it was where He entered Jerusalem from, where He went to after cleansing the temple, where he entered Jerusalem from for the Last supper and where He entered Heaven from on the day of His ascension. I guess we could say that Bethany was quite significant.
My question is this, why Bethany? I can think of a few reasons, first it was somewhere that Jesus was welcomed over and over. He was so welcomed that it apparently became a regular stopping point. He was able to establish real relationships with Martha, Mary and Lazarus, and that was clearly part of His being welcomed. Finally, it was the stepping off place for really significant moments in Jesus ministry and life, and afterlife.
I think my reflection is this - if He is welcomed in a house, He will come and will establish significant relationship! He desires relationship and Jesus' life, which is an exact reflection of the Father (Heb 1:3), demonstrates this in having a lasting relationship with the three. One could make a case that Jesus stayed with them every time He was in town, and thus knew them and loved them deeply. I want my house to be such a place, where Jesus is welcomed regularly, and where relationship with Him runs deep. I want my house to be the base of His operations in this area! I want to see Him glorified (Palm Sunday), be a part of the sending and receiving back those in His ministry, and be a place where people can sit at His feet and learn from Him. I want my house to be a place where He is worshiped and adored, and His presence is welcomed always.
Additionally, Bethany literally means "house of figs" in Aramaic, so one would expect that Figs were plentiful there. It is interesting that it was from Bethany that Jesus was walking and came upon the fig tree that had no fruit, and thus cursed the tree. Although it was not the season for figs (Mark 11:12-14), Jesus was expecting fruit. I want my house to be known as a place of fruitfulness regardless of the season of life we are in.
Lastly, in dream language, one's house is symbolic of their life. In the same way that I would want my house to be a place where Jesus is welcomed, it actually starts with my life. He is after relationship with me, and my house in many ways just represents me. I want my life to be a place where Jesus is welcomed regularly, where He is free to minister from, and where He is constantly present.
Lord, You are welcome in my life, and my house, and I desire relationship with You. May this place be Your Bethany!
Amen!
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