Bethany

Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary
Tintoratto, 16th Century

On Wednesday of Holy Week it is thought that Jesus rested at the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus in Bethany. Perhaps no Bible town name has been chosen more than Bethany to name churches in our day. Bethany is also a common town name and even a girl's name. Bethany means "place of resurrection." No wonder it is a popular name. We all long to be in a place of resurrection. It's important that Jesus rested in such a place. These were his dear friends and here there hospitality was always ready for him. Here he could relax, eat, sleep and talk. As he contemplated the hard work of the coming days Jesus rested in this safe place and in the fact of resurrection. At Southside we travel with Lifeshapes as our discipleship language. The semi-circle is the rhythm of rest to work. we note that in the creation week our first day was one of rest (Sabbath) and from that we work. We don't rest from work, rather we work from rest. The powerful rest we have is that of resurrection and whatever work of dying is before us (to ourselves, to the world) is best prepared in a safe place of rest in resurrection. As Paul said, he wanted to know the power of Christ's resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, in that order. Where is my Bethany? How do I lean hard into the rest of the resurrected life so that I may enter the fellowship of the sufferings of my Lord?