John’s gospel points to Bethany as the place where Jesus and his followers stayed when they came to Jerusalem. He ate with Martha, Mary and Lazarus there. Today Bethany is part of East Jerusalem, a contentious area in our times.

My community, the Passionists, have the Church of St. Martha and a retreat house in Bethany. Olive trees still grace the land, as they did in Jesus’ time. Ancient caves are found here. They probably provided shelter for pilgrims to the feasts. Could Jesus have stayed in a cave like this? Bethany evokes memories of the time Jesus was here. 

The traditional tomb of Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead,  is a short distance from St. Martha’s, although an Israeli security wall blocks access to it now.

 

From Bethany Jesus and the others would walk a couple of miles to the temple. His claims there unsettled the city’s leaders, so he would return to the safety of Bethany, among friends. Judas knew the place. On Holy Thursday he gave Jesus up as he prayed in Gethsemane, the Garden of Olives, just over the hill from Bethany.

Luke’s narrative of the Passion mentions a crowd of people followed Jesus on the way to his death “including many women who mourned and lamented him. ” 

Women from Galilee followed him to Jerusalem. They were there when he died and was buried.. Mary, his mother was one of them. Martha and Mary from Bethany would have been there too. Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the other women from Galilee must have stayed in Bethany. They must have returned there after his death and burial.

Would Lazarus give them some comfort and hope?