Gifts of Heaven · Volume 3 · Chapter 410

Lazarus

26th June 1847

Please oh Lord, You, holy, most loving Father ! If it is your holy will, bring joy to our hearts to give us a description of Your friend Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha for whom You – to the chagrin of the spiritual rulers in Jerusalem – resurrected from death and with whom You sat after his resurrection at table.

[1] My dear “Word-zealot”, you are not perhaps a portrait painter, that you would specifically ask for a bodily description of Lazarus, a brother of Mary and Martha ! But since you asked, I can tell you. See, Lazarus looked very much like your brother Andreas – only, he was about ten years younger (as your brother now in 1847) and was according to external assets much wealthier than your brother and his heart was still much more attached to the glimmer of riches than that of your brother – which still clings to it strongly from time to time, often much stronger than to Me.

[2] Lazarus, together with his two sisters, possessed extreme wealth and managed it very well. He was also very just and very conscientious and have managed the external business with the same carefulness as his sister Martha have managed the household affairs.

[3] He was a man who knew the law completely and lived as a pure Jew, strictly according to it. He fostered high hopes regarding the coming Messiah, but had a very much material expectation of Him, as did all the other Jews.

[4] He held Me, Jesus, in high regard, keeping Me – after Elijah, as the greatest prophet, sometimes even higher than Elijah. He took much pleasure in Me and whenever I came to him, he set aside all business in order to spend all his time with Me. He liked very much to discuss the prophets, especially the advent of the Messiah. He could not readily accept or understand that I would be the promised Messiah, since I was – earthly spoken – way too poor. This is why he more than once proposed to Me that, if I truly was the Messiah and would need any earthly treasures, that all of his riches would be at My disposal.

[5] Since I resurrected him from death, he recognised Me with a new life and lost his doubt regarding My status as Messiah. He openly glorified God in Me, to great frustration of the scribes and Pharisees. Therefore he was persecuted by the high priests, Pharisees and scribes, especially after My extremely annoying resurrection. A few years later he sold all his possessions and moved with his two sisters to Egypt, where he lived in complete surrender to Me, converted many Egyptians to true Christianity and in the upper part of Back-Egypt, started a congregation which still exists to this day.

[6] Lazarus was always very generous and held many festive meals – more for the poor than for the rich, even though the latter was not excluded. He lived morally while he was unmarried, as did his two sisters, despite their beauty and great wealth. Mary have, before she met Me, lived a bit more that Martha. But when she recognised Me, her world- and sensual lust was immediately quenched and there was no more room for anything but Me in her heart.

[7] If you would see Lazarus in his full personality before you, imagine your brother in Jewish garment, with a dark beard, then you really can let the perfect image of him be painted. I can not tell you more about the personality of this significant brother, since you asked only about what he looked like – but this was also good, this can be useful to you ! Amen.